School Nursing

School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well being, academic success, and life-long achievement of students. To that end, school nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development; promote health and safety; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide case management services; and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self management, self advocacy, and learning. This definition was adopted at the NASN Board of Directors meeting in Providence, Rhode Island in June 1999. [NASN (http://www.nasn.org/about/aboutus.htm)]

According to the American Federation of teachers there are approximately 45,000 school nurses employed in the United States [AFT (http://www.aft.org/topics/school-nurses)] School nurses are often the only health professional serving students in an educational setting.