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District Nurse Program

District Nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success and life-long achievement of students.
To that end, District nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development; promote health and safety; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide management services, and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy, and learning.
 

WHO IS A DISTRICT NURSE?

 
  • A Registered Nurse (RN) licensed to practice nursing by the state board of nursing with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and a School Nurse Services Credential from the State of California 
  • Most of the nurses have a master’s degree and some have clinical nurse specialties such as a nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialty.
  • A professional that is accountable to practice in accordance with current:
    • Professional Standards of School Nursing Practice, as stated by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).
    • State laws, rules and regulations.
  • A nursing professional who advocates for children’s health and safety within the educational setting.
  • Has expertise in the following areas:
    • Pediatric, public health and mental health nursing with strong health promotion, assessment and referral skills.
    • Education and health laws impacting children.
    • Teaching strategies for the delivery of health education to students and staff.
 

ROLE OF A DISTRICT NURSE

 
The primary role of the District Nurse is to support student learning.
The nurse accomplishes this by implementing strategies that
promote student and staff health and safety.
 
  • Provides health assessments, accommodations and direct health services for students with medical concerns. The district nurse is an integral part of the special education team.
  • Serves as a coordinator of nursing services and provides direct nursing care.
  • Serves as a medical supervisor for health care provided in the school setting.
  • Obtains health histories and attends 504 and Individual Educational Plan meetings for students with medical issues.
  • Develops Individual Student Health Plans (ISHP) to accommodate students with different medical conditions.
  • Provides state mandated services such as vision and hearing screening for students in Kindergarten, 2nd, 5th 8th grades.
  • Trains and monitors staff at the school sites to do medical procedures.
  • Provides direct medical services such as giving insulin shots to students who are diabetic.
  • Identifies health and safety concerns in the school environment and promotes a nurturing school environment.
 

HEALTH OFFICE

  • The health office is open during school hours, Monday through Friday
  • It is typically staffed by an Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) or an unlicensed health assistant, they are both certified in CPR and First Aid
  • Office staff will back-up the health office when the LVN or health assistant is not available
  • The health assistant and back-up office staff are trained by Credentialed School Nurses