New to School Nursing

Hi There! Welcome!

Unfortunately this board becomes super sparse during the Summer months since most of us are on vacation, but there are still a few stragglers (like me) who pop in from time to time, especially if we're working a Summer program!

As the previous poster said, it'd be good to find out the rules and regs in your state. They vary widely.

I'd check out NASN.org and find out if your state has a specific school nurse association, and furthermore, if there is a private school nurse-specific contact for your state! Often, the regs for private schools are different from public schools.

As far as the office goes, you'll of course want all of your first aid basics for injuries - wound care materials, splinting materials, ice/cold application. Warm packs/mints for upset tummies, a nice place to lie down, wipes for helping clean up body messes.

I have several stethoscopes, a stadiometer, scale, otoscope (Welch Allyn MacroView), and BP cuffs of all sizes. I use a Welch Allyn oral thermometer and an iHealth temporal thermometer - depending on the situation. I have an ice machine but also keep a supply of reusable ice packs. I have a microwave and mini-fridge/freezer.

And again, as the above poster said, just be very careful around meds. You almost certainly need orders from students' doctors, and in some states, you are not allowed to give out OTC meds at all, but in many states you are, as long as you have a standing order. It's complicated, but a rep from your school nurse association should be able to help you out, or at least point you in the right direction!

Also, think about how you'll chart visits and meds. You could start out by doing paper charts, but I cannot emphasize how helpful a EMR can be. I use SNAP by PSNI, but there are many others out there. If you have the budget, I'd schedule some demos and see what might work best for you!

That is obviously not everything, but it's a good start. Good luck and check in with us (on Wednesdays, we wear pink)!