Relentless School Nurse

MARCH 17, 2024

New Jersey State School Nurses Association (NJSSNA) is celebrating the conclusion of our 2024 Spring Conference. Our second in-person since COVID as we continue to rebuild our strength, endurance, and school nurse community. The theme of NJSSNA2024 was “School Nurses Make the Impossible, Possible.”

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Relentless School Nurse

OCTOBER 22, 2022

On the heels of the recent release of NASN’s survey about the mental health of school nurses during COVID , comes an important publication from the U.S. Murthy, The Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being. What is adequate staffing in the school health office? Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H.

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Relentless School Nurse

JANUARY 16, 2024

This innovative app is not only beneficial for nurses in traditional healthcare settings but can also be valuable for school nurses who face our own unique set of challenges and stressors.’ School nurses can utilize this community platform to discuss our unique challenges and seek advice from peers.

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Relentless School Nurse

APRIL 16, 2024

As a school nurse, one of the most rewarding experiences for me has been being invited to speak at state school nurse association conferences. I never imagined, eight years ago when I started The Relentless School Nurse blog, that I would be asked to present to colleagues across the country. Click to view slideshow.

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Schooling Conditioning Wellness Health 200

Stanford Childrens

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

As you gear up for another school year, scheduling a back-to-school well visit with your family pediatrician should be on your to-do list. Well visits are a proactive way to catch any potential health issues before they become actual problems. They also need to be up-to-date on their immunizations. “At

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Relentless School Nurse

JANUARY 3, 2024

Imagine finding out that your school district was gifted millions of dollars to improve access to healthcare for your students and staff! The recipient of the joint gift is the School-Based Health Alliance , the national voice for school-based healthcare.

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Schooling Health Coordination Health Education 189

SHAPE America

OCTOBER 10, 2023

There are fewer sunlit hours after school for children to be outside and physically active. This time of year, it is increasingly important to incorporate physical activity into the school day. Instead of settling into an indoor, sedentary routine — it’s time to rethink the typical school day.

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Relentless School Nurse

OCTOBER 3, 2023

West Virginia school nurse, Sarah Arbogast stood before her school board meeting to explain her concerns as a district school nurse and a parent of a special needs child. We have three minutes to present our cases to our own school boards. Let’s be as proactive as Sarah and take meaningful action.

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Schooling Assessment Teacher Education 274

Relentless School Nurse

JULY 28, 2023

Moms For Liberty, the ultra-right wing group that has focused their white supremacist ideals in school districts across the country may now be coming after school nurses. In a recent social media post, they called for a ban on all health care services in schools, which by extension includes school nurses.

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Relentless School Nurse

JUNE 4, 2023

Back to writing though, I am looking to grow some school nurse bloggers. I work out social issues, personal reflections, and work challenges and hopefully also inspire other school nurses to not feel as alone or isolated as we are known to be. Blogging can have a significant impact on your school nursing practice.

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SHAPE America

OCTOBER 3, 2023

When a school is celebrating a sports championship, they often go big: rallies, trophies, and loud cheers all around. What if the entire school and community applauded students for developing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to be health-literate individuals ? It might be a great fit for your school.

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Relentless School Nurse

JULY 29, 2023

Creator: FatCamera – Credit: Getty Images The past few days have seen several disturbing headlines about the state of school nursing that do not bode well for our future. A recent Twitter post from the group says all health care in schools should be banned. We can learn from our colleagues in other countries.

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Schooling Wellness Achievement Health 218

Relentless School Nurse

MAY 19, 2023

Welcome to a special edition of the Relentless School Nurse blog! As passionate health advocates for our students, it is crucial that we also prioritize our own well-being and professional growth. Clearly articulate your workload, responsibilities, and any challenges you face to school administrators and colleagues.

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Schooling Health Health Education Education 223

Relentless School Nurse

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

Student Mental Health Matters: A Toolkit for Educators i s a valuable resource for school nurses and educators, addressing the mental well-being of students. These insights provide a deeper understanding of mental health issues, equipping school staff to better support their students.

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Schooling Health Education Education 209

Relentless School Nurse

JANUARY 7, 2024

Graphic from NJ-NEW website: njnew.org Congratulations to New Jersey State School Nurse Association (NJSSNA) president, Eileen Gavin and past president Donna Pleus for their newly published article “School Nurses’ Emotional Wellbeing – May the Schwartz Be With you!” NASN School Nurse.

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Schooling Wellness Health 175

Relentless School Nurse

APRIL 29, 2023

School Nurse Day 2023 is May 10th. I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago that we should celebrate ourselves this year, because in the past so many school nurses felt left out. I was encouraged to find this thoughtful proclamation by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

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Schooling Health Education Education 284

Relentless School Nurse

JUNE 23, 2023

For well over a century, school nurses have carried the weight of providing healthcare and support to students within the school setting. Their dedication and commitment to the well-being of students are undeniable. School nurses understand the tremendous value and potential benefits of having SBHCs within schools.

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Schooling Health Coordination Academics 197

Relentless School Nurse

JANUARY 13, 2024

The concept of relational safety in schools is fundamental to creating a supportive and nurturing environment for students. Relational safety in schools is not just about having a good relationship with students, but about creating safe and effective relationships that are therapeutic and purposeful, with understood limits.

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Schooling Teacher Health Achievement 156

SHAPE America

JUNE 15, 2023

I still believe students are looking for a sense of connection and belonging in school. Well, it is because these are marginalized groups that are not seen in mainstream culture. There are many ways to be an ally for students no matter the continuum of your comfort level and the comfort level of LGBTQ+ topics in your school.

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Schooling Physical Education Education Education 490

Relentless School Nurse

AUGUST 6, 2022

I came across this article, “North Carolina school district planning to put AR-15 in every school in the event of another school shooting,” and my heart started racing. This is not school safety. It is dangerous and reactive which will turn schools into battlefields. . Hardening schools does not work.

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Schooling Assessment Psychology Coordination 257

Relentless School Nurse

AUGUST 4, 2023

A highly regarded colleague sent me a message about my blog post from July 29, 2023 – The Relentless School Nurse: How School Nurses Can Help Ourselves to Stay. Here’s how school nurses can work on ending our own victim mentality in the context of our role. If we don’t ask, the answer is always no.

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Schooling Achievement Wellness Education 213

Relentless School Nurse

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

. It has not been a figment of our imagination, or hyperbole that school nurses across the country have been struggling under the cumulative stressors of the pandemic. This was a collaboration between NASN, the CDC, and the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants. – NASN Executive Director, Donna Mazyck .

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Relentless School Nurse

MARCH 1, 2024

There is a concerning trend happening in state houses across the country fundamentally impacting how school health services are delivered by licensed school nurses. It’s disappointing to see such a callous disregard for the critical role of school nurses in ensuring the health and safety of our children.

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Schooling Assessment Health Education 174

SHAPE America

OCTOBER 12, 2023

Every November, schools throughout Kentucky celebrate Kindness Across the Commonwealth , a week-long event started by KYSHAPE in 2020 to spread kindness throughout our state while promoting lessons and activities from SHAPE America’s health. such as teamwork, gratitude, kindness, wellness, and mindfulness. ® FUNdraiser.

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Relentless School Nurse

AUGUST 27, 2022

A school nurse was asked by a parent at her elementary school’s open house if she was trained to respond to COVID, Monkeypox, and an active shooter. I am skilled in infection control measures and have taught school staff over the past three school years what we can do to keep ourselves and our students safe.

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Schooling Elementary School Elementary Health 314

Relentless School Nurse

JUNE 1, 2023

School Nurse International is Coming to Boston! The upcoming School Nurse International Conference (SNI) at Northeastern University (NU) provides a unique opportunity for school nurses from around the world to do just that. Northeastern University School Health Academy is our host for this event.

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Schooling Health Wellness 205

Relentless School Nurse

JANUARY 26, 2024

My heart was beating a little faster today as I came across the new White House initiative for schools to promote the safe storage of firearms! While school nurses are not specifically named, we know that we are the Chief Wellness Officers of our buildings, and must be part of this new program. I already sent my email!

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Schooling Coordination Academics Education 199

Relentless School Nurse

JULY 30, 2023

Illustration from Healing Meme Therapy As a seasoned school nurse, I’ve often heard the phrase, “You need thick skin for this job,” and while it’s meant to be a badge of honor, it doesn’t sit well with me. Above all, feeling safe at work is essential. Illustration from Healing Meme Therapy

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Schooling Wellness Health 244

Relentless School Nurse

APRIL 2, 2023

There are many unsung heroes in schools across the country. I posted the news story on my Relentless School Nurse Facebook page and to my amazement, one of the school nurses commented: Jim saved not just a child but my child. I’m the school nurse there. ” We cross this main road every single school day.

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Schooling Teaching Teaching Health 292

Relentless School Nurse

SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

. School is back in full session. What is going well and where do you need support? What are you doing differently this school year? How are you taking a stand for your own well-being? The big question remains, what do we want school nursing to look like in this semi post-pandemic world?

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Schooling Conditioning Wellness Health 350

Relentless School Nurse

MAY 10, 2023

Nurse Holly is one of the administrators of the School Nursing Facebook page. The page has grown to almost 18,000 school nurses over the last few years. It is an active and vibrant community where school nurses gather for information, advice and support. Holly created a poem for this year’s National School Nurse Day!

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Schooling Creativity Health Education 254

Relentless School Nurse

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Kudos to Fredonia High School Principal Darrin Paschke for delivering a fiery speech at the local Fredonia, New York, Board of Education (BOE) meeting. His focus was student safety concerns due to the lack of essential health services, including school nurses and school social workers. I think we need to do a better job.

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Schooling High School Health Education 199

Relentless School Nurse

JULY 30, 2022

. The impact of COVID on school nursing is not yet fully realized, but what we do know is there are many open positions. The fall of 2022 looks rather bleak for some school districts. I have been on the faculty of Rutgers University – Camden School of Nursing for more than a decade. That was one sign of trouble ahead.

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Schooling Coordination Health Education 290

Relentless School Nurse

JULY 9, 2023

We teamed up on an article that we hope will be embraced by our school nursing colleagues to provide actional steps to reduce gun violence in schools and communities. We used a case-based scenario to explore downstream, midstream, and upstream interventions through a public health lens to mitigate the impact of gun violence in schools.

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Schooling Assessment Health Education 228

Relentless School Nurse

DECEMBER 1, 2023

The story of Pitt County North Carolina schools should be a wake-up call for many districts across the country that have relied on Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to boost school nursing services. Still an untenable workload! The clock is ticking.

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Relentless School Nurse

AUGUST 28, 2023

This is part 1 of a two-part back-to-school series… Taking pauses in our role as school nurses holds immense significance as it allows us to recharge, reflect, and provide optimal care to our students. These demands can take a toll on our physical and mental well-being.

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Schooling Assessment Health Wellness 208

Relentless School Nurse

OCTOBER 13, 2023

The school year is well underway, and with that comes the stressors and pressures from juggling so many competing needs, including our own! Many school nurses are simultaneously taking care of hundreds (or thousands) of students as well as our own families, including multiple generations.

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