Texas School Nurses Organization

To all our wonderful School Nurses in Texas,
School Nursing is ever changing. Each year expectations and demands change. Through victory and defeat you have continued to keep the welfare of the children as a top priority. You strive to improve the health and educational success of our students, encouraging them.  As we touch the future, take time to remember where we began. From the dimly lit stair closet and limited supplies to our clinics full of technology. The struggle is not over. Keep your passion. Take care of yourself.   Your TSNO Board is so proud to be one of you, A Texas School Nurse!   A school nurse does make a difference.  A school nurse does impact student achievement. A school nurse does save lives. A school nurse touches the future one child at a time.  Happy School Nurse’s Day!

Kathy Powell
TSNO President

Nominations for
School Nurse of the Year (SNOY),
School Nurse Administrator of the Year (SNAY) &
Region of the Year awards are
due by JUNE 15.

Click here for a list of all TSNO awards.

Each May, a day is designated to honor school nurses for the important role they play in the lives of young Texans. This year, Governor Rick Perry proclaimed May 9 as School Nurse Day. Click here for the official proclamation from Governor Perry. Keep up the great work!

Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas is holding a conference June 13-14, 2012. The theme is "Nursing Considerations for the School Age Child and Adolescent". Click this link for information and registration. Click this link for on-line registration.

The following link is a video Texas Children's Hospital produced to help bring awareness to the meningitis threat among college students. Its my goal to share this video with all high school nurses, seniors, and their parents. Undoubtedly, it will bring awareness to the meningitis threat and hopefully save lives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2-U1S74OH0

Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.  The illness can progress rapidly and cause death or permanent disabilities, such as hearing loss, brain damage, or loss of limbs. Studies suggest that college students have a slightly higher risk of contracting the illness because they live and work in close proximity.

As of Jan. 1, 2012, State law mandates that first-time college students, students transferring from another institution and students who are re-enrolling following an absence of at least one fall or spring semester who are under 30 as of the first class day of the term be vaccinated against the illness. Students under 30 who plan to audit a course also must comply with the law, SB 1107 passed during the 82^nd Legislative Session.

It is imperative that students who plan to enroll in college be vaccinated as soon as possible. Under the law, students subject to the meningitis requirement must have received the vaccine within the past five years. Proof of vaccination is required 10 days before the first class day for the term, as the vaccine is considered effective several days after it is administered.

The vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – MCV4 and MPSV4 – offer protection against meningitis groups A, C, Y, and W-135. Currently MCV4 and MPSV4 vaccines are the only vaccines accepted under state law.

Thank you!
Kathy Powell RN, BSN, MS, NCSN
Texas School Nurses Organization President

Cook Children's is offering symposiums this summer specifically for school nurses. Use the links below for information about and online registration for these offerings.
School Nurse Symposium - Thursday, June 21, 2012
SPORTS Symposium - Tuesday, July 10, 2012
School Nurse Symposim - Friday, July 20, 2012

If you have any questions about these symposiums, please contact Cook Children's directly at www.cookchildrens.org

Registration information will be available on-line September 1, 2012.

Standards set professional expectations that guide our practice as professional school nurses and are essential in evaluating the quality of our school nursing practice.

Standards of School Nursing Practice 1- 6

1. Assessment: The school nurse collects comprehensive data pertinent to the child’s health or situation.                                                                       
2. Diagnosis: The school nurse analyzes the assessment data to determine the diagnosis and issues.                                                                                    
3. Outcomes Identification: The school nurse identifies expected outcomes for a plan individualized to the client or situation.                            
4. Planning: The school nurse develops a plan that prescribes strategies and alternatives to attain expected outcomes.                                                    
5. Implementation: The school nurse implements and documents the identified plan using evidence-based interventions and standard language or recognized terminology.                                                                                      
6. Evaluation: The school nurse evaluates progress towards attainment of outcomes.

Standards of Professional Performance 7: Ethics: The school nurse practices ethically.

Standards of Professional Performance 8: Education: The school nurse attains knowledge and competency that reflects current nursing practice.

Standards of Professional Performance 9: Evidence-Based Practice and Research: The school nurse integrates evidence and research findings into practice

Standards of Professional Performance 10: Quality of Practice: The school nurse contributes to quality of nursing practice.                                

 Standards of Professional Performance 11: Communication: The school nurse communicates effectively in a variety of formats in all areas of nursing practice.

Standards of Professional Performance 12: Leadership: The school nurse demonstrates leadership in the professional practice setting and the profession.

Standards of Professional Performance 13: Collaboration: The school nurse collaborates with the healthcare consumer, the family and others in the conduct of nursing practice.

Standards of Professional Performance 14: Professional Practice Evaluation: The school nurse evaluates one’s own nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules and regulations.                    

 Standards of Professional Performance 15: Resource Utilization: The school nurse utilizes appropriate resources to plan and provide nursing services that are safe, effective, and financially responsible.

Standards of Professional Performance 16: Environmental Health: The school nurse practices in an environmentally safe and healthy manner.

Standards of Professional Performance 17: Program Management: The school nurse manages School Health Services.

TSNO members in action at the 2012 PTA Conference in Houston!

Click here to read the complete article.

Region 17 invites you to join them at their Summer Conference, May 31, 2012 - June 1, 2012, in Lubbock. The theme of the conference is "Building Skills in School Nursing". Click this link to view their brochure, and for registration information.  If you have any questions, please contact Charmaine Adamson at cadamson@lubbockisd.org.

We invite you to attend the TSNAA 2012 Annual Conference, June 10-12, 2012, in San Antonio. The theme of this year's conference is
"Leadership: $$$ Achieving More With Less $$$"

Please follow these instructions for registration:
(You will need Adobe Acrobat or Reader. To download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat or Reader click here http://www.adobe.com/go/reader)
1. Click on this link https://acrobat.com/?i=RMSnFgO-M3YbAL*oULqjtg (registration form and conference details)
2. "Open" the document
3. Fill in the registration form completely
4. "Save" this completed document to your computer
5. Email the completed document as an attachment to Charla Gray at cgray@scuc.txed.net

Or, you can mail the completed form, along with your check, to:
Charla Gray, Health Services Coordinator
806 Savannah Dr.
Schertz, TX  78154

Registration deadline is 5/18/2012.

If you have any questions, email Charla Gray at cgray@scuc.txed.net, or Maria Perez at mperez5@neisd.net
Hope to see you in June!

School Nurses - Just a reminder of NASN Diabetes Resources available for your practice:

1. Diabetes in Children – NASN webpage  www.nasn.org/ToolsResources/DiabetesinChildren

2. Online Continuing Education – Diabetes Management Series (free to members - $15 non-members) 1.0 CNE Each - Insulin Update, Introduction to Carbohydrate Counting.

www.nasn.org/ContinuingEducation/OnlineContinuingEducation

3. New Publication - Managing Diabetes at School: Tools for the School Nurse – ($38 for members - $48 for non-members). This 220 page spiral manual is accompanied by a disc containing forms in PDF and WORD formats, and is adapted from NASN’s H.A.N.D.S. (Helping Administer to the Needs of the Student with Diabetes in School) program. It includes 3 new IHPs, procedures, skills checklists, and documentation forms.

4. School Health Office Documentation Record (SHODR) Forms -packs of 10 ($6 for members - $11 for non-members) – This tri-fold form on heavy stock paper is designed to be a comprehensive documentation tool for a student’s daily diabetes management. When you purchase the Tools for the School Nurse publication you receive 2 SHODR forms. Purchase packs of 10 for additional students.

Link to NASN bookstore:  portal.nasn.org/members_online/members/createorder.asp?

5. Live Workshop for School Nurses : H.A.N.D.S. Helping Administer to the Needs of the Student with Diabetes in School – Plan now to offer H.A.N.D.S. at your winter/ spring conferences.

www.nasn.org/ContinuingEducation/LiveContinuingEducationPrograms/HANDS

If you have attended H.A.N.D.S. in the past, check for the program updates and new participant resources.

www.nasn.org/ToolsResources/DiabetesinChildren

6. NASN School Nurse bimonthly publication (Free to NASN members) – Diabetes article in every issue from national diabetes experts (National Diabetes Education Program)

7. Not a member? Join today so you don’t miss out on this valuable information.

www.nasn.org/Home/Becomeamember

Have a great school year! 

Many of the emails that TSNO has been sending out have come back as undeliverable, and you are not receiving them. If you have had ANY changes to your contact information (name, email address, etc) please email Linda Howard at lhoward@atlisd.net and she will make the changes. We want you to know about all the great things TSNO is doing!

Hello fellow nurses,

In this time of uncertainty and budget cuts, I wanted to share with you a way you could show your school board, PTA, administrators, etc. just what school nurses accomplish in the school and for the children of Texas.

Several years ago I shared with TSNO the annual report our district nurses submit annually to our school board.  This report has been on our website for several years. I am thrilled to put the latest and improved edition on the website that includes when an RN made the difference…stories from the clinics and the future of school health services.  View here for the report.

More cuts are expected next year.  We must keep awareness of school nurses’ achievements and worth in the forefront.

Continue to sparkle nurses, sparkle!

Kathy Powell RN, BSN, MSCHA, NCSN

President of Texas School Nurses Organization