Districts are often approached about new electronic health documentation systems; or your district may be seeking information about this topic because it has funding to purchase one. NASN has a tool to meant to help school nurses and districts understand the importance of documentation and what to look for in an electronic health record.

Have you created an End-of-Year report that has been well received by educators and/or health officials? Would you be willing to share it with NASN? NASN would like to review a variety of End-of-Year reports and develop 1-2 templates that school nurses can use. This is in response to  members who have asked for an End-of-Year Template. Send your template by April 14th to emaughan@nasn.org.

NASN, along with more than 50 other nursing organizations, participated in the Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI) Nursing Roundtable designed to share nursing's contribution to PCORI programs, highlight particular opportunities for nursing, gain input regarding topics PCORI should concentrate on in the future, and how to be disseminate the evidence they are gaining. NASN has a PCORI pipeline to a proposal grant to advance research about how to be more patient-centered in providing care coordination.

Empowering work conditions are essential for nurses, especially school nurses, and are one component of job satisfaction. In addition, discretionary behaviors such as trust, altruism, and courtesy, help to shape work environments. Please participate in a study to explore these relationships in the school setting. The survey takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Click here to access the survey and learn more about the survey and incentive drawing of a gift card. Contact Connie Bowler at cfb65@case.edu for questions.  

Congratulations! The following NASN members have made significant, unique, and extraordinary accomplishments that have had broad influence in contributing to the advancement of the specialty practice of school nursing and NASN. These professionals will be inducted into the National Academy of School Nursing Fellows on Saturday, July 2, 2016, during the Annual Meeting at the NASN2016 Annual Conference at the JW Marriott Indianapolis Hotel:

• Cynthia A. Galemore, MSEd, BSN, RN, NCSN (Kansas)
• Kathleen H. Johnson, DNP, MN, RN-BC, NCSN (Washington)
• Erin D. Maughan, PhD, MS, RN, APHN-BC, FAAN (Utah)
• Deborah Pontius, MSN, RN, NCSN (Nevada)

Understanding the Power of Trust and Teamwork: Lessons from 9/11
The skill of building effective teams in the school and community is essential for 21st Century School Nursing Practice. Michael Hingson lived through the 9/11 terrorist attacks by forming teams to keep everyone around him focused and to successfully work toward the common goal of escape from Tower One. The session will instill the school nurse with skills and methods to create effective teams and describe how trust and teamwork will enrich lives personally and professionally. Learn more about Michael and his can't-miss session. 

Are you frustrated when the student you sent home with a fever returns to school the next day, even though the note home said, "stay home for 48 hours?" Communication must be understood to be effective. A workshop at NASN2016, You Send It, but Do They Read or Understand It?: Health Literacy in Action, will present tips to increase communication effectiveness between the health office and home. Learn more about this workshop.

The Step Up & Be Counted! National Standardized Data Set initiative is a means to measure your professional health. A breakout session at NASN2016, National Uniform Data Set: Learning from Those Who Have Stepped Up!, will present a variety of local and state examples that school nurses can use to incorporate the data reporting process into their practice. Using data to become a more visible health care partner is a step that validates your work and that of your profession. Learn more about this session.

In your SchoolNurseNet profile is a space called Achievements. NASN is using this space to house digital badges for each NASN annual conference you attend. The NASN2016 badge has been, and will be, added for all registered to attend. Other badges for conferences from 2009 to 2015 will be added this week. Go to your profile, choose My Contributions, and then choose Achievements.

NASN was a contributing organization at a virtual roundtable convened by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases that led to a newly released Call to Action highlighting the need for an additional vaccination platform at age 16 years to address the uneven uptake of the recommended adolescent vaccines.

This new 7th edition provides the latest guidelines for developing health programs, including nutrition services, school health services, medication administration, physical activity and sports, and the school environment. Chapter 3 includes a section about school nursing written by NASN's Erin Maughan and Shirley Schantz. It is available through the American Academy of Pediatrics. NASN members receive a discount; visit the Benefits of Membership web page on NASN.org for discount instructions.  

NASN Member Andrea Tanner, who trains school nurses about the use of epinephrine in schools, is highlighted in the Nurse.com article, "Transforming community health via the school system."
"Anaphylaxis is always on the forefront of our minds as school nurses with all of the allergies children can have," Tanner said. Read the article.

This year's National Public Health Week focus is "Creating the Healthiest Nation" and it's emphasized through Facts for the Week, that includes various topics like Help all young people graduate from high school, Give everyone a choice of healthy food, and, Social Justice & Health. Read more and access resources.

April 5, 2016, 1:00-2:15 p.m., Eastern
Many schools and districts have incorporated Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) outreach strategies to reach and enroll eligible students in their communities and get them covered. Speakers include NASN President Beth Mattey, NASN member Liz Clark, School Medicaid Coordinator from Colorado, and others will discuss the importance of working with schools, ways to best work together to conduct outreach and enrollment activities, as well as lessons learned working with schools. Register today. 

Accessible through April 13, 2016
In this American Nurses Association webinar, a panel of health care experts discuss what every nurse needs to know about Zika virus which presents unique challenges to the U.S. health care system. As part of professional practice, nurses dispel myths, examine facts, and review evidence allaying fears and providing quality care. Click here for more information and registration.

This calendar includes upcoming events hosted by NASN, officially endorsed by NASN, and/or hosted by one of NASN's Affiliate school nurse organizations.  Access the calendar. 

This calendar lists special days, weeks, or months dedicated to raising awareness about important health topics. Access the 2016 calendar.