Job Description

MILFORD SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

JOB

SCHOOL NURSE

Months : In accordance with Negotiated Contract

Reports To: Principal

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE:

The school nurse is a registered professional nurse certified with the Maine Department of Education, working in the school setting, who strengthens and facilitates the educational process by improving and protecting the health of children.

The major focus of school nursing services is the prevention of illness, disability, and the early detection and correction of health problems.  The school nurse is uniquely qualified in preventive health, health assessment, and referral procedures.

REQUIREMENTS and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide health assessments
• Obtains a health and developmental history
• Screens and evaluates findings for deficits in vision, hearing, etc.
• Observes the child for development and health patterns in making a nursing assessment and nursing diagnosis
• Identifies health findings that do not fall within the normal range
• Assists with physical examinations when conducted in the school
• Develops and implements a health plan
• Interprets the health status of pupils to school personnel
• Initiates referrals to parents, school personnel, and community health resources for intervention, remediation, and follow-through
• Provides ongoing health information to pupils, parents, school personnel, and health agencies
• Recommends and helps to implement modifications of school programs to meet students’ health needs
• Utilizes existing health resources to provide appropriate care of pupils
• Maintains, evaluates, and interprets cumulative health data to accommodate the individual needs of students
• Participates as the health specialist on the child education evaluation team to develop the health individualized educational plan (I.E.P.)
• Plans and implements school health management protocols for the child with chronic health problems, including the administration of medication
• Develops procedures and provides for crisis intervention for acute illness, injury, and mental health issues
• Promotes and assists in the control of communicable diseases through preventive immunization programs, early detection, surveillance, and reporting of contagious diseases

• Provides information on health
• Provides health information to assist students and families in making health-related decisions
• Participates in health education directly and indirectly for the improvement of health by teaching students/families to become more assertive health consumers and to assume greater responsibility for their health
• Provides information to adolescents concerning health problems in order to encourage responsible decision-making practices
• Serves as a resource person to the classroom teacher and administrator in health instruction and as a member of the Wellness Committee
• Coordinates school and community health activities and serves as a liaison among home, school, and community
• Engages in research and evaluation of school health services to act as a change agent for school health programs and school nursing practices
• Assists in the formation of health policies, goals, and objectives for the school unit
• Responsible for maintaining and updating cumulative health records
• Helps develop/revise school health policies and procedures
• Prepares first aid kits and crisis bags for each building

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

• Current license to practice professional nursing in Maine
• Three years of experience as a professional registered nurse
• Certification as required by the Department of Education
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Knowledge of relevant technology

Key Competencies:

• Self motivation
• High energy level
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Attention to detail
• High work standards
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Organizing and planning
• Stress tolerance
• Flexibility
• Adaptability
• Initiative
• Ability to work collaboratively with others 

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, stoop, kneel, and crouch.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.
• There may be physical demands based on the physical, emotional, and cognitive needs of particular children

Candidates must submit to a Criminal History Record Check through the Maine Department of Education.

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