School nurses make a difference for students, families and schools. A 2024 Morning Consult public-opinion poll conducted to understand the public perception of school nursing found that 87% of US adults have a favorable view of school nurses, the highest rated group among school staff, and 4 out of 5 parents of K-12 children think it is “absolutely essential” or “very important” for schools to have registered professional nurses on campus.
NASN advocates for the school nursing workforce to ensure a robust and sustainable pipeline of school nurses and their full-time presence in every school in the country to ensure every student has equitable access to quality health care in schools. NASN’s school nursing workforce priorities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Increasing Access to School Nurses
- Advocate for the passage of legislation like the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act and the One School, One Nurse Act to ensure every public school has at least one full-time registered professional nurse.
- Promote evidence-based staffing models considering student acuity, population size, and community needs to determine appropriate models of practice and nurse-to-student ratios.
Advancing School Nursing Practice
- Support research and implementation of evidence-based school nursing practices that optimize student health and academic outcomes.
- Encourage using the School Nursing Practice Framework™ to guide comprehensive school health services delivery.
- Advocate for school nurses to practice to the full extent of their license, education and training.
Optimizing Healthy Work Environments
- Promote healthy work environments that support school nurses’ well-being, professional development, retention, and pathways for advancement in an educational environment.
- Advocate for policies that recognize school nurses as essential members of the educational and healthcare teams.
- Highlight exemplars of nurse-led supervision to develop and strengthen school nursing clinical competencies, positively impacting student health and academic success. It also provides a pathway for promotion and advancement, improving retention.
- Support initiatives to diversify the school nursing workforce to better reflect student populations.
Enhance School Nurse Support and Training
- Implement professional development programs focused on self-care and stress management for school nurses.
- Establish mentorship programs pairing experienced school nurses with newer ones to provide guidance and support.
- Create resources and tools to help school nurses effectively balance their own well-being with student care responsibilities.
Existing NASN-supported legislation related to the school nursing workforce includes:
- NASN’s NURSE (Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere) Act
- NASN’s One School, One Nurse Act
- Appropriations for nursing workforce investment