Membership matters to everyone; the individual, and the association! When you
join the National Association of School Nurses, an organization for the
specialty of school nursing, you fulfill one of the standards of professional school nurse practice (ANA 2015). Your action leads to intentional professional growth as well as intentional continued education. Being a member of NASN is a journey of relationships, knowledge, strength and support.
This week NASN will highlight two of its new members to provide insight on how their NASN membership has influenced their School Nurse practice.
Alison Jochen, BSN, RN CSN works in a rural elementary school setting in Pennsylvania with a K-3 population of 1300 students.
Alison works in a rural area and says some days she feels like she, “...is in the middle of a corn field with an epi-pen in one hand and oxygen in the other. The lack of a rapid EMS response time can be nerve-racking.”
Alison realized after her first year, she needed to have more resources for her job. As part of her evaluation, her supervisor asked about professional organizations and
whether she was a member. She said she really never thought about it before and her supervisor encouraged her to investigate associations further.
As a new NASN member, Alison said she feels like she, “...is more connected to a network of belonging.” Alison
said that she, “Loves the
SchoolNurseNet discussion list daily emails
about current issues/concerns of school nurses and the ways other school nurses deal with the issues.” She is still learning about the vast number of
resources NASN offers. Alison discovered the value of NASN Position Statements
about school nurse practice issues. She said she feels she can utilize
position documents to speak to administration on current health practices
within her school. Alison is “grateful for these supportive documents.”
Sarah Prendergast, BSN, RN works in an elementary building with K-5 students in Delaware.
Sarah was a substitute school nurse for one year prior to applying for a full-time position. She joined NASN because, “...professionally, it was the right thing to do.” Sarah
said she, “values
continued education.” She recently obtained her
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and has 12 credits towards a Masters in Education.
Sarah said she feels that being connected to other school nurses and having NASN
resources available to her to use for students with asthma, diabetes, and care
plans, are of value
to her every day. She said being a school nurse is extremely rewarding. One little boy was reluctant to go to the eye doctor after the vision screening Sarah performed at school
and indicated he needed further evaluation. He did go, with Sarah’s encouragement, and afterwards proudly proclaimed to his school nurse, “I can see!”
Alison Jochen and Sarah Prendergast reflect the faces of the future of school nursing and demonstrate what it means to be #NASNstrong.
There Is Strength In Numbers And NASN Needs You!
If you are not a current member, please take a few minutes to explore the numerous
NASN benefits available to support and enrich your school nursing practice. We also encourage you to talk to a colleague about the National Association of School Nurses.
What Can Current NASN Members Do To Encourage School Nurses
To Join?
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Share your NASN journals (NASN School Nurse and
The Journal of School Nursing) with non members.
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Explain how your membership contributes to your school nurse practice.
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Share what prompted you to join NASN.
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Share what keeps you involved in NASN year after year.
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Reach out to school nurses in your region and/or state.
When a new member joins and names a referring member, the referring member receives a $10 NASN e-commerce credit through the
Strength in Numbers member-to-member campaign.
What NASN resources do you value? How do you use them in your practice? Share your experiences!
Show Your NASN Membership Pride
During the Month of October
If you are a member, use the "I am NASN Strong" graphic
as your PROFILE PICTURE on SchoolNurseNet!
Download or save the graphic.
Go to your SchoolNurseNet
profile and add or change your profile picture.
Watch a brief video tutorial if you need instruction on changing your profile
picture.
Login and leave a comment about your NASN experience.
Be sure to TWEET, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK or BLOG about your NASN experience too.
#NASNstrong #schoolnurses #NASN2015
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This blog post submitted by Susan Zacharski on behalf of the NASN Membership Committee.