NCSN Online Study Group – Week 4: School Health Practice Considerations

Summer 2026 Exam Information

Thinking of testing this Summer? Be sure to review the key dates:

• Summer Testing Window: July 9 - August 16, 2026

• Registration Window: April 6 - June 9, 2026

Visit www.nbcsn.org to begin your application and download the Candidate Handbook.

Not ready to test yet? NBCSN has testing windows three times per year!

• Fall Testing Window: October 22 - November 22, 2026

• Registration Window: August 17 - September 22, 2026

Exam applications will not be visible/available until the registration window opens.

Updated Exam Content Outline – Summer 2025 and Beyond

As a result of the 2023 Job Task Analysis (JTA), the NBCSN streamlined and reorganized the Exam Content Outline (ECO) beginning with the Summer 2025 exam. The exam still covers the same essential content, just better organized into four updated domains:

New Exam Content Domains & Number of Questions

Content Overview – Week 4

This week builds on prevention content by focusing on practical school-based application. You will review infectious disease prevention, immunization-related concepts, and the school nurse’s role in recognizing and responding to communicable health concerns, while also exploring the management of chronic conditions and special health issues that affect student safety, participation, and readiness to learn.

Reading – Week 4

School Nursing Certification Review Book – Selekman & Knox, 2025

• Chapter 6: Chronic Conditions and other Special Health Issues

• Complete the self-assessment at the end of the chapter

• Chapter 4: Health Problems and Nursing Management

• SKIM this Chapter, do not complete self-assessment

School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text – Shannon & Yonkaitis, Fourth Edition, 2025

• Chapter 6–8, 10–11, 15, 19–20, 25–29

Weekly Assignments

Reflection Prompt

When supporting students with chronic conditions, emergencies, or other special health needs, what systems or preparations are most important to keep them safe, included, and ready to learn at school?

Challenge Questions

Question 1:

A student is registering for kindergarten.  The nurse advises the parents that the student  needs vaccinations before attending school.  The parent requests that vaccines be administered 2 weeks apart. Which 2 vaccines would not be eligible to be administered at a 2 week interval?

A. Dtap and polio

B. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B

C. Varicella and Polio

D. Measles and Varicella

Question 2: 

Question:  Working as a school nurse in education brings so many acronyms to learn.  Which of the following is the nurse responsible for creating and implementing?  

A.  IDEIA and LRE

B.  IHP and EAP

C.  IEP and 504

D.  ARD and RTI

Please share your responses to the reflection prompt and challenge questions on this week's discussion thread! Answers and rationale will be shared on Monday.

Additional Practice Resources

I am continuing my quest to find multiple-choice practice questions that are specific to school nursing.

Here is a link to an online sample test shared through the generous support of the State of Illinois. This is a helpful resource because it gives you a chance to practice in an online testing format that feels similar to the NBCSN exam experience. Some questions are specific to Illinois regulations, but many are broad enough to still be useful for school nurse certification prep.

Also, do not forget about the NBCSN Practice Tests. These are available individually or as a bundle of two, and each computerized test includes 75 multiple-choice questions with answer rationales. You can access them through your application page or through the NBCSN website.

Even MORE Test Taking Tips

Here are a few more nursing test-taking strategies for multiple-choice questions, adapted from 11 Test-Taking Tips & Strategies for Nurses from Nurseslabs.

7. Identify specific determiners

Sometimes a word in the question stem closely matches a word in one of the answer choices. When that happens, the repeated or closely connected word can serve as a clue to the correct answer. This kind of clue is sometimes called a specific determiner.

When you notice similar wording in the stem and an option, pause and ask whether that similarity points to the best answer.

Example:
The government agency responsible for administering the Nursing Practice Act in each state is the:

1. Board of Regents 

2. Board of Nursing 

3. State nurses' association 

4. State hospital association 

In this question, the word nursing in the stem is a clue.

• Options 2 and 3 both relate to nursing. 

• However, Board of Nursing is the official regulatory body associated with the Nursing Practice Act. 

• Option 2 is the best answer. 

This strategy is helpful because repeated or closely linked wording often points you toward the most relevant answer choice.

8. Identify words in the options that are closely associated with words in the stem

Sometimes the correct answer will not repeat the exact same word from the stem, but it will include a word that is clearly related in meaning. Paying attention to these associations can help you identify the best choice.

Example:
When a person develops symptoms of physical illness for which psychogenic factors act as causative agents, the resulting illness is classified as:

1. Dissociative 

2. Compensatory 

3. Psychophysiologic 

4. Reaction formation 

In this question, the stem refers to both physical illness and psychogenic factors.

• Psychophysiologic connects both ideas: psychological and physical. 

• The other options do not match the concept described in the stem as clearly. 

• Option 3 is the best answer. 

A good habit is to look for answer choices that connect the major ideas in the question rather than focusing on only one part of it.

9. Watch for grammatical inconsistencies

Grammar can also give you clues. If an answer choice does not fit grammatically with the stem, you can often eliminate it right away.

This is especially useful when:

• the stem is an incomplete sentence 

• the options need to match singular or plural wording 

• an answer choice sounds awkward or incomplete when read with the stem 

Example:
Communicating with a male client who is deaf will be facilitated by:

1. Use gestures 

2. Speaking loudly 

3. Find out if he has a hearing aid 

4. Facing the client while speaking 

Here is how grammar helps:

• Options 1 and 3 do not complete the sentence in a grammatically correct way. 

• Option 2 is grammatically correct, but it would not help communication with a deaf client. 

• Option 4 is both grammatically correct and clinically appropriate. 

So the best answer is:
4. Facing the client while speaking

Let's Collaborate

Have a question about the content? Post it in the discussion! Refer to questions by chapter, number, and letter (e.g., Chapter 2, Question 4, Answer C).

Please do not copy questions or answers verbatim due to copyright.

Final thoughts

These strategies remind us that test-taking is not only about recalling facts. It also involves noticing patterns in wording, meaning, and structure. Looking for specific determiners, closely associated words, and grammatical clues can help you eliminate distractors and make more confident choices.

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Alana Parker MSN-Ed, BSN, RN, NCSN
Mesa, AZ United States
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