Conference Blogs

NASN’s vision is that all students are healthy, safe and ready to learn . Couched in between healthy and ready to learn is our most challenging charge as school nurses, keeping our students safe. Gun violence is now the number one leading cause of death in children and teens, surpassing motor vehicle accidents. Schools have experienced an exponential rise in gun violence in the past five years since Parkland.    We have accepted the unacceptable for too long. Parents, school staff, and students should not have to worry that their school will be the site of the next school shooting. “For decades, we’ve treated gun violence as ...

The Yellow Tulip Project: How to bring hope and support to a middle school and its community with the goal of eliminating the stigma surrounding mental illness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth ages 10 to 14 years (CDC, 2022). While rates of suicide have declined for the first time in many years, the rate of suicide attempts, particularly in adolescent females, continues to rise (CDC, 2022). This can be seen in the rate of emergency department visits where girls and young women have twice the rate of young men and boys (CDC, 2022). In February of 2020, my family was directly impacted by the sudden death of a close friend who died ...

I am honored to keynote the 2023 NASN Conference with the message, The Power of One and The Power of Many: School Nursing is about Relationships. Trusted relationships may be the most important variable for effective school nursing. The traditional challenges of building relationships are based on the 4 C’s: Communication, Collaboration, Cultural Competency and Caring. Today, COVID, crisis prevention, and mental health concerns present ongoing challenges.   This motivational keynote is filled with "tips from the nurses’ offices" to help keep you and your students, staff and community safe and healthy so they can learn more and live better. It is packed ...

Satchels & Purses for Nurses is a silent auction fundraiser that supports the NASN Endowment Fund. We are excited that items purchased from non-profit groups or small businesses will be on auction this year. Items donated will include this information to help auction bidders with their selections.  How to participate: Donate an item to be auctioned. Contact Julia Lechtenberg for direction .  Attend In-Person NASN2023 in Orlando, Florida and bid on items. Donate directly to the Endowment Fund . Thank you from the NASN Endowment Fund Committee: Julia Lechtenberg, Amy Dark, Lisa Kern, Kathey Haynie, Stacey Whitney, Lori Haapala, Lou Ann Gleason, ...