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The school nurse’s office is where students come when they feel sick, anxious, or overwhelmed. While medical care and compassion are essential, I’ve found that humor is one of the most powerful tools I can use. A well-timed joke or a lighthearted comment can ease anxiety, distract from pain, and create a welcoming environment for students. Laughter can lower stress and release endorphins, helping kids feel more at ease even when they’re not at their best. If a nervous child comes in worried about a scraped knee or a stomachache, a little humor can shift their focus away from discomfort and make the visit far less intimidating. I love using props to help break ...

Join me at IN-PERSON NASN2025 on 6/26/2025 from 2:30 – 3:45 PM for my interactive session, Frequent Flyers or Preparing to Soar: The Effect of Stigmatizing Language in School Health . Together, we’ll explore the critical role of language in school health and how it can shape student outcomes. What to Expect In this session, we’ll identify stigmatizing language commonly used in school health settings and discuss its impact on student well-being. Through interactive activities, you’ll learn strategies to: Recognize and replace stigmatizing phrases with inclusive alternatives. Foster a culture of respect and support for all students. Evaluate your ...

Date and Time: This session is an “anytime session” and therefore can be viewed for 90 days beginning July 7, 2025! In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, mental health crises among students are a growing concern. School nurses are often the first to encounter students in distress, placing them at the forefront of crisis management. Recognizing the critical role they play, we (Dr. Meghan Pontz and Dr. Mary-Lee Helbing) are presenting an insightful session titled Caring for the Crisis: School Nurse Preparedness and Role Development . Our one-hour presentation will dive into the intersection of school nursing and mental health, exploring ...

School nurses care for diverse populations. NASN’s School Nursing Practice Framework ™ calls for an action-oriented approach to school nursing practice (Tanner et al., 2024) . The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 – Charting A Path to Achieve Health Equity report, points out the need to expand and diversify school nursing practice to advance health equity for students (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021) . On December 1 st of 2024, a group of NASN delegates traveled to Cuba, for a high-level, in-depth international exchange of both culture and professional school nursing practice. The desired outcome… to foster one-on-one ...

Are your school nurses stretched too thin? Do you want to ensure every student, especially those with complex health needs, receives the care they deserve? Join us to explore a game-changing, data-driven solution: the Jeffco Acuity Metric Tool (AMT). [Presented in Austin at In-Person NASN2025 on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 02:00 P.M.] This innovative tool revolutionizes how we think about nurse staffing. We meticulously tracked nurse workloads for three years, moving beyond simple nurse-to-student ratios that often fail to capture the full scope of a school nurse’s responsibilities. The AMT addresses each school's diverse needs, including chronic health conditions, ...

Session Date and Time: Thursday, June 26: 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM As school nurses, we hold a unique and vital role in ensuring that all students, including those navigating pregnancy, feel supported and cared for. I am excited to invite you to my NASN session, "Empowering School Nurses: Navigating Pregnancy Support for Students," where we will explore practical ways to foster a supportive environment for pregnant students in school settings. In this session, we’ll discuss the unique needs of pregnant students and how school nurses can advocate for equitable care, including physical and educational accommodations, such as 504 Plans or home tutoring during postpartum ...

Introduction : Are you ready to take your school nursing expertise to the next level? Join me on Saturday, June 28, from 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM at NASN2025 for an engaging session that dives deep into innovative practices tailored to special education programs. In this session, we’ll explore actionable strategies that can transform the way school nurses support students in District 75 (D75) settings and beyond. Why This Session Matters: School nurses are often the unsung heroes in special education settings, balancing complex student health needs with limited resources. D75 schools, which cater to students with the most intensive needs, require a specialized ...