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, mental health, nursing duties, and substance prevention and intervention. By considering factors such as the diversity of student health needs, time spent on various duties, and school-specific variables, this data-driven approach creates a more accurate picture of each school's acuity level, ensuring equitable distribution of nursing resources and ultimately, that every student receives the care they need to access their education.
Why is this so important? School nurses play a critical role in supporting student health, which directly impacts academic success and well-being. However, as the needs of students grow increasingly complex—ranging from chronic health conditions to mental health concerns—school nurses are stretched thin. Research shows that sufficient school nurse staffing improves student health, supports academic performance, and fosters a sense of inclusion and belonging. Equitable nurse assignments, supported by balanced workloads, ensure that students with disabilities or healthcare needs receive the support they need to thrive in general education settings. The AMT helps achieve this by addressing the variability in student health needs across schools, preventing burnout, and ensuring efficient resource allocation.
In this session, we'll share our journey—from data collection and tool development to district-wide implementation. Discover how the AMT has positively impacted nurse retention, budget planning, and FTE requests. We’ll also provide practical strategies and actionable steps to implement similar systems in your own district, highlighting the importance of technology and data-driven decision-making. Learn how to leverage technology, data, and collaboration between administrators, nurses, and families to build a supportive and equitable school environment for all students.
Leave this session empowered to advocate for acuity-based nurse assignments that truly make a difference. Let's work together to improve outcomes for both students and the dedicated professionals who care for them.