Substitute Nurse

The Substitute School Nurse is responsible for covering the nurses office at BART when the full-time nurse is off-site.

Responsibilities include program nursing services, collaboration, and professional practice.

The Substitute School Nurse is a per diem/hourly position.

The Substitute School Nurse reports to the Principal.

• Collaborate with the parent/guardian and student, where appropriate, to develop and implement an individualized health care plan for the student;
• Develop a nursing diagnosis and care plan with specific goals and interventions delineating school nursing actions specific to student needs and coordinated with the efforts of other providers and School personnel and will implement plans in a manner aimed at improving health and educational status;
• Provide medically prescribed interventions, including medication administration (based on Massachusetts regulations), and provide care to ill children on a daily basis;
• Responsible for the safe dispensing of medication, and creating and overseeing a medication delegation program;
• Respond to frequently encountered health issues; collaborate with school counselors and assist with crisis interventions as needed .e.g., adolescent pregnancy, substance abuse, death of a family member, and suicide, and respond to child neglect or abuse issues (as required by Massachusetts statute); and
• Provide first aid to injured children and staff; provide everyday care of acutely ill children; and manage children with communicable disease.

• Establish a process to identify students at risk for physical and psychosocial problems, communicate health needs to other School personnel as appropriate and establish a referral system using both internal and community resources;
• Participate as a team member, with parental consent when indicated, in sharing information with other team members about children with special health care problems that affect learning and growth; act as an advocate for the student and family when appropriate
  
  Include the student and parent in the team conference whenever possible and appropriate.

• Apply appropriate nursing theory as the basis for decision‑making in the school setting while expanding knowledge and skills in response to student health needs and participating in research:
  Demonstrate current knowledge in such areas as (a) professional issues in school nursing; (b) school and community health; (c) communicable disease control; (d) growth and development; (e) health assessment; (f) special health conditions, both chronic and acute; (g) injury prevention and emergency care; (h) health counseling, health education, and promotion; and (i) current adolescent issues.

• Ability to handle unforeseen challenges and acute health‑related situations within a dynamic organization;
• Have a valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Massachusetts;
• Certification in cardio‑pulmonary resuscitation, AED, and First Aid from a recognized provider (e.g., American Heart Association);
• A team player with a sense of humor and a dedication to working with a diverse, creative school community.