Registered Nurse - Lincoln Development Center

Registered Nurse

The registered nurse works in collaboration with other members of the educational and healthcare team to coordinate and provide health services to children to enable them to participate in the educational process. The nurse uses clinical judgment to assess, diagnose, treat and evaluate the student's/significant others/school's response to actual or potential health conditions. The registered nurse may delegate and supervise support staff regarding health services.

The school nurse is a leader in health promotion and disease prevention and works to maintain a safe school environment.

Duties and responsibilities include:

• Assesses and monitors physiological, psychological and sociocultural needs of students, and their significant others.
• Develops and maintains a written individualized healthcare plan for student health concerns that is consistent with the student/significant others' changing needs/goals. The care plan is congruent with physician orders, district policies and procedures, and legal mandates.
• Provides and/or delegates nursing care consistent with the written plan of care.
• Provides leadership to the school healthcare team using effective organizational skills, systematic problem solving, and communication skills (verbal/written).
• Establishes and maintains a comprehensive school health service program that is consistent with district healthcare standards.
• Documents nursing care/teaching consistent with documentation guidelines and compiles accurate reports.
• Arranges and manages the nursing office space.
• Delegates and supervises support staff to facilitate quality services in a cost-effective manner.
• Participates with others to develop, review, revise protocols, procedures, and guidelines related to the prevention and control of health problems, accidents, and injuries and the maintenance of a healthful school environment.
• Collaborates with members of the school and community in the delivery of health and social services and utilizes knowledge of school-community health systems and resources to ensure access, continuity, and coordination of these services.
• Participates with other nurses to develop and implement ongoing quality improvement activities through the application of the QAI process and other related activities.
• Maintains knowledge of current trends and development in the field by reading appropriate books, journals and other literature and attending related conferences, seminars, etc.
• May provide social support or education to student using support groups.
• May visit homes of students to facilitate communication with those who have communication barriers or need an assessment of the home environment.
• Educates students, staff and others on health topics to promote health, maintain a safe environment, prevent disease, and minimize the impact of disability.
• Demonstrates good attendance and punctuality.
• Takes initiative to make sure students have a nurse to care for them when he/she is off-duty for illness or leaves.

Knowledge, skills and abilities required include:

• Licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Michigan.
• Bachelor's Degree in Nursing or related field. A Masters in nursing is preferred.
• A minimum of a year of nursing experience with pediatrics, primary care or community nursing. Experience with medically fragile children preferred.
• Successful completion of orientation and introductory period.
• Time management and organizational skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintenance of yearly CPR certification.
• Ability to make quality, independent decisions and solve practical problems with a variety of variables.
• Ability to instruct and direct the work of others.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently under tight deadlines, high volumes and multiple interruptions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse students, peers, parents, and community.
• Ability to speak and understand Spanish is desirable.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to equity, social justice, and inclusion in all practices and position responsibilities. Demonstrates the ability to examine the impact of education inequities in student achievement outcomes as it aligns with race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.

Physical requirements include:

• Sit, stand, walk, run, stoop, and kneel or work on the floor on a continuous basis.
• Lift up to a 60-pound weight load.
• Bend, push, and/or pull loads, such as pushing children in wheelchairs or moving/rearranging furniture or assisting students with standing, transferring, and walking.
• Physically restrain students, when required.
• Utilize close and distance vision, with depth perception.
• Utilize hearing abilities including auscultation using a stethoscope.
• Ride school bus during student transport.