School Nurse Samuel Bowles School

Job Description

The School Nurse is responsible for direct and indirect nursing care to enhance the wellbeing, academic success, and life-long achievements of students. The School Nurse facilitates positive student responses to normal development, promotes health and safety, intervenes with actual and potential health problems, provides case management services, and actively collaborates with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy, and learning.

• Assess and evaluates students’ health pertinent family history and home factors, counsel students, parents and school personnel about health problems and issues.
• Maintain health records, conduct required research, and evaluate school health programs.
• Coordinate health resources of school, home, community and allied health agencies/hospitals by making necessary arrangements, maintaining records, notifying and counseling students, parents/guardians and health personnel.
• Develop an individual health care plan as needed and coordinate with the other providers and school personnel. Initiate a plan of care with students and family to best meet individual needs.
• Provides emergency care for all students and staff on school premises in the event of injury or sudden illness.
• Administer prescribed and approved medications to students with parent/guardian and physician consent.
• Perform mandated screenings in vision, hearing, scoliosis, and height and weight as deemed appropriate by state and city departments of public health
• Documents pertinent information in student records in accordance with Standards of Practice and safeguards documentation utilizing HIPPA and FERPA regulations
• Conducts home visits to initiate or follow up on the health care needs of students
• Prepare regular written reports for supervisor, MDPH and other relevant agencies.
• Notify appropriate individuals, i.e. parents, staff, physicians of immediate and potential health related concerns.
• Participates in school health related activities as deemed appropriate for school nurse by principal/supervisor
• Provide information about health and disease prevention in cooperation with health education programs within Springfield Public Schools
• Promotes healthy programs in collaboration with coalitions, associations, CDC and Department of Public Health
• Acts as a resource in health education to students and families and refers to appropriate help agencies when necessary
• Initiate, promote, maintain and implement programs for the recognition, prevent and control of disease, including giving immunizations.
• Sport Physical clearance coverage as needed.

• Responsible for providing the optimum quality of health care to students
• Participates in direct and indirect nursing care, health maintenance, teaching, counseling, collaborative planning and rehabilitation
• Promotes student and family education to involve them and significant others within the school system to establish and implement health goals.
• Conducts self in professional manner as evidenced by appropriate attire, punctuality and indication of strong work ethic.
• Reports and is administratively accountable to Nursing Administration and to the building principal for provision of health services in the building

• Must have a current valid, license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Massachusetts.
• A minimum of one to two years of child health, community health or other related field. Three years of responsible professional experience in school nursing or a related field preferred.
• Current certification in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
• Must be DOE certified or certifiable by the Department of Education in educator category, Nurse, All Levels. (DOE certification eligibility currently requires a minimum of a BSN)

The Springfield Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy related conditions, ancestry, age, disability, or military service, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Inquiries about Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator.

The district provides notice of sex nondiscrimination as required by Title IX.