Your School Nurse . . .

. . . is a unique specialist whose primary role is to strengthen the educational process through improvement of the health status of children and youth. She is a registered professional nurse with at least a baccalaureate degree and certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. She has an extensive background in health care, health education, school health, and the use of community resources. The school nurse:

1. Conducts mandated health screenings for vision, hearing, dental, scoliosis,
height , weight and the body mass index. Referrals are made to your
physician and dentist, and to the appropriate community agencies as needed.2. Provides emergency first aid.3. Maintains accurate and comprehensive health records for all students.4. Evaluates the health needs of all students.5. Provides health counseling about chronic illness, nutrition, disease
prevention, and healthy life styles.6. Monitors students’ compliance with state immunization laws.7. Conducts health related classroom presentations.8. Monitors communicable diseases in the school environment.9. Acts as a medical resource person for faculty, staff and parents.10. Participates as a special education team member as required—makes health
assessments, interprets medical data, and determines objectives for the health
component of the Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.).11. Serves as a resource person to community agencies.12. Acts as a liaison between home, school and community resources.

13. Works with building administrators to report child abuse to the
Department of Children and Youth.

SCHOOL NURSE ASSIGNMENT: The State of Pennsylvania mandates that the certified school nurse/pupil ratio is one nurse for a maximum of 1500 students. The average nurse/student ratio in Marple Newtown School District is 1:1000.