In partnership with other stakeholders, Moses Taylor Foundation is working to shine a light on the critical role school nurses play in promoting the health of children in our communities. As part of our strategy to raise awareness of the role of the modern school nurse and foster connections between school nurses and communities, the Foundation has developed sharable resources for widespread use.
A Northeastern PA-based School Nurse Mentorship Program, piloted by Penn State PRO Wellness with support from Moses Taylor Foundation launched in the fall of 2023. This initiative brings seasoned school nurses together with participants who are new to the profession. In late 2023, Jodi Kresse and Mary Ann Chindemi—both graduates of Marywood University and registered nurses with Certified School Nurse (CSN) credentials—signed up for this unique pilot. While they both attained the knowledge required of CSNs, they are at opposite ends of the years-of-experience spectrum and physically separated by a 60-minute drive. However, they found this mentorship pilot to be the proverbial glue that links them together for shared, experiential learning and camaraderie. Watch the video below to get a deeper understanding of the School Nurse Mentorship Program and its positive impacts on this specific mentor-mentee pair.
The day-to-day responsibilities of a school nurse extend far beyond managing headaches, upset stomachs, and scrapes. Although there is so much to know and learn when it comes to properly caring for young people in a school-based setting, many school nurses navigate the nuances of this role on their own. Oftentimes, as the only medical professional in their school building, a school nurse may face challenges in accessing colleagues and on-the-job learning. Click here or on the image below to be directed to the full article.
As schools continue to deal with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, such as learning loss and mental health issues, it is more important than ever for principals and other administrators to ensure they have a strong relationship with their school nurses. Christine Marcos, Senior Program Officer at Moses Taylor Foundation, wrote an article about this important relationship that was featured in the Spring 2023 issue of The Pennsylvania Administrator, a publication of the PA Principals Association. Click here or on the image below to be directed to the full article.
WBRE/WYOU covered a story titled Getting Ahead of State-Mandated School Health Requirements in May 2023. Tracey Glynn-Roulinavage, Certified School Nurse from the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, was interviewed along with the district's physician Dr. Jason Woloski to help educate the community about state-mandated health requirements and encourage parents to schedule appointments in preparation for the 2023-24 school year.
WVIA Keystone Edition Health features the rewards and challenges of being a school nurse in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Highlighting school nurses across our region in the special video below was a key component of the Foundation's work to support school nurses and raise awareness in 2022. Comprised of submitted clips and photos, this video encapsulates the core messages our Northeastern Pennsylvania school nurses want you to know. We appreciate their invaluable contributions and hope you'll join us in amplifying their voices by sharing this video on your social networks.
Weatherly Area School District Nurse Rebekah McFadden was featured on a Keystone Edition Health episode that aired in 2022. She shared the story of what drew her to becoming a school nurse and why she stayed with the career for more than 20 years. This feature ran on WVIA and is available for you to share as well.
Our region's school nurses bring immense value to the educational experience, and they are actively educating the public on ways to keep students healthy, well, and ready to learn. With the support of parents and caregivers, school nurses can help our region's students have a great year. With input from school nurses, we've created two digital downloads in English and Spanish. School nurses are encouraged to download and customize these resources for the students and families they serve and the educators they work with daily.
Download these now:
10 Ways to Help Your Child Have a Healthy School Year - Parent-Facing [English]
10 Ways to Help Your Child Have a Healthy School Year - Parent-Facing [Spanish]
Educators and school nurses share a deep commitment to ensuring that all educational environments are safe and conducive to learning and growth. As we enter the new school year, here are a few things our regional school nurses ask educators to keep in mind. School nurses are encouraged to download and customize these resources and share with the educators they work with daily.
Download these now:
From the Desk of Your School Nurse - Educator-Facing [English]
From the Desk of Your School Nurse - Educator-Facing [Spanish]
In 2022, Dr. Lynn Heard, DNP/CSN who previously served the North Pocono School District for more than 25 years, penned an article for Happenings Magazine about preparing for a healthier school year. This article remains relevant and is worth reading and sharing with parents and caregivers. Click here to read it now.
Below you'll find some health tips from school nurses in Northeastern PA. We encourage school nurses and administrators to share these on school social media pages and websites this year.
You can easily download the images and sample captions individually below. You can also download all of the Facebook and Twitter graphics by clicking this link.
