School Nurses and RN to BSN Nursing Students

Many nursing schools and public schools are facing various challenges including a lack of resources. Schools of nursing strive to provide meaningful clinical experiences despite the challenge of a limited supply of quality placements. Similarly, public schools are expected to provide more nursing services at a time when many school nurses already are overloaded. For example, new state legislation placed additional responsibilities (regarding epinephrine auto-injectors and cardiac emergency response plans) on school nurses in Michigan. Establishing a partnership between the University of Michigan-Flint and the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) allowed RN to BSN students in the community health nursing course to complete enriching clinical experiences at selected GISD schools. While gaining valuable clinical knowledge, these nursing students helped school nurses comply with the new legislation's requirements. This partnership benefitted the nursing students, the school nurses, and the schools that served as clinical placement sites. Nursing school administrators and faculty members should consider pursuing similar clinical placement partnerships that could be advantageous for students and local communities.