A Blueprint for School Nurse Advocacy

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Administration
• Pediatric Nursing

Background:

• School nursing is crucial for student health and readiness to learn.
• Advocacy efforts vary among school nurse organizations.
• The Illinois Association of School Nurses (IASN) has a specific advocacy mission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the advocacy journey of the Illinois Association of School Nurses (IASN).
• To highlight the IASN's goal of providing all students with access to school nursing care throughout the entire school day, every day.
• To align IASN's advocacy with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) position statement on the necessity of school nurse presence for safety and learning.

Main Methods:

• The article describes the advocacy strategies and actions undertaken by IASN.
• It involves a narrative account of the challenges and successes encountered during the advocacy process.
• The methods focus on the practical implementation of advocacy goals within the school system.

Main Results:

• The IASN has actively pursued a goal of continuous school nursing presence.
• The advocacy journey involved overcoming obstacles and achieving milestones.
• Progress has been made towards ensuring all students have access to school nursing care.

Conclusions:

• Effective advocacy by organizations like IASN is vital for student well-being.
• The presence of a school nurse all day, every day, is essential for optimizing student safety and academic performance.
• IASN's experience provides valuable insights into the complexities and rewards of school nurse advocacy.