Job Description Code: 4J.011

Division/Department: School Operations

Pay Grade: RN or LPN Salary Schedule

Pay Type: Hourly; Non-Exempt

Retirement: TRS

Contract Work Year: 184 Days; 7.5 hours/day

Reports To:  Principal and Lead Nurse

Evaluation Instrument: BEI

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Registered Nurse (R.N.) or LPN

GOAL
School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well being, academic success, and life-long achievement of students. To that end, school nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development; promote health, safety and wellness; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide case management services; and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self-advocacy, and learning.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Attend continuing education updates provided by the school district and participate in training programs as determined by the Lead Nurse to increase skills and proficiency related to school health.
• Review and stay abreast of current developments, literature and technical source information to maintain proficiency related to job responsibilities and student needs.
• Function as a health resource and liaison among students and staff concerning health promotion and wellness.
• Provide education and training to appropriate staff relative to Individualized Action Plans and identified health needs of students.
• Prepare clinic for the opening of school according to the Beginning of the Year Checklist found in the School Health Resource Manual.
• Maintain medical supplies in clinic according to the medical supply list found in the School Health Resource Manual.
• Maintain accurate, updated health information on each student after examining the Student Health Needs Identification Forms.
• Notify Lead Nurse of personal absences as required. Develop a substitute nurse folder for reference in the absence of regular school nurse.
• Administer medication in accordance with guidelines set forth in the School Health Resource Manual. Provide field trip medications as directed by the Field Trip Medication Guidelines.
• Assess situations and render care to students as outlined in the School Health Resource Manual.
• The school nurse will provide limited, immediate short-term care to students with an injury or illness until parents or designated persons can be notified and assume responsibility for the sick or injured student. These physical requirements include, but are not limited to:
• the ability to timely respond and attend to emergency situations that may occur throughout the facility; and
• the ability to perform lifting, supporting and movement of students.
• All nursing actions will be in accordance with the scope of practice of the Georgia Board of Nursing and Cherokee County School District policies and procedures.
• The school nurse will maintain health records and emergency information on students in assigned school and under the advisement of the Lead Nurse; provide direct nursing care and perform medical procedures in accordance with the Health Action Plans and physician’s orders for students with chronic health conditions.
• The school nurse will function as a health team member providing preceptorship to nursing students, new nurse orientees and nursing services to partnering schools as directed by Lead Nurse.
• Refer unresolved health concerns to Lead Nurse for consultation.
• Timely report communicable diseases and critical/emergency situations to the principal and Lead Nurse as required.
• Immediately refer chronic health conditions requiring medical procedures performed by a special needs nurse, as ordered by a physician, to the Lead Nurse. The Lead Nurse will initiate the process of establishing a plan of care.
• Maintain required daily documentations such as the Clinic Referral Form, Head Injury/Incident Report Forms as indicated, Medication Administration Record, and any other flow sheets as required.
• Perform and record medication counts as outlined in the Cherokee County School District Medication Guidelines.
• Maintain required Health Services Monthly Report, Accountability Checklist and other monthly reports as required, and forward to the Office of School Nursing.
• Maintain required Medical Verification Documentation Forms and forward to the Office of School Nursing on dates determined by the Lead Nurse. Update as needed and forward any new information to the Lead Nurse.
• Serve as a contact resource person for hearing, vision and scoliosis screenings and implement screening procedures as outlined by Lead Nurse.
• Observe Universal Precautions while teaching/showing others to do the same. Follow Cherokee County School District guidelines for disposing of sharps containers.
• Dispose properly of unused medications according to the Cherokee County School District Guidelines.
• Maintain the dignity, privacy and confidentiality of students in accordance with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)) and The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines.
• Follow school policy about contacting parents and releasing students.
• Annually review the Cherokee County School District Reunification Plan. As directed, carry out assigned role in accordance with the written Reunification Plan in the event of a determined crisis situation.
• Forward Action Plans to parents of students with identified health needs for completion prior to the next school year.
• Upon closure of the clinic, complete the End-Of-Year Clinic Checklist as outlined in the School Health Resource Manual.
• Possess and maintain valid and appropriate license, certificate and/or credential as may be required for this position.
• Follow work scheduling and attendance requirements in a regular, predictable and punctual manner.
• Ensure adherence to appropriate safety procedures.
• Follow federal and state laws, as well as District policies.
• Consistently communicate in a positive, respectful manner when dealing with parents, staff and students.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

IMPORTANT NOTES

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Job descriptions are designed and intended only to summarize the essential duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and requirements for the purpose of clarifying the general nature and scope of a position’s role as part of the overall organization. Job descriptions do not list all tasks an employee might be expected to perform, and they do not limit the right of the employer/supervisor to assign additional tasks or otherwise to modify duties to be performed – even if seemingly unrelated to the basic job. Every employee has a duty to perform all assigned tasks. (An employee who is assigned a duty or task believed to be unlawful should report the assignment to the Chief Human Resources Officer.) It should also be noted the order of duties/ responsibilities as listed in the job description is not designed or intended to rank the duties in any order of importance relative to each other.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
In filling a vacant position, preferred or required credentials regarding education, training, experience, and other bona fide occupational qualifications may be established. The credentials shown in this job description may be interpreted only as the minimum criteria existing at the time the description was developed. Other bona fide occupational qualifications and criteria may be utilized as needed in the selection process.

Fringe Benefits
FICA is paid by the employee and matched by the School District. Temporary workers do not qualify for employee benefits.

Adopted: April 2000
Revised: June 2007, July 2008, April 2011, May 2015, February 2017, July 2019