Supporting Global Health Initiatives in Education

School nursing, Software, Student Health Care

EduHealth Beyond Borders EduHealth Beyond Borders: Supporting Global Health Initiatives in Education ‘EduHealth is more than just a software platform; it’s a catalyst for change in global health initiatives within education.’ As a leading school nurse software tailored for school environments, EduHealth offers a unique opportunity to address health disparities and improve student well-being on a global scale. In this blog, we will explore how EduHealth transcends borders to support health initiatives in education worldwide. EduHealth’s Global Impact Revolutionizes Student Health Management EduHealth revolutionizes health outcomes globally, serving as a lifeline for every child. By streamlining health management and improving access to resources, EduHealth bridges the gap between healthcare services and underserved communities, enhancing student well-being worldwide. Centralized Platform for Managing Student Health RecordsEduHealth is a centralized platform that connects everyone around the corner, which is particularly valuable in underserved communities where access to comprehensive health information may be limited.By digitizing health records and making them easily accessible to school nurses, educators, and parents, EduHealth ensures that critical health information is readily available for timely interventions and informed decision-making. Timely Tracking of ImmunizationsIn resource-limited communities, tracking immunizations can be a significant challenge due to logistical barriers and limited healthcare infrastructure.EduHealth simplifies this process by providing automated immunization tracking, allowing schools to ensure that students receive the essential vaccinations to protect against preventable diseases. Empowering SchoolsIn areas where access to healthcare is limited, schools often serve as primary points of contact for addressing students’ health needs. EduHealth empowers schools to take on this role effectively by providing tools and resources to support student health management. From identifying health trends to implementing preventive measures, EduHealth equips schools with the necessary infrastructure to promote student well-being and academic success. EduHealth Partnerships and Initiatives: Improving Global Student Health EduHealth excels in cultivating partnerships and initiatives aimed at harnessing its capabilities to enhance health outcomes in schools worldwide. A notable collaboration is with PowerSchool, a leading provider of student information systems (SIS). Through this partnership, EduHealth seamlessly integrates into educational institutions. Optimized Data Management: The integration ensures seamless management of student health data, allowing for efficient organization, storage, and retrieval of information. Error Reduction: By automating data transfer and synchronization between systems, the integration minimizes errors associated with manual data entry, duplication, and inconsistency. Seamless Integration: Quick access and real-time updates for health and academic data are facilitated, allowing for improved decision-making and efficiency. Improved Communication: Enhanced interoperability between healthcare providers and educators enables timely sharing of relevant health information, facilitating collaboration and informed decision-making. Simplified Record Management: The integration simplifies record management, reducing administrative work and errors, ultimately saving time for educators and healthcare providers. Automatic Updates: Automatic updates save time for nurses, enabling them to focus more on student care rather than administrative tasks. Complete Student Overview: A comprehensive student overview empowers educators and healthcare providers to make informed decisions and provide tailored support. Cost Reduction: Streamlining processes results in a 30% cost reduction for data management, contributing to overall operational efficiency and savings. Navigating Diversity for EduHealth: Challenges and Opportunities Implementing EduHealth in diverse cultural and healthcare settings presents both challenges and opportunities on a global scale. While the benefits of streamlined health management are universal, adapting the platform to meet the unique needs of schools requires careful consideration. Challenges may arise in areas like language barriers, varying levels of technological infrastructure, and cultural attitudes towards the healthcare system. However, these challenges also present various opportunities for innovation and collaboration. By embracing diversity and actively involving stakeholders in the implementation process enables EduHealth to adapt to the specific requirements of each community. This tailored approach improves health outcomes and enhanced student well-being on a global scale. Speak to our experts today and discover more about how EduHealth transcends borders to revolutionize student health management. Together, let’s implement EduHealth in diverse cultural and educational settings, ensuring tailored solutions for every community.

Role of school nurses to help prevent substance misuse in schools

School nursing

Role of school nurses to help prevent substance misuse in schools School nurses play a vital role in preventing substance misuse within the school community and they are uniquely positioned to create opportunities to prevent abuse of substances. Their knowledge allows them to create educational programs that let students through classroom presentations and individual consultations, promoting healthy lifestyle choices and the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Additionally, nurses can screen students for potential risk factors like mental health struggles or family history, and connect them with appropriate resources. They also serve as a trusted resource for students struggling with substance use, offering confidential support and referrals for treatment. By fostering a safe and open environment, school nurses empower students to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. Being on the front lines in student health, school nurses are well positioned to educate students on the dangers of substance abuse – which includes alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and misused prescription drugs, they can deliver presentations and workshops tailored to specific threats. They also screen students for risk factors and confidentially connect them with resources. Collaboration is key: nurses work with parents, counselors, and teachers to develop a coordinated approach, training staff to identify signs of abuse and refer students for help. By fostering trust and open communication, they empower students to make healthy choices and create a safer school environment for all. Electronic health record (EHR) software can help school nurses in their goal of educating students about substance misuse and help them to deliver care and foster communication across departments. Here’s how: Enhanced care efficiency: EHRs streamline documentation, allowing nurses to record vitals, treatment plans, and allergies electronically. This saves time and ensures vital information is readily accessible. Improved continuity of care: With real-time access to a student’s medical history, nurses can make informed decisions about treatment and coordinate care with doctors or specialists. Communication with parents is also simplified, as they can access portions of the EHR to stay informed. Better care Coordination: EHRs facilitate communication between the nurse’s office, teachers, and administrators. Teachers can alert nurses of student health concerns, and administrators can track immunization records or manage allergy protocols more effectively. Population Health Management: EHRs allow nurses to analyze health data across the student body. This helps identify trends like outbreaks of illness or chronic health conditions, enabling proactive prevention strategies and resource allocation. Streamlined Reporting: EHRs automate reporting on health screenings, immunizations, and medication administration. This reduces paperwork and simplifies compliance with state regulations. In essence, EHR software empowers school nurses to deliver more efficient, informed, and coordinated care, fostering a healthier school environment and a more collaborative approach to student well-being.

Beyond the Classroom: Electronic Health Record Software’s Impact on School Community Health

School nursing, Softwares

Beyond the classroom: Electronic health record software’s impact on school community health   Introduction & Evolution of Health Management in Schools The evolution of health management in schools and school student’s health has seen a significant role played by Electronic Health Record (EHR) software. EHRs have become an essential tool for school nurses, allowing for efficient data management processes and improving the overall quality of school student’s health.   With EHRs, school nurses can easily document, report, and analyze student health data. This enables them to identify health trends and take swift action. EHRs also facilitate interoperability and care coordination by mapping school nursing documentation to standardized coding systems. This ensures that health information can be shared and accessed by different healthcare providers and school-based team members.   Moreover, EHRs support the collection of data points as defined by the National Association of School Nurses’ National School Health Data Set, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of student health needs and interventions. Additionally, EHRs can facilitate third-party reimbursement to local education agencies for healthcare provided to students, making it easier to provide necessary healthcare services that cater to the school student’s health.   Overall, the significance of EHRs in school community health cannot be overstated, as they improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of healthcare, positively impacting the well-being and academic success of students.  Explain how EHR software benefits schools in managing health records?  EHR software benefits schools in managing health records in several ways.   First, EHRs provide a centralized and secure system for storing and accessing school student’s health information. This eliminates the need for paper-based records and reduces the risk of lost or misplaced documents.   Second, EHRs improve the efficiency of data management processes by allowing for quick and easy documentation, reporting, and analysis of student health data. This saves time for school nurses and other healthcare providers, enabling them to focus more on providing care.   Third, EHRs support interoperability by allowing for the sharing of health information with other healthcare providers and members of the school-based team. This improves care coordination and facilitates a comprehensive understanding of student health needs.   Finally, EHRs can generate reports and analytics that help identify health trends and inform decision-making for preventive and intervention strategies. Overall, EHR software streamlines health record management in schools, improving the quality and effectiveness of healthcare services.  How does EHR software contribute to preventive health measures in schools?  EHR software contributes to preventive health measures in schools by enabling school nurses to identify health trends and take proactive action. With EHRs, school nurses can quickly access and analyze student health data, such as immunization compliance and incidences of environmental and chronic health conditions. This allows them to identify potential health risks and implement preventive measures, such as targeted interventions or health education programs. EHRs also support the sharing of aggregated data with local health departments, which can inform community disease surveillance and preventive strategies. By facilitating the collection and analysis of data, EHR software helps schools prioritize preventive health measures and promote the overall well-being of students.  Future trends in school health management  Future trends in school health management include the continued integration of technology, such as EHRs, to streamline data management and improve communication among healthcare providers. This includes the use of mobile health (mHealth) applications to monitor student health and provide real-time updates to parents and healthcare professionals.   Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on mental health support in schools, with the implementation of mental health screening tools and the availability of counselling services.   Collaborative partnerships between schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations are also expected to increase, promoting a holistic approach to student health and well-being. Finally, there is a focus on health equity, ensuring that all students have access to quality healthcare and support services. 

Automating SHARRS report creation

EHR, School nursing, Software

What is SHARRS? SHARRS is a secure, web-based system that allows educational institutions in Pennsylvania to electronically submit their “Request for Reimbursement and Report of School Health Services. SHARRS reporting is required for all public-school districts, private schools, charter schools, and comprehensive career and technology centers in Pennsylvania. The SHARRS report must be submitted by the superintendent/CEO no later than September 30th of each year. SHARRS helps to: Keep track of health program progress and identify areas of improvement. Receive reimbursement for school health services costs. Provides data to the Pennsylvania Department of Health to improve state school health programs. What makes SHARRS reporting complex? There are several factors that contribute to the complexity of SHARRS report creation. Data collection and entry: The SHARRS report collects data on a variety of school health topics, including student health status, dental and medical health service utilization, selected nursing activity, and school health expenditures. This data can be challenging to collect and enter, especially for larger school districts. Report format and criteria: The SHARRS report must be submitted in a specific format and must meet certain criteria. This can be challenging for schools that do not have a lot of experience with SHARRS reporting. Resources and time constraints: School health teams often have limited resources and time to complete the SHARRS report. This can make it difficult to ensure that the report is completed accurately and on time. In addition to these challenges, school health teams may also face the following when compiling a SHARRS report: Lack of awareness and training: Some school health professionals may not be aware of the SHARRS report or may not have received training on how to complete it. Technological challenges: Some schools may not have access to the technology needed to compile and submit the SHARRS report electronically. Coordination challenges: The SHARRS report requires input from a variety of school staff members, including school nurses, administrators, and teachers. Coordinating the data collection and report completion process can be challenging. How EduHealth automates and simplifies SHARRS reporting EduHealth is an EHR system for schools that allows you to create report you need for submissions in a matter of clicks. Eliminates data entry: The EduHealth system automatically pulls the information needed to create reports from information entered by your school teams making the process of data collection simple. There’s no need to manually enter or generate any data because it is all already there in the system. Follows format compliance: The report is created in the format specified by Pennsylvania Department of Health, and it eliminates all manual effort required to ensure compliance with mandated format. Eliminates dependence on resources: When your SHARRS reporting is completely automated, it eliminates dependencies on your school health teams allowing them to focus on the main job at hand – that is taking care of students. It saves them significant time and effort. Together with this, automating your request for reimbursement reporting eliminates the need for your school health teams to have awareness on the pre-requisites or training for building this comprehensive report. All that needs to be ensured is that your school health teams are making timely updates on EduHealth and recording all information accurately all year long. Once this is done, your reports can be put together in just a matter of clicks in minutes. Click here to have a chat with us Best practices to simplify SHARRS reporting Report submissions are a hectic process, but they do not have to be. Following best practices while building your reports will have you working in a time-bound manner and effectively. So here you go, the best practices to simplify SHARRS reporting: To ensure timely submission of the report, it is advised to commence data collection early in the school year. By initiating this process ahead of time, you will have a greater opportunity to compile the necessary data and meet the submission deadline. Incorporate a spreadsheet or alternative software program into your workflow to effectively arrange the data. This approach will enhance the ease of inputting the data into the SHARRS system. Thoroughly examine the SHARRS User Instruction Manual, paying close attention to its contents. This comprehensive guide offers detailed step-by-step instructions on successfully completing the report. You can always use EduHealth to generate SHARRS with a single click for your school. Click here to have a chat with us Why Choose EduHealth for SHARRS Reporting?

Complete guide to PowerSchool (SIS)- EduHealth integration

School nursing, Student Health Care

Complete guide to PowerSchool (SIS)- EduHealth integration Advanced School Information Systems (SIS) like PowerSchool and Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems such as EduHealth have revolutionized administrative processes in educational institutions. Integrating PowerSchool with EduHealth unlocks a myriad of benefits, simplifying administrative tasks, saving time, reducing costs, and enhancing student care. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the reasons for integrating PowerSchool with EduHealth and provide you with a step-by-step walkthrough of the integration process. How does EduHealth-PowerSchool integration benefit your school? The EduHealth-PowerSchool (SIS) integration helps in unified data management at schools. The several advantages of the EduHealth-PowerSchool (SIS) integration include, Reduced errors and inconsistencies The integration also reduces human errors and inconsistencies due to multiple data sources. The student information from PowerSchool is considered as the single source of truth in case of inconsistencies. Any changes made to that information will also be automatically reflected in EduHealth. Saved time and resources The EduHealth- PoweSchool integration also eliminates repetitive data entry work, saving time and resources. It also helps streamline administrative processes, improve the efficiency of healthcare teams at schools, and help nurses provide the utmost care to the students. Example: When a new student joins the school, their information is entered into PowerSchool during admission. The next day, the school nurse can access the student’s profile in EduHealth without re-entering data. This efficient process saves time and enables nurses to promptly attend to students’ healthcare needs. Easy and fast onboarding If you are already a PowerSchool user, you just have to install EduHealth and integrate with PowerSchool and all your student data will be reflected in EduHealth as well. You don’t need a long onboarding process as the setup time will be less than 3 days. Up-to-date data in all systems The integration ensures that student information and records are updated in EduHealth every day without nurses having to worry about it. Any changes made in PowerSchool are reflected in EduHealth, guaranteeing that both systems maintain the most current and accurate data. Step-by-step guide to PowerSchool(SIS)- EduHealth integration The automated data synchronization process will fetch information related to students, schools, and immunization records from PowerSchool and update EduHealth daily at your preferred time. Typically, this synchronization occurs once daily, but you can customize the frequency. Any changes made in PowerSchool up to the synchronization time will automatically be updated in EduHealth, ensuring that both systems are always up to date. By following these steps, you can harness the power of seamless integration between PowerSchool and EduHealth, optimizing your school’s operations and enhancing the well-being of your students.

Back to school checklist for school nurses

School nursing, Student Health Care

Back to school checklist for school nurses School nurses play a crucial role in maintaining the well-being of students. They actively collaborate with school staff, parents, doctors, and the school administration to ensure student health priorities are taken care of. However, when a new school year starts, the first day can be overwhelming. School nurses here have to navigate through their responsibilities independently. They are tasked with identifying and intervening in potential health problems, providing case management services, immunization review, and working in partnership with other school staff to empower students through mental health support, parent and community engagement, and health education initiatives. But how can school nurses be prepared for the initial back to school activity rush? Simple – with a checklist! Give yourself time to get set up The first day or the first couple of days of work will be tough, there could be a lot of admin tasks to do such as preparing the medical supplies, special needs accommodations, time management, and prioritization. Give yourself a couple of days to set up everything. Create a checklist for adding new students, the status of equipment, existing healthcare programs, and so on. Some of the items are: Building relationships Developing strong relationships with school staff, students, and families is key to effective school nursing. By establishing trust and open lines of communication, the nurse can better understand the students’ needs and provide appropriate support when needed. Building relationships also helps to better understand the needs of children and parents. School nurses can communicate with parents through the EduHealth app to effectively communicate medication and treatment requests. Familiarizing with policies and procedures Understanding the school’s policies and procedures related to health services is vital for a school nurse. This includes being knowledgeable about emergency response protocols, medication administration guidelines, immunization requirements, allergy management, and health record documentation. By familiarizing themselves with these policies, the nurse can confidently ensure compliance. EduHealth is HIPAA and FERPA compliant ensuring confidentiality, privacy, and security out of the box. Successful EHR implementation An EHR is an effective tool in enabling school nurses. Therefore, having your school invest in one could be a great to-do item on your checklist. A successful EHR implementation depends on involving multiple stakeholders and matching the key metrics. Successful EHR implementation involves planning, costing, choosing vendors, third-party Integrations, user training, and more. To know more successful implementation of EduHealth, read more at A Comprehensive Guide to Successful EHR Implementation in Schools. Information management Information management in most cases is easier said than done. Setting up a system for information management can be one of the best ways to keep you prepared for the back-to-school rush. You should be able to set up a documentation system for specific tasks such as review, medical incidents, procedures, and trends. Review data from the previous year to set up follow-ups and new screenings. Create an information database to identify students with specific health concerns and check for special needs, allergies, asthma, and epilepsy emergency care plans. In this context, systems like EduHealth make it easy to track and manage medication and treatment information. Student health information is available in a few clicks. Historical health information saved on the profile can also be viewed. The charting feature helps keep track of nurse’s office visit information. You can also leverage the dynamic form functionality that allows you to create customized forms and request information from the students’ parents, which would then be linked to the student’s profile. You can also set up medication reorder notifications, so you never run out of essential medications your students need. Reporting A system that simplifies reporting is a must-have if you don’t want to carry the burden of manual admin work. When your local and state health authorities mandate health reports in specific formats, a system that helps to generate those reports in the specified format could make your life and work infinitely easy. EduHealth’s reporting module can generate comprehensive health reports in a few clicks. Whether it’s to submit to local or state, the reporting mechanism makes it easy to generate the reports you need without having you break a sweat. Health events tracking After identifying students at risk with specific health concerns, it is important to track them for immunization and regular health checkups. So, those reminders need to be set up in the checklist. With EduHealth that is simple. Alerts and notifications help nurses to ensure that no child is at risk. Maintaining and tracking students’ health medications and treatments is much needed for ensuring proper and prompt health care for students. Final notes Back to school can be a tough time, but with the right tools in hand the transition can be simple. EduHealth is one such tool that allows school nurses to be informed, monitor and report student health information right off the bat, if implemented. It keeps school nurses informed, connected, prioritizes medication safety and generates timely alerts for medications, treatments, and immunizations, enabling school nurses to provide safer and enhanced care and check off all items on their back-to-school checklist with ease. If you like to know more about our student EHR system and how you can benefit from it, our team of experts will be happy to connect with you.

NATIONAL SCHOOL NURSE DAY – MAY 11, 2022

School nursing

    NATIONAL SCHOOL NURSE DAY – MAY 11, 2022     “It’s All About Appreciating Them, Our Schools’ Healthcare Heroes.”  National School Nurse week from May 6th to 12th is celebrated to appreciate school nurses for their contributions and services. They take care of children at school, and advocate for quality healthcare services.  They are healers, role models, and comforters. They rise to all the challenges that students face everywhere. National School Nurse Day is celebrated on May 11th to recognize the service and dedication of the school nurses in ensuring students’ well-being and improving their academic performance at school.   The History of National School Nurse Day Schools have prioritized student health since the inception of school nurses in the 1940s and 1950s. Nurses, teachers, students, and physicians have worked together to create the education curriculum. National School Nurse Day honors the foundation of the Department of School Nurses in 1968.   The department was formed with the intention of promoting school nursing practices across the country. In 1974, President Ford declared National School Nurse Day a federal holiday. Since the department’s founding and the holiday, school nurses have been recognized and honored for their services to the health and well-being of students all over the world.  How National School Nurse Day is celebrated  Appreciating the school nurses for their contributions:  National School Nurse Day may provide your child with a life-changing opportunity to witness directly how healing and treatments operate. Show them your appreciation by giving them a thank you card or appreciation gifts.    Encouraging students to be health-conscious and express gratitude to the school nurse:  Share this occasion with your friends and family and explain why school nurses are so vital. Teach kids how to wash their hands and other important hygiene practices to keep them out of trouble. This will make the job of the school nurses a lot easier.  Celebrating the achievements of the school nurse and advocating for them:  More nurses are needed in the world; educate people about nursing and how school nurses came to be through seminars and booklets. Advocate for higher pay, better working conditions, and a better presence in the system for school nurses.    “EduHealth was designed with the goal of making the jobs of school nurses easier. We celebrate this occasion to appreciate all school nurses worldwide.” 

Hearing loss in students, and how can school nurses help?

EHR, School nursing

  Hearing loss in students, and how can school nurses help? Hearing loss can have a severe impact on a child. Students who are deaf have stressful, isolated, and difficult experiences. Educating kids with hearing impairments requires more than just standard communication strategies. Even with today’s advantages of early detection and intervention, there is still much more that can be done to enhance the lives of deaf and hard-of-hearing youngsters. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing may be placed in a multitude of different settings, spanning from neighborhood schools to specialized day schools with residential components. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that students with disabilities be considered for a continuum of placements.  How are students with hearing disabilities supported at school?  Children who are deaf or hard of hearing typically begin school without a good linguistic foundation which is essential for developing language, cognitive, and learning skills. The school administrator’s responsibility is to ensure a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) that meets the individual needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Section 504 regulation mandates a school district to provide a “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) to qualified persons with disabilities.     FAPE outlines the key concepts that schools must follow while educating deaf and hard-of-hearing kids.  The key principles outlined for deaf schools are as follows:   Provide unique and safe learning surroundings for deaf students: Deaf and hard-of-hearing students use a variety of communication channels and accessibility accommodations to participate fully in their educational programs. Students’ hearing levels may not always predict their ability to speak or utilize sign language, and instructors should not assume that students can hear because they can talk. Deaf students are more likely to be victims of child abuse and bullying than their non-disabled peers.   Appropriate academic and learning opportunities should be provided:   Deaf and hard-of-hearing children can achieve high levels of performance when provided with proper language, learning, and academic opportunities that focus on their strengths rather than their impairment. When students fail to meet their linguistic and academic targets, a statewide database should be maintained, and interventions should be implemented.   The family plays an important role:   Parents have the right to engage in their children’s educational planning as informed and interested participants. Educators should respect and consider parental preferences and choices, even if they disagree with local educational placement options. Parental involvement should be encouraged at all stages of planning and decision-making, and those who require accommodation should have access to it.   Specially designed instructions and assistance:   Training, assistive technology, and accommodations should be tailored to each student’s specific needs to help them become confident, autonomous, and full participants in their educational experiences.  Technical help also assists general education instructors and specialized instructional support professionals in understanding their students’ communication, language, and literacy requirements. Parents and students should have a say and a choice in the technologies and accommodations that are offered, ensuring that they are effective for the student’s age and developmental level.   Least Restrictive Environment:   The LRE is influenced by language, communication, and academic needs. A restrictive environment is one where children do not have proper access to proper language, communication, instruction, and social activities that are customized to their unique educational needs. Each local education agency (LEA) is responsible for ensuring the availability of a continuum of educational placements.   As a result, decision-makers must be aware of the whole continuum, which includes state schools for the deaf, special schools, charter schools, and other unique placement options in a certain locale or state. Language development is critical for cognition, literacy, and academic achievement:  Language competency forms the foundation for the development of social-communication and social-cognitive abilities, as well as literacy and academic accomplishment. The first five years of a child’s life are crucial for language development. Students who are also English language learners may require additional program support and assistance.   Access to qualified practitioners:   Early intervention practitioners must have fundamental knowledge and abilities to assist families in promoting language development. State and local education authorities should provide professional development and training tailored to the specific needs of infants, toddlers, and pupils who are deaf or hard of hearing. Without skilled workers and proper support services, children’s capacity to achieve suitable outcomes is threatened.   Educational progress needs to be monitored:  All students’ language, literacy, academic achievement, and social-emotional health should be monitored and reported regularly. When providing services, individual needs must take priority over available resources. Adult and peer role models are vital for self-awareness, social communication, and overall well-being. When kids use ASL, signals, or cued speech, fluent adult and student-facilitated communication is extremely important. State Leadership and Collaboration:  Strong state and local leadership, as well as effective collaboration among key stakeholders, is crucial for efficient program and service delivery systems.   A core team of outstanding deaf education leaders can promote high-quality educational services for children while considering the unique context of each state. Advocacy groups can give information and education that can lead to administrative, procedural, and legislative changes.  How can hearing loss affect the students in a school?  Hearing loss in childhood can have a significant impact on a child’s development. Hearing loss that goes undetected or untreated can lead to learning difficulties and social isolation. School hearing screening programs can provide early detection of hearing loss and interventions to reduce learning barriers.  The consequences of hearing loss vary depending on the kind and severity of the loss, as well as the appropriateness of the therapies.  Any type of hearing loss might impair a child’s ability to communicate effectively and perform academically.  Undiagnosed or untreated hearing loss can lead to:   Delayed speech and language skills.  Language deficits can lead to learning problems and limited academic achievement.   Communication difficulties.  Social isolation and a poor self-concept.  Behavioral problems and negative impact on a child’s vocational and educational choices.  The school nurses’ response to students with hearing disabilities  While many schools have increased the…

The Importance of School Nurses in Students’ Mental Health

EHR, School nursing

  The Importance of School Nurses in Students’ Mental Health  Mental health is an issue in today’s fast-paced environment, and it affects children as well as adults. Many of the key institutions of America such as (ACMH) have released a study that reveals that 1 in 5 children in America shows symptoms of diagnosable behavioral, emotional and mental health disorders. School nurses work with healthcare experts, community healthcare professionals, students, and families to identify children with mental illnesses and create a better healthcare system for those who require behavioral health services.   They are ideally suited and capable of identifying students with potential behavioral health difficulties due to their direct access to pupils. School nurses serve as advocates, facilitators, and counselors for behavioral health services both in and out of the school.  Let’s explore a little deeper by reading more about this topic.  How does it all start?  The first few minor symptoms of student mental problems are refusal to attend school as well as difficulty studying and concentrating in class. Children exhibit disruptive behavior, eating and sleeping issues. While some of these symptoms are temporary, moderate, or mild, others cause significant discomfort, confusion, and loss of control that becomes unmanageable.   Poor academic performance, a lack of enthusiasm for school, a loss of enthusiasm in homework, or poor interactions with peers or teachers can all be indicators of what the child is going through at school.  What are the mental health concerns in students?  Children, like adults, are affected by the same mental health issues and respond differently to them. For instance, when an adult is depressed, he has trouble concentrating and enjoying activities that used to engage him. If a child is going through depression, he/ she may show signs of irritability more than sadness. Behavioral issues often come out as symptoms that are manifested by children who are dealing with mental issues.[/vc_column_text]Children are also more prone to exhibit behavioral abnormalities as a result of mental health problems. For many youngsters, this emerges as behavioral disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).   Some of the behavioral health issues that trouble students are: Anxiety Disorder  Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)  Mood Disorders  Eating Disorders  Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)  Anxiety Disorders:  Anxiety is normal for just any individual, child, or adult. When it hinders the child’s ability to succeed in school or social connections, it may be an indication of something more serious. Some of the most prevalent types in children are obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social phobias.  Autism spectrum disorder:  Another difficult-to-define and understand mental health condition is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is a developmental disorder that influences a child’s speech and behavior. Every kid with ASD is unique, but many have difficulty speaking and connecting with others.  ADHD:  An attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a medical condition that affects a child’s capacity to process his or her own emotions in order to comprehend the needs and feelings of others. The major symptom is trouble concentrating; nevertheless, youngsters typically display impatient and fidgeting behavior, difficulties following directions, and frequent daydreaming.  Mood Disorders and Eating Disorders:  Eating and mood disorders can affect children of all ages and are often caused by stress or trauma. Anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder are all life-threatening eating disorders. Mood problems can lead to suicidal and even violent ideas. What can school nurses do to help? A crucial strategy here for a school nurse is connecting, sustaining, and engaging with parents for implementing and supporting excellent outcomes in students. Assessment and screening for students who have mental health problems is an important part of school nursing practice. School nurses continue to interact with students and their families regularly, helping to build essential and long-lasting bonds.   With strong relationships with parents and other support personnel, school nurses strive to keep parents involved in a range of activities and opportunities by addressing typical challenges and hurdles.  Screening and assessment of mental health issues at school:  Most screening procedures, at most, provide a preliminary sign that something may be wrong. When considering formal diagnosis and prescriptions on how to solve the problem, more valid data from evaluation methods are required. Many mental health problems are identified by nurses when students visit their office or while being screened for other health issues. Such issues are also brought to the nurses’ notice during attendance and discipline reviews, assessments for special education placement, crisis interventions, or when others (staff, parents, students) express worries about a specific child. A nurse’s responsibilities also include teaching educators, classmates, parents, and others how to correctly identify and refer students. What appears to be a learning handicap, or an attention problem may be emotional; behavior problems and hyperactivity can occur as a result of learning challenges. Troubles at school may be the result of problems at home. The initial assessment report will identify the child’s trauma symptoms and causes.  School nurses collaborate with parents and the community.  School nurses can educate parents about mental health and help them treat their children. Nurses use school assessments to ask parents about their children’s health needs and interests, and how they want to take part in the school’s health activities, services, and programs.   They collaborate with school officials to develop policies and procedures to increase parent involvement in school health programs. They also create school health programs that cater to parents’ concerns, such as student wellness seminars.  Schools and nurses educate parents about mental health issues.   School nurses give parent education seminars on depression, suicide prevention, and student resiliency, either on their own or in collaboration with community organizations. They provide information to parents on the same mental health problems that they discuss with students. They provide and promote school-sponsored mental health resources in neighborhood libraries, community centers, and other public places.  How can school nurses keep parents involved?  School nurses can ask parents to participate in school decision-making through parent-teacher associations, school health councils, or other groups. They collaborate with teachers to create family-based education techniques that engage parents in health talks with their children. For example,…

What is a school nurse’s role in aiding students with ADHD?

EHR, School nursing

  What is a school nurse’s role in aiding students with ADHD? ADHD is a behavioral disorder that affects one in every twenty children in the United States, with around 80% of adolescents experiencing symptoms throughout adolescence and into adulthood. Children with attention deficit disorders exhibit symptoms such as impulsivity and hyperactivity, which affect their academic and behavioral performance at school and at home. School nurses can play an important role in raising awareness of ADHD by improving the service delivery model for distressed children and their families. In this blog, we will learn how school nurses help students with ADHD, and how they help parents of both affected and non-affected students in empowering themselves and their children to live a quality life. ADHD in students, and what challenges they may face at school Children with attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder have even more personal struggles than average students. They typically exhibit symptoms such as inability to pay attention, difficulty controlling impulses, and difficulty sitting still, such conditions cause students to perform poorly at school. Around 5% to 9% of children aged 9 to 17 have serious behavioral problems that hinder their ability to function at home, school, or in the community. ADHD is one of these concerns. To educate such students, schools must implement measures that will support their treatments while still allowing them to learn with their classmates. How can schools support ADHD students? ADHD treatments in schools usually involve behavioral classroom management and organizational training. Students with disabilities receive special education programs in schools. Schools are also taking the necessary steps to limit the effects of ADHD on their learning. The Role of the school nurse in helping children with ADHD School nurses are the main care providers in schools and provide primary prevention for students who show symptoms of ADHD. They play an important role in raising awareness of ADHD by enhancing the health service delivery model for afflicted children and families. School nurses perform as ADHD educators for families and their children who are affected by the condition. They encourage families to seek therapy for their children at healthcare institutions since most parents are scared that their children will be labeled and stigmatized because of their child’s mental health issues and need for treatment. School nurses create and implement programs and workshops to fight the stigma associated with ADHD and raise awareness about child behavioral programs. They also develop culturally relevant methods to care for affected children and provide support, education, and information to families, children, and communities. They also collaborate with other health care providers to initiate national screening programs for identifying behavioral issues in children and ADHD in school-age and younger children. Children who show symptoms of ADHD are subsequently evaluated individually and clinically by skilled, highly trained professionals in this field. If a child is diagnosed with symptoms of ADHD, the school nurse can assist in implementing the following framework in school and at home to ensure better care for them. 1. Accepting a child as an equal and interacting with him based on his current level of functioning: It will help the child grow milder, allowing him to express his thoughts and emotions and helping him to respond more properly considering his condition. 2. Using clear and simple instructions Repeating instructions several times and using visual aids and images can improve a child’s learning. Such short lessons will benefit the child’s education and help him adjust better in school, despite his short attention span. 3. Implementing a daily routine schedule Repeating the exercises in a regular and ritualistic manner will improve his individuality and responsiveness to learning. 4. Creating a non-distractive environment for the child Setting a quiet and non-distractive environment at schools will prevent the child from being hyperactive and distractive. 5. Encourage the child positively and allow him to do physical activities Giving him rewards and praise for reaching a goal can help encourage him while decreasing his tolerance and impatience. Encouraging the kid to participate in physical activities can also help him expend his energy productively and get a good night’s sleep. 6. Educate families to take better care of ADHD students at home School nurses also help families in gaining information about home care instructions for students with ADHD. It involves helping the child to develop a sense of belonging and appreciation for his or her efforts. Promoting a student’s academic success will help the child’s social, academic, and personal development. Additionally, preparing the child to develop patience, creative thinking, and persistence will help him to learn new skills and accomplish tasks at home and at school. Final thoughts on school nurses caring for ADHD students School nurses must play an important part in raising awareness of ADHD by improving the health service delivery model for affected children and their families. Through research, workshops, community activities, and national screening programs, they can build on a solid foundation of analysis to improve the benefits. Students who are diagnosed with ADHD need medicines to help them learn, focus and stay calm in class. A school nurse must maintain contact with the student’s doctor and keep a close eye on the child while he or she is taking medication. Another important aspect of their treatment is behavior therapy, which helps the child to do better at home and school. A comprehensive school health tracker platform, like EduHealth, will help school nurses in conducting their regular school health responsibilities while also accurately managing the medications and therapy of ADHD students. EduHealth also has functionalities for tracking hospital visits, treatment charting, and doctor appointments. It also records health screening information in pre-built forms and has effective tracking systems for notifying and monitoring medicine treatments. School nurses can use the EduHealth school EHR system’s features to provide better health care for students at school. Learn more about our school health care system here.