School Nurse Resources

School nurses need the latest information and updates on health issues specific to students and school communities. A variety of websites, publications and associations facilitate school nurse education and professional development. Some of these resources require membership, while others are accessible to the general public.

The National Association of School Nurses

• The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is a non-profit group of school nurses and other health professionals. The mission of NASN is to support health and educational success of America's youth by providing education and resources to school nurses and other school health-care specialists. NASN promotes its core values of scholarship, excellence, integrity, collegiality and diversity. Members of NASN are able to network with each other and with others in their field in order to expand knowledge and practice. The association's main publication is the Journal of School Nursing (JOSN), which is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed journal of research and news for school nurses. This publication promotes practice and policy for healthy school communities.

American Association of Pediatrics' Council on School Health

• The American Association of Pediatrics hosts a Council on School Health (COSH) that is comprised of more than 200 practitioners. This committee serves various professional disciplines, such as school nurses and counselors, by providing resources that relate to the intersection of health and education. While COSH membership is exclusive to licensed pediatricians, the COSH website is a valuable resource for school nurses because it provides links to publications and resources in the field. It also provides the contact information for public health professionals and authorities by state so that nurses can access the people and resources pertinent to their area.

Healthy Schools Campaign

• Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes policies and practices facilitating healthy, safe learning environments for all teachers, students and staff. One of the committees of HSC is the School Nurse Advisory Committee (SNAC), which specifically works to improve the physical, social and emotional well-being of all members of school communities by providing information about professional development and resources for school nurses. The information provided by SNAC is free of charge; there is no need for formal membership. School nurses can access articles and publications written by or promoted by the committee as well as learn about events and opportunities for further learning in their state.

School Health Alert

• School Health Alert (SHA) is a prominent publisher of school health information. SHA is an independent, printed newsletter that has been published monthly since 1986. SHA keeps its thousands of subscribers current on issues and news relevant to the school health community. Subscribers --- many, but not all, of them school nurses ---read about important developments in the field and new policies and practices that inform their work. School Nurses is the website that corresponds to the publication. This website is free to non-subscribers, and it directs users relevant articles, publications and resources within the field.