School Nurse Staff In-Service Tips Ideas

In-service days are set apart from the usual schedule to give nurses a chance to develop their skills without outside distractions. Some school nurses find themselves at a loss when trying to think of what they'll do on their in-service day, but there are ways to make in-service days productive and rewarding.

Awareness Month

• Each month is ″awareness month″ for a number of health issues (see Resources). Spend your in-service day writing a school year's worth of informative newsletters. Then, at the beginning of each month, copy and paste the appropriate "awareness month" newsletter into an email to send out to your colleagues.

  You also can engage students in the different "awareness months" with age-appropriate spins on select topics. Create colorful, informative bulletin boards and display posters on health issues that concern them.

Be a Team Player

• Ask representatives of your local school nurse association if they need assistance. For example, you might help with filing or organizing or assist on a larger project.

Job-Related Activities

• Your in-service day is a good time to start your monthly or quarterly report or your merit review for your supervisor or to verify that your job description is accurate. You also could use your in-service day to start updating your health evaluations for upcoming three-year Individualized Education Program (IEP) reviews. You also might take a good look at your benefits; find out if you are eligible for such benefits as tuition reimbursement, continuing education money, or free membership in the National Association of School Nurses.

Conduct a Needs Assessment

• It's a good idea to take a hard look at your school's health needs. For example, you might do some research and determine the following: the most common reasons for visits to health office; the most common types of injuries; and the average BMI of students in your school.