National School Nurse Day
School Nurses: Meeting the Needs of Today's Students

May 6, 2009

The National Association of School Nurses, Inc. (NASN) has chosen May 6, 2009 as National School Nurse Day. National School Nurse Day was established in 1972 to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurse Week and National Nurse Week is typically May 6th through May 12th. The New Hampshire Department of Education joins the NH School Nurses' Association to honor and celebrate the contributions made by New Hampshire School Nurses to the children in our communities. School administration, parents, and students should consider taking a moment this week to recognize the school nurse in their schools. This year's theme, "School Nurses: Meeting the Needs of Today's Students," is reflective of the overall impact school nurses have on the health and well-being of students, who face more challenging issues today than ever before.

"The academic success of NH students is strongly linked to their health," said Commissioner of Education, Lyonel B. Tracy. "School nurses across the State are helping to personalize each child's education by addressing their physical, social, personal, and academic needs."

Among their many responsibilities, school nurses promote health and safety; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide case management services; and actively collaborate with others to build student/family capacity for self-management, self-advocacy, and learning. They often provide these services to increasingly large numbers of students and frequently in more than one school building. School nurses have played a vital role in improving the health and well-being of our nation's children.

For more information about school nurses in NH contact Katherine Rannie, at (603) 271-3891 or e-mail krannie@ed.state.nh.us.