School Nurse Certification Program

Program Overview

This program prepares individuals to become school nurses, equipping them with knowledge and skills in teaching health, health assessment, school law, and community health. Students will learn to effectively teach students with disabilities, including those with autism, and develop a holistic approach to health assessment and counseling. Upon completion, graduates will be qualified to protect and promote student health in schools from preschool through grade twelve.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Introduction to the Education of Exceptional Children and Children with Autism: Preparing classroom teachers to effectively teach students with disabilities, including those with autism.
Students will learn about special education services within the school district, and how to utilize technology with special needs students.
• Methods of Teaching Health for School Nurses K-12: Covers materials, methods, and principles of teaching health for elementary and secondary instruction.
Students will prepare and implement micro-teaching appropriate to a unit on health instruction.
• School Nursing I: Health Assessment, School Law, and Services in Schools: Explores the role of the school nurse in health programs.
Students will study organization, administration, and evaluation of health services at the elementary and secondary levels, as well as develop a holistic approach to health assessment, and learn about school law as it pertains to the medically fragile child.
• Public Health: Analyzes school and community health fields, including understanding past and current problems and the responsibilities of school and community in prevention of health problems.
Students will assist school nurses in enabling students, staff, and families in utilizing available community resources in meeting health care needs.
• School Nursing II: Health Assessment, School Law, and Services in Schools: Enables school nurses to identify problems and plan solutions related to the total administrative program of health care.
Students will study coordination of school facilities with resources at the community, county, and state levels, and will pay attention to factors that impede the educational progress of children.
• Counseling Psychology: Examines counseling theories and the counseling relationship, including family, group, and career counseling.

Careers:

School nurses are responsible for protecting and promoting student health in every school. They are qualified to perform nursing services and teach health-related subjects in grades preschool through twelve.