Issue:

The Professional Standards Board (PSB) is proposing a change in the educational requirement for a public school nurse as listed in the 14 DE Admin Code 1582 School Nurse. Currently, a public school nurse must have: “Bachelor degree in nursing or school nursing from an accredited college or university.” The proposed change permits a public school nurse to have a bachelor degree in majors other than nursing

Recommendation:

Delaware School Nurse Association does not support the proposed changes in the education requirements for School Nurses. DSNA strongly recommends that the Professional Standards Board maintain the educational requirement for a public school nurse to have a bachelor degree in nursing or school nursing from an accredited college or university.

Please contact members of the Professional Standards Board and state why Delaware students need a school nurse with a Bachelor degree in nursing or school nursing.

We are pleased to announce a new payment option for NASN and unified affiliate membership dues. School nurses will continue to have the option to pay full annual dues by credit card, check or PO. School nurses will now have the additional option of four installments charged to their credit card.

The installment option is available exclusively for new and renewal members who are using a credit card for payment. Membership dues for NASN and the unified affiliates can be automatically debited in four quarterly installments. The first payment is processed upon receipt of the application. Subsequent payments are charged every three months to the credit card. The member’s anniversary date is adjusted in increments of three months and is extended with each payment. There is a processing fee associated with the installment option. The cost is $5.00, $1.25 each quarter. This amount is 5% of NASN dues. In the event that payment is unsuccessful (due to an expired credit card), we will mark the membership as lapsed and contact the lapsed member by phone and mail. The member will not be eligible for benefits until the payment is made.

The Member in Good Standing (MIGs) report will change to reflect this new option. We have added a column entitled Frequency. This column will distinguish between members that are paying annually versus members paying in installments.

The monthly cycle that is currently in place for remitting dues to the affiliates will not change. For members on the installment plan, the dues will be remitted as they are paid, in one-fourth increments. This will impact affiliate cash flow, as remits will now include a mix of annual and quarterly dues. However, we are confident that this new feature will support membership growth and appeal to the member’s needs.

To Contact:

Jenelle Cooper 
Membership Director 
National Association of School Nurses 
8484 Georgia Avenue, Suite 420 
Silver Spring, MD 20910 
Tel: 240-821-1130
Fax: 301-585-1791

What can NASN do for you?
To find out, click here: NASN.org

Did you know that DSNA is a non-profit organization?

A few years ago, Sue Grant RN, past DSNA treasurer, worked very hard to complete the needed paperwork required by the IRS to change our status. DSNA now qualifies under the IRS Section 501(c) is eligible for special exemptions from all U.S. Federal income tax.

Because DSNA has non-profit status with the IRS, we were required to apply for Delaware Certificate of Incorporation. As of December 2009, DSNA became incorporated! Incorporation will also benefit the Executive Board members. Forming a corporation means that the founders, or incorporators, are creating a legal entity that exists wholly apart from the people involved with it. Since DSNA is a nonprofit corporation, we will have liability protection a corporation provides. For example, if DSNA were to be sued, the assets of its directors and members are generally protected because corporate assets are distinct from personal assets.

Loretta Newsom, RN, MSN, NCSN
DSNA President

The fall of 2009 will always be remembered as the year that the H1N1 Flu Vaccine Clinics came to school. As the Swine Flu became a worldwide health concern changes were made in its name and classification. The pandemic status of the H1N1 brought international recognition of a highly contagious and potentially lethal sickness that would target high-risk groups that included school-aged children.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention established guidelines for state and local health care agencies to provide H1N1 vaccines to at-risk populations. The Delaware Division of Public Health and the Department of Education partnered with all the Delaware schools to establish School-Located Influenza Vaccination Clinics. The goal was to vaccinate large numbers of children in a timely and efficient manner.

History has proven that mass immunizations, such as the midcentury polio vaccines can eradicate infectious disease. The school clinics, a form of retro-health care have the greatest potential to eliminate the H1N1 virus.

There have been numerous challenges and lessons learned form Delaware’s first School-Located Influenza Vaccination Clinics. To a greater extent there have been many positive outcomes that have emerged from this experience. The camaraderie of school nurses grew stronger through communication via the school nurse yahoo site; sharing positive and negative clinic experiences. School district nurses chatted daily through email offering needed clinic supplies. The school community became aware of flu prevention and interventions.

The role of the school nurse was vital in the preparation and implementation of the clinic setting. Students, parents, and staff depended on the school nurse for health education, guidance and support to understand and feel comfortable with a new immunization. Under the leadership of the school nurse, the school community pulled together as a multidisciplinary team (nurses, guidance counselors, interventionists, custodians, PTA members, teachers, students, administrators) with a common goal, to help keep students healthy and ready to learn.

As of February 1, 2010, 66,000 Delaware children have received the H1N1 vaccine. The Delaware incidences of the H1N1 morbidity and mortality have greatly decreased. It has been through the dedication and countless hours of service that Delaware school nurses have given over the past several months that have contributed to an extremely successful statewide flu vaccine clinics.

The majority of the Delaware Public Schools have completed their clinics. Private schools will continue with the H1N1 vaccination clinics into the New Year. The Delaware School Nurse Association will continue to be a source of information and guidance to school nurses and the community that we serve.

Resources

www.flu.gov

www.flu.delaware.gov