Requirements and Certification

Registered nurses who wish to pursue a career as a school nurse in Delaware will need to learn about state requirements and the certification process.

Direct questions to:

Linda Wolfe, EdD, RN, NCSN
Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal Street, Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901
lwolfe@doe.k12.de.us

A School Nurse Certification in Basic School Nursing

This brochures outlines the requirements for employment as a Delaware public school nurse and the Basic School Nurse educational cluster at the University of Delaware.  Download the brochure.

Learn more at the University of Delaware website.

National Certified School Nurse (NCSN)

School nurses can earn the NCSN mark of distinction by passing the certification exam offered by the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN).

Candidates must have a Bachelor degree and be employed in school nursing or an area related to school health. NBCSN recommends three years of experience in school nursing.

The exam is offered twice a year at a testing center. The application fee is $350. The Delaware School Nurse Association sponsors a drawing at the annual fall dinner/conference. The 6% stipend for national certification is currently available to school nurses who were certified before December 2008, but we are hopeful that this incentive will be offered again when the state budget crisis is resolved.

Congratulations to Christine Zimmerman, RN School Nurse, Christ the Teacher School, and Lisa Conover, RN, School Nurse in the Christina School District, Delaware’s newest NCSNs!  Access a complete list of Delaware NCSNs.

For more information, please contact liaisons Nancy Myers, at Forest Oak Elementary School, Red Clay Consolidated School District, nancy.myers@redclay.k12.de.us, and Pattianne Root at Skyline Middle, Red Clay Consolidated School District, pattianne.root@redclay.k12.de.us