CHN School Nursing Discussion

CHN provides nursing in many settings. School nursing provides community health care for children in the United States. A school nurse is a registered nurse whose main focus is the health and well being of all students. “The school nurse is responsible for monitoring the health of all students” (Nies & McEwen, p. 587, 2018). School nurses maintain health records such as vaccinations, provide screenings such as vision and hearing, provide emergency care, and care of the ill child.

Based on the three levels of care, primary, secondary, and tertiary, a level of prevention is secondary. The school nurse, functioning as a CHN, provides secondary care. A level of prevention is secondary care. “Examples include immunization and taking regular exercise to prevent health problems developing in the future” (Lumen). Secondary prevention includes those preventive measures that lead to early diagnosis and prompt treatment of disease, illness, or injury.

At this level of prevention, the nurse can, 1- schedule routine screenings for vision and hearing, scoliosis, eating disorders, obesity, anxiety, depression, anger, dental, and abuse. 2- Identify case findings, identify at-risk students. 3- Provide treatment, administer medications, develop individual health plans, implement procedures and tasks necessary for special needs students, and administer first aid. 4- Arrange for home visits. Assist with family counseling and assess special and at-risk students.

Identifying, building, and providing appropriate preventative health care, school nurses assist schools to the health and well-being of their children.

Lumen. Three levels of health promotion/disease prevention. courses.lumenlearning.com

Nies, M.A., & McEwen, M. (2018). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (6th ed). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier