Dr. Kathleen M Andresen

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the delegation of nursing tasks in the school setting can be a valuable tool for the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse), when based on the nursing definition of delegation (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2012) and in compliance with state nursing laws and/or regulations and guidance. Delegation may occur when the school nurse determines it is appropriate, but such delegation may not be appropriate for all students or all school nurse practice settings. The legal parameters for nursing delegation are defined by state laws that regulate nursing, State Board of Nursing guidelines, and Nursing Administrative Rules/Regulations (ANA, 2012; American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2009).

Nursing programs encounter barriers to clinical education, which may include limited clinical capacity for nursing students. Congestion of clinical placements compounded by multiple external influences prompted a need to develop an alternative approach for meeting program standards pertaining to clinical education. A curriculum improvement project was implemented within a school of nursing with the primary goal of expanding clinical learning opportunities while maintaining program quality. The unique aspect of this project was a comprehensive evaluative design, including qualitative responses from students, faculty, and clinical site stakeholders, as well as standardized student test scores. Augmenting the tools and processes for evaluation of clinical learning required collaboration from the faculty. Project outcomes include expanded clinical capacity, increased variety of clinical learning experiences, and improved quality of the clinical experiences. Collaborative partnerships yielded valuable lessons, which have implications for other nursing programs challenged with clinical placements.

The purpose of this project was to formulate an effective change strategy for head lice management in a group of five separate school districts within one county. Despite a desire to use evidence to support their practice, school nurses often encounter educational system barriers that prevent independent management of health conditions. The use of collaborative community relationships, identification of underlying hierarchy structures in school policy development, and targeted system education were the catalysts for changing beliefs and ultimately policy within these school districts. The focus of this project was to develop a policy change strategy for head lice. The strategy provides direction for successful health policy advocacy using evidence-based practices for other health issues within the education setting.