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Website Disclosure Fact

All of the material provided on this website is informational for all school nurses and other healthcare professionals, and the resources are documented for the material shared.

Free COVID Tests
Starting This past Monday, people can order four tests per US household through Covidtests.gov. 
Our thanks to Dr. Denise Makri-Werzen for sharing this valuable information.

Thursday, October 5, 2023 from 4:00pm to 5:00pm
"School Nurses Contribution Beyond the Walls"

VSR 10_5.png

Please click on the image to register for this presentation.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm 
 Vaccines for Children (VFC) Kick Off Event

VFC kickoff.png

Please click on the image to download the flyer.

NASN 2023-2024 Back-to-School Toolkit


The NASN website has amazing new "Back-to-School" resources including a comprehensive Allergy and Anaphylaxis Toolkit containing a sample training PowerPoint presentation for school staff. NASN toolkits are thoroughly researched and very well documented. This great information is available to be downloaded by NASN members at the following link: NASN.org/bts. A very compelling reason to join NASN, if you haven't already.

 

There are also 10 newly revised position statements.

Our thanks to Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN for posting this on the NASN All Member Forum from 10/1/23.

Our thanks to Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN for sharing this important updated information posted on the NASN All Member Forum from 9/13/23, with an addendum on 9/14/23. Please see quoted text below:

CDC - Update to the End of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

"
We haven't had much information from the CDC lately, despite the uptick of the latest variants. You can track the latest variant information by clicking here. It is updated periodically. 
 

Anyway, be sure to read the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration to learn which processes stay in place and which do not - click here.
 

By the way, scheduling is open for the updated bivalent vaccinations for ages 6 months and up. Go to this link to select a location. Be sure to ask if they have the updated bivalent options
 

For all Respiratory Viruses the CDC will be updating information on this webpage (click here).
Be sure to check it out periodically for their weekly updates. Don't forget influenza and RSV will be showing up too!

 

Be safe out there!"

Addendum:

"Just to clarify, ask the location about the vaccine formulation that covers the most recent known variants.

There has been some discrepancy of information that I've seen on some doh websites.

Go to this link to read the CDC message about the vaccines.

Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines"

Next NJSSNA Webinar: Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 5:30 pm

The second session of the NJSSNA Fall Webinar Series :

  • For NJSSNA members only.

  • This Fall Webinar Series is one of the many benefits of NJSSNA membership.

  • You can click here to join NJSSNA.

Disabilities and Legal Management 

presented by Allison Nichol BA, JD (Please click on the image below for the link to Allison Nichol's bio)

pia_edited.jpg

NJSSNA Webinar "Vaccines: Not Just for Babies" Resources
 

Dr. Meg Fisher, MD, FAAP, provided the following resources as part of her NJSSNA webinar presentation:

Dr. Fisher also called upon health professionals to get vaccinated for: their own health and safety, their patients, and to set an example. The presentation was clear and comprehensive.

Mandatory Yearly Training for Teachers
In response to an inquiry on the NJSSNA Discussion list requesting resources for mandatory teacher training, our State School Nurse Consultant, Lorraine Borek, MSN, MEd, RN, CSN-NJ provided the following link: https://www.nj.gov/education/safety/health/docs/SchoolHealthMandates.pdf

Fortuitously, another school nurse was able to benefit from the sports physicals sign-off sheets included in the above link. This grateful school nurse stated the following, "You just saved me a whole lot of time and aggravation since my initial searches to find where they relocated [the sports physical sign-off forms] came up empty."

New Employment Opportunities for the Montclair School District

NJ Certified School Nurse Position (Permanent Full-Time)

Location: Watchung Elementary School

Address: 14 Garden Street

Hours: 8:40 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Student Population: 400 

Grades: KGN - 5

We have received notification that there is now a second Certified School Nurse Position available for the Montclair School District:

Bradford Elementary School

87 Mount Hebron Road

Montclair, NJ 07043

Hours: 8:50 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Grades: K-5

Posted on behalf of:

Tina La Gala, MS, RN, NJ-CSN

(she/her)  What is this?

Supervisor of Nursing Services

Montclair Public Schools

Central Office 3rd Floor

22 Valley Road 

Montclair, NJ 07042

O: (973) 509 - 4020 ext. 50406

F: (973) 509 - 5072

tlagala@montclair.k12.nj.us

tlagala@mpsdnj.us

Still Available: Employment Opportunity for the Caldwell-West Caldwell School District


One of our esteemed ECSNA retirees, Beth Dean, MA, CSN-NJ, RN, requested that we post this school nurse position for her District. Please see below:

Caldwell-West Caldwell School Nurse 

Apply@ https://www.applitrack.com/cwcboe/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp?internaltransferform.Url=&all=1&AppliTrackJobId=719&AppliTrackLayoutMode=detail&AppliTrackViewPosting=1

If you have any additional questions, please contact us by clicking here

This information will also appear on the Employment Opportunities page of our website.

Still Available: Employment Opportunities-Belleville


Our ECSNA member, Susan Cozzarelli, RN, MSN, CSN, School Nurse for Belleville School Nine/ Belleville Head Nurse, Tel: 973-450-3500 ext. 3903, requested that we post this new PreK Nursing position due to their PreK expansion. Please see below:

School Nurse - Preschool

To apply, please click on this link: https://www.applitrack.com/belleville/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Student+Support+Services

 

Belleville School Nurse 

Apply@ https://www.applitrack.com/belleville/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Student+Support+Services


Taryn Rivera

Human Resources

Belleville Board of Education 

56 Ralph Street

Belleville NJ 07109

973-450-3500 x 1078

If you have any additional questions, please contact us by clicking here. 

This information will also appear on the Employment Opportunities page of our website.

Our thanks to Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN for sharing this important information from the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) on the NASN All Member Forum from 8/24/23:
 

"NASN has a position statement and resources about Environmental Health - click here and in the National Association of School Nurses (2022). School nursing: Scope and standards of practice (4th ed.) book, where Standard 18 is "Environmental Health" and has a total of 15 competencies.

Well, today the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) shared the message below on social media platforms that allows you to download their 407-page textbook "open access"."

environmental health.png

UPDATE ON NJ4S: Our thanks to Rick Hager, LSW, Community Outreach Coordinator, Office of Communications, Legislative and Public Affairs, New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) for the following update on the Statewide Student Support Services- NJ4S- which launches in September 2023 .
To read the updated document please click
here. The original post with the description of the initiative from Co-President, Laura Sacks, RN, BA, BSN, MA is below:

Many thanks to our Co-President, Laura Sacks, RN, BA, BSN, MA, for sharing information regarding a statewide initiative to support students:
NJ Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S)
A Statewide Response to the Youth Mental Health Crisis

Please see the excerpt below and click here to read the full description:

"The new model, the NJ Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S) network, would create 15 regional hubs, aligned along court vicinages("the area where a crime was committed, a trial is being held, or the community from which jurors are drawn") and Children’s System of Care service areas, to support statewide delivery of prevention services in schools, as well as other locations in the community including but not limited to: libraries, community centers, faith-based-organizations and family success centers." 

The regional hub for ESSEX COUNTY: Family Connections, Inc. 
"The Spokes
While hubs provide the expertise and staffing for program delivery, the spokes are sites where programming will be delivered. This will include school and will also include additional spaces utilized by the community, such as Family Success Centers, community centers, libraries or other locations that are accessible and conducive to the programming offered. It also includes the community services to which students, or their parents/caregivers may be referred."

NJ4S model .png

From marcia@sads.org for the SADS Foundation (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes)

downloaded from Marcia's email of Tuesday, Aug 8th

"Did you know you can turn to us at the SADS (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes) Foundation at any time for help caring for students with cardiac arrhythmia conditions? 

 

We’re so appreciative of the work school nurses like you do to keep kids safe and healthy, and we’re dedicated to supporting you however we can, including:

  • Providing care plan templates to help you care for kids in your school who have a SADS condition 

  • Sharing the warning signs that a student may have a heart condition, so their families can get them the care they need

  • Providing you with the resources to create an informed cardiac emergency response plan to keep your school community safe

 

Visit our dedicated School Nurses webpage here for resources and information on each of these important priorities. 

Start Here

 

Not sure where to start?

 

Here are four key steps to enter the school year informed and prepared to keep your students and school community safe: 

 

1.  Watch the SADS Safe Schools Webinar for school nurses

2.  Access care plan templates for various SADS conditions

3. Download School Emergency Response Plan templates

4.  Order awareness materials to educate the team on warning signs, including:

  • A family history of unexplained, sudden death in a young person (under age 40) including drowning suddenly.

  • Fainting (syncope) or seizure during exercise, excitement, or startle.

  • Consistent or unusual pain and/or shortness of breath during exercise.

How else can we help?

If you have any questions about these resources, or if you’re uncertain about how to implement them with your families or school community, just let us know. Contact me Marcia Baker, SADS Program Director, at Marcia@SADS.org

 

About the SADS Foundation

The Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation (SADS) is a community of families, medical professionals, and supporters saving lives and advancing care for people with heart arrhythmia conditions that can lead to sudden death. Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) are genetic heart conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy people. These conditions can be treated and deaths can be prevented."

RWJBarnabas Health Children’s Kidney Center Annual Symposium - Prevention & Treatment of Kidney Disease in Children - Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

REGISTER NOW

Early recognition and treatment of renal disorders in children can delay progression and may even prevent the development of chronic renal failure,
minimizing neurological deficits and growth disturbance. Recent technological breakthroughs and better understanding of pediatric kidney disease has led to improved care of infants and children with various nephropathies. This program is designed to provide an update for pediatricians, pediatric urologists, pediatric subspecialists and nurses regarding renal disease from the neonatal period to late adolescence.

Date: October 11, 2023 | 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center - Islami Auditorium, 94 Old Short Hills Rd, Livingston, NJ 

Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:

  • Review surgical options in management of morbid obesity in pediatric patient with kidney disease

  • Discuss the role and pros and cons of AI- Artificial intelligence in medicine and nephrology

  • Recognize dermatologic manifestations in kidney disease

  • Learn about latest trends and updates in Pediatric nephrology

Downloaded from the NASN All Member Forum of August 6, 2023:

"School Nurse Article on CNN

Former school nurse Sherrie Guyer, MSN, RN has written a wonderful article about the importance of school nursing for CNN. Please spread the word!

 

Opinion: The Question Every Parent Should Ask Before School Starts

Elizabeth Blanton, BSN, RN, NCSN
Lower School Nurse

804.288.2804

www.st.catherines.org"

Quoted text from the August email announcement from the New Jersey Department of Health’s DSH Team (Daycares, Schools & Higher Education):

"Happy August from the DSH Team!

(Very comprehensive) NJDOH DSH Team Tuberculosis Resources for School Nurses can be found by clicking here followed by clicking on the "s-z" button at the top of our Resources page to be brought down to the NEW Tuberculosis section at the bottom of the page.

 

August is Immunization Awareness Month!

Please visit the NJDOH Immunization Requirements page for tons of great information including vaccine requirements, additional recommended vaccines, exemptions, reporting forms, NJIIS, and a webinar to view. Department of Health | Communicable Disease Service | Immunization Requirements (nj.gov),

which can also be found by clicking here followed by clicking on "g-m" button at the top of the page.

Register for the next DSH Team Training!

Thursday, September 28, 2023 from 2:30-3:30pm

Preparatory for Respiratory: Infectious Disease Training for School Nurses & Child Care Providers

Please register by clicking here.

Stay healthy & safe!

DSH Team (Daycares, Schools, and Higher Education)" 

For DSH Team contact information, please see the Immunization section of our ECSNA Resources page.

A beautiful memorial tribute by our amazing NJSSNA Executive Board to New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, downloaded from the New Jersey State School Nurses Association Digest for Wednesday August 2, 2023. Please see below for the entire quoted text and image from the post:

 

 

 

 


 

"We are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver. Her passing leaves a significant void in our state's political landscape and in the hearts of many whose lives she touched through her dedicated public service.

 

Lieutenant Governor Oliver's impact on New Jersey was immeasurable. As the first Black female Assembly speaker and only the second Black woman in U.S. history to lead a state legislature, she was a trailblazer, symbolizing progress and empowerment for all. Her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and civic engagement has left a lasting mark on our state.

 

During this difficult time, let us come together as a community to extend our sincerest condolences to Lieutenant Governor Oliver's family, loved ones, and colleagues in the State of New Jersey. May we honor her memory following her example of service and compassion by working towards a more inclusive and caring society.

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by her profound loss.

 

In solidarity,

Executive Board of NJSSNA

------------------------------
Eileen Gavin MSN, NCSN, FNP-BC, FNASN
Nationally Certified School Nurse
Middletown High School North
Middletown, NJ United States"

Our thanks to the NJSSNA Executive Board for representing the heart and dedication of New Jersey School Nurses. 

Sheila Oliver.png

ecsna member spotlight

It is with joy and great pride that we celebrate the accomplishments of our ECSNA Liaison to the NJSSNA Executive Board, Dr. Cynthia Samuel, PhD, RN, CSN-NJ.
 
Dr. Samuel's continued leadership of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion task force was recently recognized at the NASN 2023 Conference.







The NASN Weekly Digest included the news article regarding Dr. Samuel in their "School Nurses in the News" section which you can read by clicking on the title below:
Dr. Cynthia Samuel Honored with President’s Recognition Award (Source: parsippanyfocus.com)

We are honored to have Dr. Samuel as a member of our organization and to benefit from her dedication, extensive knowledge, leadership and expertise in school nursing practice. Formerly as Education Chair, and currently working on the Standards and Practice Committee of NJSSNA, Dr. Samuel continues to promote excellence in school nursing practice.

cynthia nasn.png

Our thanks to Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN for sharing this important information from the Society For Public Health Education on the NASN All Member Forum from 7/28/23:
 

"SOPHE releases an interactive website for the Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum

 

Effective health education teaching strategies and learning experiences

 

Washington, D.C., July 28, 2023 – The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) has developed a new interactive website to assist educators with using the 15 Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum to support effective learning and promote public health through education."

Our ECSNA Executive Board will be meeting on Monday, July 31st to develop our meeting schedule for 2023-2024.

  • We plan to continue to schedule our meetings primarily on the third Wednesday of the month, taking into consideration holidays and events sponsored by our State and National organizations.

  • At this point we will be continuing the Zoom format and will make sure to keep you posted about any changes.

  • As always, we welcome your suggestions for educational topics of interest to you. Please feel free to contact us by clicking here.

School Nurse Positions in Essex County

Livingston Public Schools is currently accepting applications for a School Nurse at Livingston High School. They are accepting applications from those who are certificated by the NJDOE as well as those with RNs or RNs with BSNs. Please see the job description here.
The link for the online application for this position can be found by clicking
here.

There are also Essex County school nurse positions listed on the NJSSNA website at
https://www.njssna.org/home.
 These positions can be viewed by signing in to the website with your NJSSNA/ NASN membership credentials and clicking on the "NJSSNA Discussion List" of SCHOOL NURSE NET.

Summer Camp Position: Head Nurse for the last 2 weeks of camp

from July 31-August 18. 

Lake Rickabear Camp, located in Kinnelon, is in need of a Head Nurse for the last 2 weeks of camp from July 31-August 18. 

 

The main contact person at Lake Rickabear Camp Director, Dara Garcia, can be reached at DGarcia@GSNNJ.org and (862) 294-2012.

The position pays $31.50/hour ($236.25/day) for 7.5 hours per day (8 AM-4 PM, 30 minute break).  

The full job details can be found here: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/1558752

lake rickabear.png

Many thanks to our Co-President, Dr. Denise M. Makri-Werzen, PUBH:CH  HP RN/MT(ASCP) CSN/HT 

Ph.D. MS BS, for sharing the following information with us:

The following  information provides all pharmacies in the State of NJ  (Essex County) that provide free Narcan to anyone over the age of 14.

 

Please click here for the spreadsheet with the participating pharmacies specific to Essex County listed.

Many thanks to our Co-President, Dr. Denise M. Makri-Werzen, PUBH:CH  HP RN/MT(ASCP) CSN/HT 

Ph.D. MS BS, for sharing the following information with us:


The Mental Health Association in NJ has received additional funding that will allow them to expand Teen MHFA to additional High Schools. The 2022-23 project was very successful and we look forward to working with additional High Schools

 

Please see the invitation to their information sessions as well as the Teen MHFA fact sheet images below, which are clickable:

Applications for teen MHFA.png
Teen MHFA.png

Exciting news from our valued contributor: Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN - Please see the quoted text below:

“NEA NURSES IN SCHOOLS” CAUCUS COMING SOON!!

 

"A few school nurses attended the NEA Representative Assembly in Orlando, Florida and we held some meetings to discuss the creation of this caucus. You may have known that there was a school nurse caucus that was documented a few years ago, but the formality of the group was never established. 

Well, we are moving forward with a caucus! 

 

Here is what NEA provides as a part of their caucus group formation documents: A "recognized NEA caucus" is an internal entity recognized by NEA for the sole purpose of attempting to influence NEA governance. Toward this end, caucuses may advise, lobby, and/or otherwise communicate with NEA governance.”

 

The core group of school nurses here at the NEA-RA have developed our purpose statement that you will find on the form - 

 

https://forms.gle/AFPVCuwSmxRg5a8Z6

 

Feel free to share the form with other NEA nurse members!! 

 

THIS IS ONLY FOR NJEA/NEA MEMBERS!!"

Many thanks to Rick Hager, Community Outreach Coordinator

Office of Communications, Legislative and Public Affairs

New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF)
for sharing this important graphic for summer safety. They are providing our their safety graphics in English and Spanish, along with other child safety materials to help keep children safe this summer.  The car safety information is below and the water safety information can also be downloaded 
here.

Please click on the image below if you would like to download this car safety graphic.

summer safety graphic.png

It was with great pride that our ECSNA Treasurer, Lila Kurzum, BSN, RN, CSN-NJ and
 James Caldwell High School Nurse ECSNA member, Jill Muller, BA, BSN, RN, CSN-NJ presented our 2023 ECSNA scholarship to Danielle Perry during their high school awards ceremony. 

scholarship picture.jpg

Downloaded from the NASN All Member Forum dated June 16 to 18, 2023 from our valued contributor, Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN

AAP TEAMS (Training, Education, Assistance, Mentorship and Support to Enhance School Health Services) Opportunities


 

"FYI: AAP is accepting applications for their 2023-2024 cohort. "The AAP is currently accepting applications from school districts that would like to participate in a new cohort focusing on increasing physical, mental and/or emotional well-being among students and staff." 

Watch the 5 minute video  - Click here, then click the image below:

AAP teams.png

FYI: EPA Launches Nationwide Series of Community Lead Awareness Sessions
(Abridged from full post):


"WASHINGTON (June 12, 2023) – As part of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to protect communities from childhood lead exposure and advance environmental justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a series of free educational sessions on the dangers of lead and ways to reduce and prevent lead exposure. These sessions are based on the Lead Awareness Curriculum, an adaptable resource to protect communities from potential lead exposure, and will be held in English and Spanish.
 

In early 2023, EPA began piloting the series with sessions in Tribal communities, an EPA Superfund site and other disadvantaged communities. Today, EPA is launching the series with "Understanding Lead" and "Train-the-Trainer" sessions in Washington, D.C., with several more sessions scheduled in multiple communities across the U.S. A full list of upcoming sessions, including instructions for registering, are available on EPA's website.

The sessions will supplement EPA's local lead training and outreach initiative, which has been implemented in 22 communities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico in 2021 and 2022. Through its training and outreach initiative in 2021 and 2022, EPA helped 512 contractors obtain lead-safe certification and educated 871 participants nationwide about lead and how to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities from lead exposure.

Learn more about EPA's upcoming community lead awareness sessions."

Back-to-School Planning: Enrollment, Retention, Vaccines, and Mental Health Services

We Want to Hear from You!
The Campaign wants to hear how organizations like yours are working to enroll eligible children and teens in Medicaid and CHIP during the Back-to-School season. Send us an email at 
ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov. And visit our website to access slides and recordings from previous Campaign webinars.­

Stay Connected with the Campaign 

  • Share our Campaign materials. Our ever-growing, multi-lingual Outreach Tool Library features a variety of targeted resources to use in your outreach and enrollment efforts, available in multiple formats.

  • Contact us. To get more involved with the Campaign, contact us via email at ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov.

  • Follow the Campaign on Twitter. Remember to re-tweet or share our messages from @IKNGov with your social network and be sure to use our #Enroll365 and #KidsEnroll hashtags in your posts.

Subscribe to the "Campaign Notes" eNewsletter
The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign eNewsletter "
Campaign Notes" is distributed throughout the year and provides updates on Campaign activities. If a friend or colleague forwarded this email to you, we invite you to sign up to receive this eNewsletter directly to your inbox.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

To contact CMS, please visit our contact us page." 

Downloaded from the NASN All Member Forum dated June 12, 2023 from our valued contributor
Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN

Medicaid Unwinding Update

"Read this important message from HHS Secretary Becerra that was sent to the U.S. governors today by clicking here.

There is the major concern of many individuals being terminated from Medicaid, so additional flexibilities have been granted to states.

Please continue to encourage schools, community groups and faith-based organizations to remind and even assist families to apply for Medicaid redetermination. 

Here are links to toolkits that can be of assistance:

June 12, 2023

Contact: HHS Press Office
202-690-6343
media@hhs.gov"

AAP Spanish Medicare Unwinding.png

14 Free Resources for LGBTQIA+ Youth in New Jersey can be found on our Resources page listed under "L" by clicking here. Our thanks to Rick Hager, LSW, (Community Outreach Coordinator, Office of Communications, Legislative and Public Affairs, New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF)) for sharing these excellent resources.

Air Quality & Public Health Recommendations for Wildfire Smoke Exposure 

CDC’s public health recommendations for wildfires:

Public Health Strategies to Reduce Exposure to Wildfire Smoke during the COVID-19 Pandemic | CDC

 

The links below provide information on air quality and air planning for days of concern:

To monitor the air quality in your area, visit: https://www.airnow.gov/

Our May 25th celebration dinner was delightful and delicious

Retirees.jpg
jenn picture.jpg
table picture.jpg
lila.jpg

Dr. Harriet Coleman, DNP, APN-C, NCSN, CSN and ECSNA Co-President Laura Sacks, RN, BA, BSN, MA, were able to join us so that we could honor their dedication and many accomplishments.
We also honored the dedication and accomplishments of Beth Dean, MA, CSN-NJ, RN and Charlene Reilly, MS, CSN-NJ, RN as we listened to their biographical information.

The recording of our Thursday, May 18, 2023 educational program: 

Managing Emergencies in the School Setting

presented by Dr. Fred Waldron, MD, an Emergency Medicine Specialist in Newark can be found in the Recordings section of our website by clicking here.

ECSNA Co-President Laura Sacks was among the honored retirees at the NJSSNA dinner meeting on May 16th. NJSSNA President, Donna Pleus, also honored Harriet Coleman, Charlene Reilly and Elizabeth Dean, who were not present at the dinner.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RETIREES!

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20230516_181424.jpg

VERY EXCITING NEWS:
NJSSNA announced the release of the 2nd edition of Promoting Health and Learning: School Nursing Practice in New Jersey's Public Schools, which can be found on the NJSSNA website by clicking here.
CONGRATULATIONS
TO gINA EMGE!

(pictured seated above)
for being awarded the NASN School Nurse Excellence Award and NJSSNA's School Nurse of the Year!

 Our thanks to Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN for the following information with links to excellent resources:
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Makes Progress in the Whole-of-Government Response to Long COVID
Please click here for the complete document.

human trafficking stencil print on the grunge white brick wall_edited.jpg

The recording of our Wednesday, April 19, 2023 educational program:

Overview of Human Trafficking presented by Ingrid Johnson RN, MSN, a nationally recognized expert and speaker in the field of Human Trafficking can be found in the Recordings section of our website by clicking here.

The Relentless School Nurse: Are You a #FedUpSchoolNurse? Join Moms Demand Action #FedUp Campaign for School Safety

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

(Please click on the title above to read Robin Cogan's full blog)

Please see the excerpt below:

"To learn more about the #FedUp campaign and how you can get involved, visit the Moms Demand Action website at Moms Demand Action – #FedUp. Join me in becoming a #FedUpSchoolNurse and let’s demand safety for our students and communities."

Many thanks to our Co-President, Laura Sacks, RN, BA, BSN, MA, for sharing valuable information on
"Cyclic Sighing" for anxiety reduction presented during a recent Virtual Schwartz Rounds presentation. For more information, please click
here.

The recording of our Wednesday, March 22, 2023 educational program on Cardiac Emergencies Presented by James C. Schatzle, BS, Paramedic can now be found on our "Recordings" page.

James Schatzle's contact information:

Team Life, Inc.

291 Route 34

Colts Neck, NJ 07722

732-946-4243

support@teamlife.com

www.teamlife.com

From Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN posted on the March 7th NASN All Member Forum:
CALL TO ACTION - Medicaid Unwinding as Public Health Emergency Ends April 1, 2023! PLEASE READ

  • The Public Health Emergency (PHE) Unwinding that was announced in fall 2022.

  • The date for changes to Medicaid are going to take place starting in just a few weeks.

  • States have been submitting their plans to CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and it is anticipated that more than 66% of Americans are not aware that they will lose Medicaid benefits. 

  • First Month Unwinding-Related Renewals are Initiated: April

  • Effective Date of First Anticipated Terminations for Procedural Reasons*: June

(* This is generally the first month that members who have not had their eligibility successfully renewed in the past 12 months may be disenrolled for procedural reasons, such as non-response to a renewal form, per CMS guidelines. Terminations for individuals the state has redetermined as ineligible for Medicaid and CHIP may occur on or after April 1, 2023.)​

  • Sheila Caldwell provided some resources below, but us as school nurses and schools in general need to speak with parents and families about the importance of updating their contact information with the Medicaid program in the state ASAP! Then, be sure to watch their mail for any documents that will be sent in the coming months. They could receive mail as soon as April 1st and if they do not complete the documents or online information, they will be disenrolled!! 

  • We already know the challenges for children and families when there is no insurance available to address their health needs. 

  • As nurses we can plan major initiatives in our schools and communities to provide awareness about this ASAP!

  • Sheila Caldwell has provided some links and resources for you to get an initiative going. Contact your state Medicaid office for any specific state information that you can share. On social media (mainly twitter), if you search "Medicaid unwinding" you will find states hosting listening sessions, sharing flyers, and other information.

  • The key to all this is that there are people who need the information in the spaces where it is being conveyed and are they (meaning Medicaid/state officials) thinking of other places and spaces where people with Medicaid might best get the information (eg., table set up in laundromats, supermarkets, churches, schools, etc), where organizations and people as us, nurses can get the information to the people that need it most.

  • The online efforts are nice, but some of these families may have limited online access.

  • You can contact Sheila Caldwell on the NASN All Member Forum about your efforts to have the families in your communities not fall in the gap and have to totally re-enroll. Please be sure to share your ideas, school newsletter or any news articles of your efforts to address this major issue that will be starting in only weeks!

RESOURCES:

The recording of the School Nursing: Putting the Pieces Together presented on February 15th by our NJDOE State School Nurse Consultant, Lorraine Borek, MSN, M.Ed., RN, CSN-NJ is now on the recordings page.

Lorraine Borek's Contact information:

New Jersey Department of Education: nj.gov/education

Lorraine Borek

healthyschools@doe.nj.gov

great news! 
cover all kids 
took effect January 1st
our thanks to our co-president, Laura sacks, RN, BA, BSN, CSN, MA  for sharing this excellent news about making health care available to all children in new jersey!

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To find out more about Cover All Kids, please visit this website, https://nj.gov/coverallkids/.  There are a number of resources, including FAQs, printable flyers (click here for the English flyer & click here for the Spanish flyer), and shareable social media graphics, to help your agency and your contacts to learn more about the program.  The goal is to ensure residents in every part of New Jersey are familiar with Cover All Kids and the essential benefits it provides for their children.  Together, we can help safeguard our kids with the health services they deserve.

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The recording of our Wednesday, January 18, 2023 educational program on

Review of Cannabis Legislation in Relation to the School Setting

Presented by Joel Torres, MA, MCHES, ADAPT Senior Manager Family Connections & John Worthington, Esq., Education Law Specialist, NJPSA/FEA/LEGAL ONE

can be found on our recordings page, (found in the dropdown under the events page).

Great news: Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN posted on the January 13th to 15th NASN All Member Forum that there is a recording of the School Nurse Forum on Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Please see the message from the SADS Foundation below:

Thank you to everyone who attended our School Nurse Forum on Sudden Cardiac Arrest last night! We had over 2,500 school nurses register.

 

If you were unable to attend, or would like to watch this webinar again, you can view it here:

Watch the Webinar

If you have other school nurses in your region who would like to learn more about our resources and receive this forum recording, they can register here.

 

Here are the links mentioned during the presentation:

 

SADS Foundation

 

Project ADAM

 

We also wanted to let you know about some of our other resources for school nurses, including:

  • Our free school nurse packets, which you can receive digitally or in-person (please note that it currently takes 1-2 weeks to receive the in-person packet after ordering)

  • Our school nurse webinar from 2022 with more about each SADS condition

  • Upcoming small School Nurse Forums with SADS & your local Project ADAM affiliate where you can talk with your peers and ask more questions about SCA (stay tuned for details soon!).

 

You can help us improve our resources for school nurses by taking this brief, 5-minute survey. Your response is confidential and helps us tailor our resources to best serve school nurses.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Understanding, Screening, and Supporting Individuals in the School Setting

This on-demand program is an opportunity for school nurses, pediatric nurses, and other school-based professionals to develop an understanding of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:​

  • Understand the physiology of FASD development during pregnancy

  • Explain the importance of the screening and identifying children who have FASD Implement skills and knowledge to support children and families affected by FASD in their education

  • Support school staff in creating the most beneficial learning environment for children affected by FASD and utilize resources available in New Jersey.

 Target Audience: School Nurses, Pediatric Nurses, School-Based Professionals Learning Outcome: At the conclusion of the program, the participants will self-report knowledge gained related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, screening, and resources to support families.
Continuing Nursing Education Contact Hours: This program has been awarded 1.0 contact hours. The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by New Jersey State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. P194-2/2023 Approval status does not imply endorsement by the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, NJSNA or by ANCC of any commercial products discussed/displayed in conjunction with the educational activity. Questions? Visit our website or contact Kelly Dietrich at kdietrich@pmch.org
Successful Completion: To receive contact hours for participating in the recorded continuing education program, the registrant must log in to the recorded webinar, view the entire presentation, and complete and submit an evaluation. A certificate of completion will be distributed within one month of submission of the evaluation. Disclosure/Commercial Support: The planners and speaker do not have any conflicts of interest to report for this activity. There is no commercial support for this activity. Cost: This program is free, but registration is required. Registration:
Click
here to register.

From Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School regarding edible marijuana ingestion in children:
CHILD & TEEN HEALTH

Edibles and children: Poison center calls rise (please click on the title to read the article)

From Rick Hager, Community Outreach Coordinator, Office of Communications, Legislative and Public Affairs

New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF), Cell:  (609) 947-7505, Email: Richard.Hager@dcf.nj.gov

Family Success Centers are “one-stop” shops that provide resources and supports for families before they find themselves in crisis. They offer primary child abuse prevention services to families and bring together concerned community residents, leaders, and community agencies to address the problems that threaten the safety and stability of families and the community.

 

Family Success Centers offer a warm and welcoming home-like environment that provides family friendly activities and resources within communities to strengthen families. There is no cost to access the services they provide.
Program Services include:

  • Access to information on child, maternal and family health services, economic self-sufficiency and job  readiness

  • Information and referral services (connection to off-site public social services and private resources)

  • Life skills training

  • Housing services

  • Parent education

  • Parent-child activities

  • Advocacy

There are 57 Family Success Centers in New Jersey. To locate a program near you, please visit: https://www.nj.gov/dcf/families/support/success/ and share broadly with your community.

12/21/22 Overview of the NJ Emotional Well-being Institute (NJ-NEW) program follow-up information:

Presented by Jennifer Polakowski, MPA, Assistant Director NJ-Nursing Emotional Well-being Institute (NJ-NEW) has generously agreed to share her presentation slides which you can access by clicking here. Please see the excerpt below:

Current interventions/ programs include:

Virtual Schwartz Rounds (VSR)

  • Stress First Aid (SFA)

  • Nurse2Nurse Helpline (N2N)

  • Pilot- Peer to Peer App (Dugri)

Future interventions/ programs include:

  • Well-being Hub (WBH)

  • Repository of resources

Future of Nursing Report 2020-2030 / Nursing Bill

  • Recommendation 3.7, 3.9 & 3.10

  • S2528/A4325

The Relentless School Nurse: Nursing, Let’s Join the Call for a U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Gun Violence?
Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

(Please click on the title above to read Robin Cogan's full blog)

Please see the excerpt below:

"Dr. Peter Masiakos included the voice of school nursing in a compendium published in Current Trauma Reports in early 2020, just as the pandemic began. Here is a link to an article that I co-authored with dear colleagues: School Nurses Share Their Voices, Trauma, and Solutions by Sounding the Alarm on Gun Violence Robin Cogan, Donna M. Nickitas, Donna Mazyck & Sunny G. Hallowell

Here is the full collection, as Dr. Masiakos said, it was intended to serve as an early blueprint for a U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Gun Violence: Topical Collection on Gun Violence"

From: SHEILA CALDWELL, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN downloaded from the NASN All Member Forum 12/9  to 12/11
Did you know that your school may be improperly disposing of vape products and paraphernalia? Read about it!
As more and more schools are confiscating vape products, they need to be sure that they are disposing of them appropriately.
Here are two resources that you should read and share with your school districts. In addition, as we consider environmental justice, this is truly something that our schools should be looking at. See below and click the images.

By the way, the EPA has a new office of environmental justice. You can contact your regional office of EJ if you have any questions. Here is the link - click
here

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(Please click on the above images for a larger version)

Great News from NJSSNA:
"The New Jersey State School Nurses Association (NJSSNA) is very happy and proud to announce that after several years of advocacy to install a state school nursing consultant at the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE),

former president of the NJSSNA & ecsna,
lorraine Borek, MSN, M.Ed., RN, CSN-NJ,
has joined the NJDOE as the
State School Nurse Consultant.
For the entire NJSSNA announcement please click here."

From the NJDOH DSH Team:

"With holiday gatherings right around the corner, we thought we would provide a few resources to help prevent the spread of Influenza, RSV, COVID-19 and other common communicable diseases this holiday season:

 

·       Clean Hands and Spaces: Web-Based Training | CDC  (An excellent overview of mitigation strategies for school and childcare centers! Earn 2 CEUs at no cost!)  

·       Cold Versus Flu | CDC

·       Prevent the Spread of Colds & Flu

·       What's the Difference Between Cleaners, Sanitizers, and Disinfectants (nj.gov)

 

It’s also important to review the NJDOH School Exclusion List to determine when students and staff can safely return to school following an illness. NJDOH also has this helpful flyer,  “When Should Children Stay Home from School” (see attached) which you may want to share with your parent body, as a good reminder.

 

Additionally, our partners at the Vaccine Preventable Disease Program have an exciting initiative for students in grades 5-12: Create, Educate, Vaccinate! Protect Me With 3+ is an annual poster and video contest and a collaboration between The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey and the New Jersey Department of Health.


This exciting contest that promotes immunizations is open to middle and high school students across New Jersey. The top three posters and videos will win awesome prizes and will be showcased at statewide immunization awareness events. Learn more here.

 

Lastly, you can always visit the New Jersey Department of Health School Health and DSH Team webpages for more information. There you will find additional educational and training materials, outbreak guidance, forms and a variety of resources on how to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in both the school and childcare setting."

Please click on the images below for the full documents:

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Our thanks to Kathy McCutcheon, MSN, RN, NCSN, the Secretary of the NJSSNA Executive Board, for this Respiratory Illness YouTube

from the NJDOH posted on the NJSSNA discussion list

Please click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4yTtcBbNCA

The Taking Diabetes to School Presentation from 11/16/22

by Ashley Colnett,  BSN, RN, CDCES, CSN

Education Coordinator

Camp Nejeda Foundation Incorporated

has been downloaded to the Recordings page of the website. Please login as a website member to view the presentation, as this is a website members only page.

For the excellent diabetes resources page, please click here or go to our Resources tab.

From the NJDOH DSH Team:
 

Here are a few additional things to remember when faced with increased illness in your school or childcare:  

  

1.       Monitor for outbreaks

  • Daycares and Schools are seeing an increase in respiratory viruses (including RSV & Influenza). Please review the attached flyer (It’s Not Just COVID) for a summary of situations which may indicate that an outbreak is occurring.

  

2.       Be prepared in case an outbreak occurs

 

3.         Contact your Local Health Department

  • As soon as you notice an increase in the number of absences related to illness, you should reach out to your local health department.  Remember outbreaks of diseases are reportable even if an individual case of the disease is not reportable.

  • Find your Local Health Department by using this directory.

 

4.       Reinforce cleaning practices  

 

5.       Increase communication to families  

  • Your local health department can help provide communication and education geared towards families.  

 

6.       Stay home when sick  

    

Lastly, you can always visit the New Jersey Department of Health School Health and DSH Team webpages for more information. There you will find additional educational and training materials, outbreak guidance, forms and a variety of resources on how to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in both the school and childcare setting.

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(Please click on the images above to view the documents)

For both the recording and PowerPoint slides of our October 26th

Energy Building educational program 

Presented by Dr. Pao-Chu Tseng, PhD, RN

please sign into the website and click here.

If you would like to only download the PowerPoint slides without viewing the recording, please click here.

NEW Family Connections ADAPT Coalition and Essex County Mobile Clinic Collaboration
FROM:

Umayma Abdul-Qadir, a Prevention Hub Specialist at Family Connections’ ADAPT Coalition, who is announcing a new collaboration with the Essex County Mobile Clinic.

  • An ADAPT staff member will be at the locations from 3:00PM-5:00PM, giving out bus cards and/or gas cards to those who receive a COVID vaccination or booster.

  • All are welcome and please feel free to share this with your organizations.

  • The locations and days are listed below.

 

Tuesday: Essex County Hall of Records, 465Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Newark, NJ

Wednesday: Orange City Hall, 29NorthDay Street, Orange, NJ

Thursday: Irvington Town Hall, 1 Civic Square, Irvington, NJ

Friday: East Orange City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, NJ

 

Please see the contact information below for any questions:

Umayma Abdul-Qadir

Prevention Hub Specialist

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

7 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 101, East Orange, NJ 07017

Familyconnections.org/adapt

Mobile: 862-338-5412

#WhereHopeMeetsPossibility

The Relentless School Nurse: A Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being from the U.S. Surgeon General

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

(Please click on the title above to read Robin Cogan's full blog)


Please see the excerpts from the blog below:

"On the heels of the recent release of NASN's survey about the mental health of school nurses during COVID, comes an important publication from the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, The Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being."

I plan on sharing this important publication with my school district and I hope you do as well.  The Framework provides a guide to “5 essentials for workplace well-being centered on worker voice and equity.” This is an “if only” moment, if only our schools would embrace these 5 essentials, imagine the impact on student and staff well-being. I have a sense of hopefulness after taking a deep look at Dr. Murthy’s Framework, it just makes sense! My mind goes straight to school nurses and how we would thrive “if only” we worked in systems that embraced this plan."

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From NASN:
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year!

Whether you are seasoned school nurse or in your first year on the job, NASN’s back-to-school toolkit highlights the resources you need to promote the well-being of students and help them develop lifelong habits that support optimal health and wellness.

The tools in the toolkit will help you, working closely with school staff, students, and administration, to develop a healthy environment where students can thrive. We know it has been a difficult several years for school nurses. We offer these resources, and our support as an organization, to help you and your students be healthy, safe and ready to learn, in the coming year.

2022-2023 Back-to-School Toolkit

Downloaded from the NASN All Member Forum from 10/2/22:
NEW: Head Lice information from the AAP

Posted by Valerie Hon, MSN, RN, NCSN
Please click
here to read the article

The NJDOH DSH Team has generously shared their slide deck (please click here for the link) with active hyperlinks to additional resources from their September 22, 2022 presentation covering updates to COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for K-12 Schools, Childcare and Youth Camps. 

Also, here is a link to a new 1-minute animation titled, "Lets Have a Safe School Year" with recommendations for a safe school year that you can send to your school and childcare communities:  https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_schools.shtml

For both the recording and PowerPoint slides of our September 21st

A Startup Checklist for the School Health Office educational program 

Presented by Dr. Laura Jannone, R.N., EdD, FNASN, CSN-NJ,

New York Academy of  Medicine Fellow,

Standards & Practice Chair, NJSSNA

&

Giuseppina Pagnotta, MSN, RN, NCSN

Monmouth County School Nurses Association President

please sign into the website and click here.

If you would like to only download the PowerPoint slides without viewing the recording, please click here.

Welcome back letter from our Co-Presidents: Laura Sacks & Dr. Denise Makri Werzen,

 

It continues to be a very challenging time for school nurses. The Essex County School Nurses Association (ECSNA) is here to support and guide you throughout the school year. As described in our Vision Statement, we will provide leadership and guidance for school nurses. We plan to have monthly meetings, as well as share our website which is a great resource for the latest information, resources, and events. 

 

The mission of the ECSNA is to uphold the practice of the American Association and the National Association of School Nurses. The association is also guided by the Statutes and Regulations of the New Jersey Board of Nursing and the New Jersey State Department of Education. 

We appreciated the responses to our ECSNA 2022/2023 Planning Survey. There was overwhelming support for virtual meetings. Thus, our meetings will continue to be virtual. There were great suggestions for topics for meetings. We learned half the respondents have their district’s documentation system interfaced with NJIIS so immunization records can be downloaded. And, there were excellent suggestions about what nurses think should be revised in their districts. We hope to offer support for leadership roles so some of these can be implemented.

 

We have a very hard-working Executive Board this year. The members are Dr. Denise Makri Werzen - Co-President; Laura Sacks - Co-President, Lila Kurzum - Treasurer, Recording and Corresponding Secretary; Lisa Farrar - Membership Coordinator; Nancy Weinstein - Scholarship Coordinator.  Dr. Cynthia Samuel has also been giving us guidance as we plan the year. Carolyn Ruderman continues to maintain our website. Some of the meetings planned include: opening our health offices; the latest updates about diabetes; and self-care. Other meetings, including topics suggested in the survey, are being considered. 

 

The final question in the survey was to provide comments and/or questions. Some answers included: “We must be the voice of NJ’s School 21st Century Nursing and remain on the cutting edge of technology.” “Our collaboration as colleagues is sorely needed and encouraged.” It would be nice to get more members from other schools in Essex County in ECSNA for more opinions and share what is working/not working in their districts.”

 

Please encourage your colleagues to pay their membership dues and attend the meetings. And, ask your friends in other districts to join, as well.  We hope to see you (virtually) at our upcoming meetings. Stay healthy, and have a very meaningful, successful year.

There's a recording of the DSH team's most recent webinar on the webpage:

Prevention and Mitigation of Common Infectious Diseases in Childcare Centers and Schools.  

  • This webinar was presented on 8.16.22 and discussed the recent changes to NJDOH’s school exclusion list and some of the most common childhood illnesses that are typically seen by childcare centers and schools in New Jersey.

  • Please make sure to submit any topical questions that you would like to see addressed in the proper space when you register for the webinar.

Downloaded from the NJSSNA Discussion List,  posted by Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN ~9/15/22 & 9/19/22

 

NEW: 22-23 School Year - NJDOH/NJDOE Information
 

  • NJDOE Mandatory Identification and Recruitment of Migrant Students (9/14) - click here

  • NJDOH National Suicide Prevention Month (9/14) - click here

  • NJDOH Recommendations for Pooled Screening Testing in K-12 Schools (9/15) - click here

  • NJDOH Recommendations for Implementing COVID-19 Over the Counter (OTC) Testing in K-12 Schools (9/16) - click here

  • NJDOH At-a-Glance School Testing Considerations (9/16) - click here

The Relentless School Nurse: Our Last Layer of Protection – Boosters

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

(Please click on the title above to read Robin Cogan's full blog)
Please see the excerpt below:

"The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed a national campaign to promote vaccine confidence. There are specific toolkits available for many communities, but one specifically for schools! The resources are free to download and available in multiple languages. Let’s do this!

This toolkit has resources for school district leaders, teachers, parent leaders, and school supporters that want to help increase confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in their school communities, answer questions, and outline school guidance about COVID-19. It includes information from CDC and new, tailored materials from the HHS COVID-19 Public Education Campaign."

HHS School Communities Toolkit

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The Relentless School Nurse: A Return to School Toolkit Centered on The #UrgencyOfEquity
Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

(Please click on the title above to read Robin Cogan's full blog)

Please see the excerpt below:

"The contents of this blog post were retrieved from The Urgency of Equity

The #UrgencyofEquity Toolkit was developed by a coalition of public health experts and grassroots organizations to help educators, parents, and communities advocate for safer, equitable schools, and separate fact from fiction about COVID-19 protections. 

 

 

 

FAQ:

Who is this toolkit for?

The toolkit was designed with educators, administrators, parents, students, and community members in mind. It was developed by public health experts and informed by the latest research and guidance from leading health organizations. It contains practical, up-to-date information; research summaries; and graphs and visuals to aid in making decisions that result in a healthy and safe school environment for everyone.

What is #UrgencyOfEquity?

More than two years into the pandemic, we have the knowledge and means to effectively reduce viral transmission and to keep our communities as safe as possible. Yet we’ve fallen far short. 

We cannot accept a “normal” that includes continued, inequitable COVID-19 illness, disability, and death. Instead, we can and must keep schools and communities safe while establishing an ethical “normal”: one that values the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors.

The Urgency of Equity toolkit provides accurate, up-to-date, substantiated information to help schools and communities make decisions that will keep ALL members of school communities safer. It recognizes that collective, not individual, approaches are necessary to protect our communities."

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From: SHEILA CALDWELL, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN downloaded from the New Jersey School Nurses Association Digest for Saturday September 3, 2022
 
22-23 School Year - NJDOH/NJDOE Information
Just released (9/2). Click on the image below to read all 15 pages

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Page 1 of 15
 

The Relentless School Nurse: Thank you Good Morning America for Featuring School Nurses!

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FAAN

(Please click on the title above to read Robin Cogan's full blog)

Robin Cogan contributed to the Good Morning America article: School nurses share 5 tips to keep kids healthy at school by Katie Kindelan & Will Linendoll. Robin also participated in the accompanying video along with Holly, Sandy Braymer, and Gail M. Smith. Please click on the image below to be directed to the excellent video:

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(Please click on the image above for additional information)

Governor Murphy Unveils Statewide School Security Initiative
(Please click on the title above to read the entire document and see the excerpt below)

 

08/30/2022

$6.5 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds Will Further Strengthen Efforts to Protect Students and Teachers
 

"PARAMUS – Governor Phil Murphy visited East Brook Middle School today to announce a $6.5 million investment in American Rescue Plan funds toward a statewide school security initiative to collect and digitize school building blueprints and make them available to first responders. Accurate and uniform maps are critical to enable law enforcement personnel to swiftly respond to emergencies in unfamiliar environments. 

Currently, New Jersey first responders have access to Collaborative Response Graphics (CRG) for approximately 1,500 of the state’s 3,000 public and private schools. The initiative unveiled by Governor Murphy today will help the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) and the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) map the remaining 1,500 schools in an effort to further safeguard New Jersey students and educators. "

Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Requiring NJ Public Schools to Develop Threat Assessment Teams

(Please click on the title above to read the entire document)

08/1/2022

This law will take effect immediately for the 2023-2024 school year.

The Relentless School Nurse: A Parent’s Back to School Question for 2022-2023

August 27, 2022 
Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

(Please click on the title above to read the entire blog and see the excerpt below):

"I was tagged in this Tweet and when I read the content, my heart rate soared and my mind raced. A school nurse was asked by a parent at her elementary school’s open house if she was trained to respond to COVID, Monkeypox, and an active shooter. I sent the nurse a message to see if she would share her response. In the meantime, I am posting this valid question from the parent. Are we trained, are we ready, and what do we need?"

The question that troubles me most is if we are ready for an active shooter. I do not believe that we have systems in place to stop the shooters before they shoot. Many of the school shooters have connections to the schools they target. Everytown for Gun Safety just released a comprehensive document that includes actionable solutions. I encourage everyone to digest this important information and share it with your school districts. 

How To Stop Shootings and Gun Violence in Schools A Plan to Keep Students Safe:

  1. Enact and Enforce Secure Firearm Storage Laws

  2. Pass Extreme Risk Laws

  3. Raise the Age to Purchase Semi-automatic Firearms

  4. Require Background Checks on All Gun Sales

  5. Foster a Safe and Trusting School Climate

  6. Build a Culture of Secure Gun Storage

  7. Create Evidence-Based Crisis Assessment/Prevention Programs in Schools

  8. Implement Expert-Endorsed School Security Upgrades: Entry Control and Locks

  9. Initiate Trauma-Informed Emergency Planning

  10. Avoid Practices That Cause Harm and Traumatize Students

Let’s talk about solutions and share resources. Based on the recommendations from Everytown, 

there are specific actions that schools can take to address the following:

  5. Foster a Safe and Trusting School Climate

​  7. Create Evidence-Based Crisis Assessment/Prevention Programs in Schools

​  9. Initiate Trauma-Informed Emergency Planning

10. Avoid Practices That Cause Harm and Traumatize Students

One of the programs that I am determined to bring to my school district is called:

HELPme – a healing-centered approach to school safety!

 

Learn more about how HELPme works and download the guide through this link:

Connect, Help & Prevent – A Guide for K-12 Mental Health and Wellness Support for Students, Staff, and Families"

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Please click on the image above to view the training

FYI - Addressing Equity for Black Children and Youth with Special Health Needs (CYSHCN) PediaLink "on-demand" Course

From Sheila Caldwell, BSN, RN, CSN, FNASN via the NASN All Member Forum Digest 8/13/22

This is an important "on demand" online course that every school nurse and, actually, healthcare practitioner should take. If you do not have a PEDIALINK account, open one. There are a number of free offers that can be taken without AAP membership, but this one is a must...

 

available: 8/04/2022 - 8/03/2025

Addressing Equity for Black CYSHCN

Shop AAP Link: https://shop.aap.org/addressing-health-equity-for-black-cyshcn-enduring/

 

The National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home (NRC-PFCMH) is offering a FREE PediaLink course that examines factors impacting equitable health care for Black children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). This 2-hour course covers the following topics:

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

  • Historical Trauma of Racism and Ableism in Pediatric Medicine

  • Increasing Equitable Care for Black CYSHCN Through Medical Home

  • Intentionally Engage Black Fathers in their Children's Care

  • Systems of Care for Black CYSHCN

National Pediatric Disaster Coalition (NPDC) - A Must View" Children and Disaster Symposium recordings and slide sets now available!

Children and Disasters Research 

2022 The Action Collaborative on Disaster Research: Symposium on Pediatric Disaster Science (NASEM) virtual workshop: videos and reports https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/08-01-2022/the-action-collaborative-on-disaster-research-symposium-on-pediatric-disaster-science

All 11 sessions from the symposium are also posted on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/3m5947t6 

 

These session are must view for all of you who are trying to promote pediatric disaster capability in your community. Strongly encourage you to take the time to view.

Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on:

New COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility for Children Ages 5 and Younger

JUNE 18, 2022

Contact:   Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued the following statement regarding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for children ages 5 and younger:

“Today, parents and families of about 20 million children in America under age five received news that their babies, toddlers, and preschoolers are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. This is a historic milestone in our nation’s recovery from the pandemic, and it will provide so many parents and families who have been waiting for this moment with more peace of mind about keeping their children safe and healthy. The Biden-Harris administration will take a whole-of-government approach to ensuring that every parent and caregiver who wants to secure a vaccine for their child is able to do so through pediatricians, primary care doctors, and other trusted healthcare providers, including community health centers and pharmacies. These vaccines are safe and will help save lives.”

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many thanks to Laura sacks for arranging a fabulous dinner for us

THE RELENTLESS SCHOOL NURSE BLOG  by the Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FAAN (Please click on the title to read the entire blog)

The Relentless School Nurse: Channeling Grief Into Action

Excerpt: 

As a school nurse and family member of both survivors and victims of two mass shootings, Robin Cogan considers herself honored to join this action this Friday, June 10th. She will be among the formal speakers, please join her and support this effort to demand that Senate TAKES ACTION to prevent gun violence. Our children's lives depend on it! 

From: Kathryn Bates, MSN, RN, NCSN-NJ & Sheila Caldwell, RN, BSN, CSN-NJ, FNASN downloaded from the New Jersey State School Nurses Association Digest for Friday May 27, 2022 to Monday May 30, 2022:
Resources which contain information districts can use to set up Opioid Training for staff:

ECSNA joins NASN and NJSSNA in sending our heartfelt sympathy to the families and community of the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.


NASN has issued a statement including actions to address gun violence, which you can read by clicking here, and provided the following list of resources:

  • Psychological Impact of the Recent Shooting - This document from the NCTSN lists reactions people may have to a shooting and related experiences (such as loss of loved ones and disruption of routines). It describes grief reactions, depression, and physical reactions, and it highlights ways to cope effectively with reactions to a shooting.
     

  • Survivors and Witnesses After Traumatic Events - A product of Voices Center for Resilience, a nonprofit formed after the attacks of September 11, 2001, this tip sheet for the public provides basic information about common effects of exposure to acts of violence, civil unrest, or terrorism. It identifies steps disaster-affected individuals can take in the immediate aftermath of a crisis, common reactions to disasters, and tips for coping and asking for help.
     

  • Psychological First Aid: Teachers and Educators - Designed for personnel at schools that have experienced an incident of violence or a natural disaster, this tip sheet describes how teachers and educators may experience disasters and how PFA can help. PFA is an evidence-informed, modular approach that can be used to assist disaster survivors. The tip sheet offers ideas for teachers to take care of themselves and support others in the school community in coping and healing after disasters.
     

  • Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting - In this 3-page tip sheet released shortly after a shooting, the NCTSN describes how such an event may affect children and teens as well as parents and other caregivers. The tip sheet lists reactions common among people of all ages, offers coping tips for caregivers, and suggests ways for caregivers to support children and youth in talking about and managing their reactions. 
     

    This resource is available in Spanish.

     

  • Talking to Children about the Shooting - In this tip sheet, the NCTSN provides suggestions to parents and other caregivers for talking with their children in ways that help them to make sense of and cope with their reactions to a shooting. The tip sheet also identifies reactions common in children and teens to shooting incidents.
     

  • Tips for Talking with and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event: A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers - This SAMHSA tip sheet can help parents, other caregivers, and teachers recognize and address problems in children and teens affected by a disaster. The tip sheet describes reactions that are common in young survivors at different ages, as well as how to help children cope with these reactions.

 

  • Resource from Sheila Caldwell,  RN, BSN, CSN-NJ, FNASN:

National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement  - https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org 

THE RELENTLESS SCHOOL NURSE BLOG  by the Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FAAN (Please click on the title to read the entire blog)

The Relentless School Nurse: Sign Up Today for the 2022-2023 School Year FLUency Program


Excerpt from this blog:
"
Kinsa’s school health program, FLUency, reduces the spread of contagious illnesses in schools. The program is completely free for public elementary schools. Last year Kinsa supported thousands of schools, make yours next!

 

By participating, all families and staff in your school get a free award-winning Kinsa smart thermometer. School nurses also get a dashboard of aggregated, anonymous illness trends by grade, so you know what illnesses are going around." 

https://vimeo.com/265468593

The recording of the tick-borne illnesses educational program, powerpoint presentation and pd certificate for watching the program can be found on the recordings dropdown under the events tab. 

In order to watch the program, please login to the website since the "Recordings" page is a members' only page.

Dr. Denise Makri Werzen, PhD, RN/MT(ASCP) CSN/HT shared a request from Jaclyn Headlam, MA, NCC, LAC, SAC, (who presented the excellent "Trends And Concerns Facing Teens Today-Stop the Stigma Let’s Talk About Holistic Teen Health" program for us last June) to complete the Essex County Substance Use Comprehensive Plan Survey to complete and share it with everyone in your network who lives or works in Essex County
 

About the Essex County Comprehensive Plan

The Essex County Division of Community Health Services, under the auspices of the Department of Health and Rehabilitation, are developing a comprehensive plan to assist with the allocation of funding for evidence-based substance use/co-occurring disorders prevention and early intervention programs, enhanced access to treatment programs, and opportunities for recovery support services. This survey is an effort to engage residents in the planning process and get your input on the needs of local communities throughout Essex County. Division staff members will use your input to develop the 2024-2027 Essex County Comprehensive Plan for the Organization and Delivery of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services.

PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SURVEY: https://forms.office.com/r/CfqcFsWfxd

 

It's very important that they get as many individuals to complete this survey in order to get the most input to help with developing the County Comprehensive Plan on substance use services. 

Recommendations for Adenovirus Testing and Reporting of Children with Acute Hepatitis of Unknown Etiology (Please click on the title to read the article)
Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network
Thursday, April 21, 2022, 11:00 AM ET
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify clinicians and public health authorities of a cluster of children identified with hepatitis and adenovirus infection.

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