- A dedicated phone line for the school nurse in either a health or school nurse office. (When a child’s health is in danger, the situation may require urgent communications with a doctor’s office or other emergency personnel. A dedicated phone line will provide the ability for swift communication.)
- A dedicated space with running water, commode, and privacy.
- Supplies provided for the school nurse (e.g., office equipment including a lockable cabinet for medicine and a lockable cabinet for confidential files, as well as first aid supplies and other items for nursing care.
- Supplies provided for the teacher in each teacher’s room. These supplies should meet OSHA Requirements for Universal Precautions.
- Provisions for the school nurse to accomplish a school health needs assessment that identifies your school system’s needs for school health services. (A needs assessment is necessary to develop a school health program customized to meet your school system’s needs and to develop school health program objectives that are measurable and provide for program outcome measurements.)
- The required Tennessee “Guidelines for Use of Health Care Professionals and Health Procedures in a School Setting.”
- Provisions for school health policy development to be approved by you.
- Provisions for your school nurse to attend school nurse in-service programs each year.
- A Registered Nurse as your School Nurse. The Tennessee Nurses Association recommends a minimum of a baccalaureate degree for the registered nurse employed as your School Nurse.
- A Registered Nurse employed to supervise LPNs and other personnel who are not licensed as Registered Nurses (RNs) employed in your system.
To promote and protect the Registered Nurse and advance the practice of nursing in order to assure a healthier Tennessee.