NEDA TOOLKIT for Educators
Tips for school nurses
“Mental health is as critical to academic success as physical well-being… School nurses are uniquely qualified to
identify students with potential mental health problems. In addition, school nurses serve as advocates, facilitators,
and counselors of mental health services both within the school environment and in the community.”–National
Association of School Nurses (NASN)
Actions the school nurse can undertake to reduce the
interference of mental health problems on school
performance: •
• •
• •
• •
• Provide mental health promotion activities
at school to enhance self-esteem, problem-
solving techniques, positive coping skills, and
anger and nonviolent conflict management
Educate school staff to enable them to identify
the signs and symptoms of mental health
problems Provide on-going assessment, intervention, and
follow-up of the physical and mental health of
the school community
As a trusted professional, school nurses
can help families acknowledge and begin to
address mental health issues
Act as liaison between students and families
to assess the family’s ability and willingness to
seek services for a student at risk
Act as a liaison between family and mental
health providers in the community
Actively engage in school committees
including curriculum committees, child-study
teams, student assistance teams, and crisis
intervention teams
School nurses, along with school psychologists,
counselors, social workers, and other support
staff should be part of the mental health
treatment service team
Participate in health education or physical education
lesson planning, and facilitating classes on the following
topics: •
• •
• •
Healthy, balanced, and flexible nutrition
Finding fun ways to move your body and risks
of over- exercise
Adequate hydration and nourishment during
sports activities
Body changes associated with puberty and
adolescence (including weight gain)
Health and legal risks associated with anabolic
steroids Body mass index (BMI) guidelines for school
nurses If a school is weighing all students to calculate BMI,
the following protocol is recommended. BMI charts
for children are available online at the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Be aware that
weighing students with an eating disorder can
exacerbate the situation. Consider excusing those
students from weigh-ins.
• •
• •
• Inform parents or guardians in writing (letter,
email, school note) that you will be weighing
and measuring each student. Let parents
know that they may opt out of the weigh-in
by providing a physician’s health examination
from the child’s physician.
Respect student privacy by weighing and
measuring each student individually in a
private location.
Do not comment on any student’s height or
weight, because these are sensitive issues for
almost anyone.
Mail or email all letters containing height
and weight measurements to the parents’
home. Do not give the letter to the student
to deliver or place it in a student’s backpack.
Send reports home on all students, not only to
students who scored below the 5th percentile
or above the 95th percentile for BMI. Children
who are smaller or larger in size should not be
made to feel as though something is wrong
with their bodies.
Include with all letters, if possible, educational
information to parents about nutrition
and exercise, as well as tips on recognizing
potential problems.
Please note that your professional rights and
responsibilities may vary by state and school system;
please consult your school administration as well as
any relevant local and professional organizations for
information on regional guidelines.
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