School nursing: not just band-aids any more!

ISSUES AND PURPOSE School nursing has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. The complex social and physical needs of children require an expanded role with advanced knowledge and skills. The school nurse functions as health promoter, health educator, collaborator, and researcher. Issues related to advanced practice and policy development also affect school nursing practice. CONCLUSIONS/PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The current emphasis on educational accountability and improvement of standardized test scores has mandated close examination of resource allocation. There is a need to appreciate an expanded role for the school nurse, as the provision of healthcare services in the school will afford children an increased capacity to learn, thus improving school performance.