Stretching our wings as School Nurses is challenging, especially in the midst of a pandemic. But, this when we need it most! Truthfully, unless your school district is decidedly progressive and forward-thinking, there is limited upward mobility in our career paths or opportunities for high-level professional learning. We work in an educational hierarchy that is structured to provide limited professional growth opportunities for school nurses.
For almost thirty years, Johnson & Johnson supported the exponential growth of school nurses through the Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Program (JJSHLP). My leadership moonshot was in 2015 when I was honored to participate as a Fellow. The program was unfortunately defunded in 2016, but the legacy of leadership continues through 800 school nurses who participated.
Just as JJSHLP ended, Northeastern University School Health Academy (NEUSHA) introduced the next generation of school nursing professional development. Since 2016, NEUSHA has been filling a gap in high-level professional learning.
NEUSHA provides innovative face-to-face and online continuing nursing education to school nurses, counselors, and administrators from 47 states and 13 countries providing more than 14,000 certificates to learners since July 1st, 2016.
NEUSHA directors, Drs. Jenny Gormley and Kathy Hassey are deeply committed to supporting school nurses’ leadership professional learning. They offer a year-long leadership program delivered monthly, in an interactive, high-touch online platform through project-based learning. This unique leadership training program provides invaluable guidance to a small cohort of school nurses from across the country who choose to invest in their own growth and development. It is energizing and invigorating to connect with like-minded nurses who are challenging themselves to step outside of their comfort zones and into a growth mindset.
Dr. Jenny Gormley shared this reflection of the School Nurse Online Monthly Leadership Series:
Leadership is an essential topic for nurses who are unique in their school buildings and districts. With our small cohort, each nurse has the opportunity to grow/shine in their own way, as well as to develop connections with other nurses from around the country. They have shared with us that the networking has been invaluable. – Jenny
A member of the 2020 cohort provided this testimonial:
“The leadership series was beneficial in so many ways. Through completion of this program I have gained the confidence and knowledge to step up as a leader in my school district. Not only did I gain a better understanding of conflict resolution and leadership qualities, but also an understanding of how things work at an administration level that I would otherwise not have been exposed to. Some of these topics included budget and finance and learning where funding and grants come from. Kathy Hassey and Jenny Gormley bring so much to this series. They are both so knowledgeable and bring a wealth of information to the table. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and not only learned so much but also walk away with a network of school nurses that I can look to for support and guidance when needed. I highly recommend all school nurses taking this Leadership Series.” – Colleen Gadles
Nurses are heroes. Thank YOU, @RobinCogan and @NMNurseEileen, for your passionate advocacy and tireless service. https://t.co/iMlJzb59QE
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) February 2, 2021
Here are the details! I have attached the NEUSHA flyer that provides more information! Registration is open!
School Nurse Online Monthly Leadership Series: A Project-Based Approach
February – December 2021
Open to aspiring and experienced school nurses and school nurse administrators. The overall objective is to strengthen leadership confidence, values, and competencies in order to improve student health and achievement.
Outcomes include identifying competencies for improvement and leadership style, creating a plan for professional growth, and demonstrating best practices for leadership.
Drs. Jenny Gormley & Kathy Hassey, experienced School Nurse Leaders/Educators with a combined 40 years of school health experience, are providing this professional learning opportunity for a small cohort of school nurses using ANA/NASN Standards of Practice and best practices for professional development and continuing nursing education. Guest speakers will join some of the virtual workshops with support from School Health Corporation, which has provided an unrestricted grant to the Northeastern University School Health Academy (NEUSHA).
All monthly virtual workshop sessions will be 7-8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time, using our Zoom platform. Date and time may change based on cohort member availability. Contact Hours include individual work on your own schedule and live virtual workshops.
