School Nursing

The Relentless School Nurse: Read the “Role of School Nurses in the Health and Education of Children”

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

I’m honored to share a recently published article in JAMA Health Forum, “Role of School Nurses in the Health and Education of Children,“ co-authored with my esteemed colleagues Rosa M. Gonzalez-Guarda, PhD, MPH, RN, and Elizabeth Dickson, PhD, RN. Published on January 23, 2025, our open-access article explores the critical role of school nurses in promoting student health and academic success. 
 
Our work examines how school nursing has evolved from its inception in 1902 when Lina Rogers became the first school nurse in New York City. Today, school nurses address a wide spectrum of physical, mental, and behavioral health needs, far beyond the historical focus on infectious disease control.
 
Key insights from our article include:
  1. The expanding responsibilities of school nurses, including managing chronic conditions, providing mental health support, and addressing public health emergencies.
  2. The crucial role of school nurses in reducing health disparities and promoting equitable healthcare access, especially for students in marginalized communities.
  3. Challenges facing school nurses, such as inadequate funding, overwhelming caseloads, and staffing shortages.
  4. Evidence-based recommendations to strengthen school nursing, including ensuring at least one full-time nurse per school and enhancing specialized training.
We emphasize that investing in school nursing is a strategic approach to improving children’s health, promoting equity, and enhancing overall well-being. School nurses are uniquely positioned to monitor health, ensure medication adherence, provide health education, and reinforce positive health behaviors daily.
 
Our article aims to stimulate meaningful dialogue about the future of school health services and inspire fellow school nurses to continue their invaluable work. As we look ahead, recognizing and supporting the contributions of school nurses will be essential in addressing the complex health challenges our students face today.
 
We invite you to read our article and join the conversation about the crucial role of school nurses in shaping healthier learning environments and brighter futures for our children and communities.
 
 
JAMA Forum
January 23, 2025

Role of School Nurses in the Health and Education of Children

Elizabeth Dickson, PhD, RN1; Robin Cogan, MEd, RN2; Rosa M. Gonzalez-Guarda, PhD, MPH, RN3
 

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

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN is a Nationally Certified School Nurse, in her 24th year as a New Jersey school nurse in the Camden City School District. Robin is the New Jersey Director for the National Association of School Nurses. She is proud to be a Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Fellow and past program mentor. Robin has been honored by multiple awards for her work in school nursing and population health. She serves as faculty in the School Nurse Certificate Program at Rutgers University-Camden School of Nursing. Robin writes The Relentless School Nurse, a popular blog. Her extensive work in school nursing was included as a case study in the National Academies of Medicine Future of Nursing 2030 report. You can follow Robin on Twitter at @RobinCogan.

2 thoughts on “The Relentless School Nurse: Read the “Role of School Nurses in the Health and Education of Children””

  1. Perfect summary, history, explanation of issues and hoooooray, yes, SOLUTIONS! Really well done, congratulations and thank you and co-authors!

    Reply

    1. I appreciate you Judy! Always love to see your thoughtful comments.

      Reply

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