school health nursing
Nursing Schools Bridging Gaps of School Health Nursing
School nurses are essential members of a school’s multi-disciplinary team, linking health, wellness, and education to ensure that students are in optimal health for academic achievement. Collaborating with parents, other healthcare professionals, and school staff, school nurses deliver comprehensive services that address the health needs of the school community. Ensuring that all K-8 students have access to a qualified healthcare provider in school is essential to students’ health and wellbeing, which results in better learning. The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is collaborating with the Coppin State and Morgan State Schools of Nursing to provide a partnership model that will create a system of care that works with the family and school communities to support health and optimal learning. The model points to the need for that care to be dynamic while being rooted in science and best practices.
Baltimore City Public School System (BPCSS) is the fourth largest public school system in the State of Maryland, operating 156 facilities totaling approximately 79,000 students in Pre-K, elementary, middle, and high schools as well as special education centers and alternative schools. In addition to staffing school nurses, JHSON will also equip these schools with required supplies, and provide competency-based training aligned with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) 21st century framework for school nurses. This training will encompass core competencies including trauma-informed care, mental health first aid, and administration of rescue medication like naloxone, albuterol, and epinephrine. This is a three-year collaboration that will start with five City Schools, with the possibility of expanding to five years and adding City Schools based on funding.
Meet Our School Nurses
Commodore John Rogers Elementary/Middle School
Lois comes to us with over 13 years of nursing experience. 12 of those years Lois specialty was in school health. Beginning in 2012, Lois began working for the Baltimore City Health Department, as a school nurse. Lois is highly experienced with caring for the students at Baltimore City Public School. Her educational background consists of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Washington Adventist University and Master of Science, Nursing Leadership and Management Western Governors University.
Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School
Delphine joins School Health from the inpatient children’s unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She started her education journey at Towson University, then completed her BSN degree at University of Maryland. Since completing her nursing education, Delphine focus has always been in pediatrics. She has experience with pediatric diabetic care, burns and other chronic health conditions in the inpatient pediatric setting. She has now found a new love in her pediatric specialty, school health.
Delphine likes journaling outside, listening to music or laughing with her friends. She is an ardent lover of history and loves reading the Book of Romans. She is truly passionate about preventative health and education and looks forward to fulfilling this passion as a school nurse in partnership with the School of Nursing COMPASS Center.
Mount Royal Elementary/Middle School
Natasha Harris joins us from the University of Maryland Family Medicine with over 5 years of RN experience. She has experience in areas such as Perinatal, home care and family practice.
William Paca Elementary/Middle School
Nicole comes to us with 15 years of experience as a nurse. She began her career working with adults in cardiology and adult home health. She then found the love of caring for children. She worked many years as a NICU nurse, before going to home health for pediatrics. Nicole then learned about school health and knew that school health is where she wanted and needed to be.
Nicole is a 3rd generation JHU employee (her mom and her grandmom). She is a HUGE Harry Potter fan – her dog’s name is Dobby. Love music of all kinds. Nicole loves to travel by land, sea, or sky if there is water nearby.
John Rurah Elementary /Middle School
Lindsey comes to us with over 15 years of nursing experience. She graduated from The Community College of Baltimore County in 2009 with her Associate of Science in Nursing degree. She later completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2015 from Stevenson University. She has over 8 years of dedicated pediatric emergency room care. I am a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN).
Lindsey loves traveling with her family, especially taking cruises! She also loves her mini-goldendoodle, Sir Charles Taco Weer.
Christal comes to use with many years of nursing experience. She began her career as a clinical tech, and worked in specialties such as med-surg, ER, OB/GYN and surgery. She decided to go to nursing school after working 10+ years as a clinical tech. She received her AA degree in nursing from Community College of Baltimore County, then went on to complete her BSN from Western Governors University. As an RN she has experience in congestive heart failure, family practice and school health.
When Christal is not dedicated to work, she enjoys spending time with her children and traveling. Growing up attending Baltimore City schools, Christal finds school health not only a job, but a passion.
For more information about this program, please contact us at [email protected].