During the spring semester of my sophomore year, I completed an independent study exploring the role of a school nurse, a field I am very interested in pursuing. The course syllabus and outline is provided below.
Course Syllabus
Course Description
The school nurse has long been viewed as an integral part of not only maintaining but also promoting and providing education on student health and well-being. Through research, essay and reflective writing, interviews, and job shadowing, this course will explore not only the role of the school nurse but also the history of the profession, best practices for treating and interacting with pediatric populations, childhood development, and common diseases and conditions that impact young patients.
Plan of Study
In this course, I will study the role of a school nurse in providing care and education to children. This will include researching childhood development, the history of nursing in schools, common diseases and conditions in children, and best practices for treating pediatric populations. I will utilize a variety of materials, including books, scholarly articles, documentary films, and, perhaps most importantly, the wisdom of current and past school (and camp) nurses. I hope to be able to shadow school nurses and obtain a firsthand perspective into what the profession involves. My goal is to shadow and/or interview nurses in a variety of different school settings, including public, private, boarding, religious, rural/urban, elementary/middle/high schools, and more. Additionally, I hope to interview nurses who work in the summer camp setting.
Objectives & Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, I will be able to:
- Explain the physical, anatomical, cognitive, and emotional development of pediatric patients.
- Develop strategies for providing care to this unique population and understand the best methods for effectively interacting with and treating these patients.
- Understand the role of the nurse (specifically, the school nurse) in caring for pediatric patients, as well as the history of the profession.
- Gain relevant career experience and a better understanding of what it means to be a nurse in a variety of different school settings, including public and private schools, inner-city and suburban schools, and elementary, middle, and high schools.
Instruction Mode
I have always preferred writing and essay-based evaluations, and would hope to write papers and blog posts for most of my work throughout this course.
- Regular blog posts after each assigned reading & nurse shadow/interview
- Essays:
- Introduction to childhood development
- The history and evolution of school nursing
- Common childhood diseases and disorders
- Best practices for pediatric nursing in schools
- School nursing across different types of schools
- Final paper: The role of the nurse in schools (including what I’ve learned and will take into my future career) → I would also be interested in interviewing camp nurses and using their input here as well
Major Topics
- Childhood development and anatomy
- Common childhood diseases and conditions
- The history of school nursing
- Best practices in school nursing
- The role of the school nurse
Required Materials
Hockenberry, M. J., Wilson, D., Rodgers, C. C., & Wong, D. L. (2022). Wong’s Essentials of Pediatric Nursing. Elsevier.
Lewis, K. D. S., & Bear, B. J. (2009). Manual of School Health: A Handbook for School Nurses,Educators, and Health Professionals. Saunders.
Riemenschneider , K. (2013). Memoirs of a School Nurse-You Can’t Make This Stuff Up! lulu.com.
American Nurses Association. (2011). School Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice.
Selekman, J., Shannon, R. A., & Yonkaitis, C. F. (2019). School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text(Third). National Association of School Nurses.
Shalof, T. (2010). Camp nurse: My adventures at summer camp. Kaplan Pub.
*Other books, articles, and films may also be used for research throughout the course.
Assignments
- Regular blog posts → One after each assigned reading & nurse shadow/interview
- Essays →
- Introduction to childhood development
- Common childhood diseases and disorders
- The history and evolution of school nursing
- Best practices for pediatric nursing in schools
- School nursing across different types of schools
- Final paper → The role of the nurse in schools (including what I’ve learned and will take into my future career) → I would also be interested in interviewing camp nurses and using their input here as well
Timeline
- November 2022: Reach out to possible mentors, finalize independent study plans and timeline
- January 18th, 2023: First day of semester
- Each Friday of the semester: Blog post due
- Throughout semester: Job shadowing/interviews
- I hope to shadow a nurse from each of the five schools on my list for 1-2 days. Possibly, I would also make a regular weekly volunteer commitment to one of the schools to gain deeper insight.
- January 18th-February 6th Focus: Childhood Development
- Read: Wong’s Essentials of Pediatric Nursing
- February 6th: Essay due – Introduction to childhood development
- February 7th-February 20th Focus: Common Childhood Diseases & Disorders
- Read: Manual of School Health: A Handbook for School Nurses, Educators, and Health Professionals
- February 20th: Essay due – Common childhood diseases and disorders
- February 21st-March 13th Focus: The History & Evolution of School Nursing
- Read: School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text (Third Edition)
- Read: Memoirs of a School Nurse
- March 10th: Essay due – The history and evolution of school nursing
- March 20th-May 4th: The Role of the School Nurse
- Read: School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text (Third Edition)
- Read: School Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (Second Edition)
- Read: Camp Nurse: My Adventures at Summer Camp
- April 17th: Essay due – Best practices for pediatric nursing in schools
- April 24th: Essay due – School nursing across different types of schools
- May 12th – End of semester (final paper due May 4th – last day of classes), final presentation to freshman nursing class
