The ADE School Nursing and Health Services page is designed to optimize student health and learning by advancing the practice of School Nursing in Arizona. The following resources, tools, and events are available to support you in your practice.
ADE with funding support from ADHS will be implementing the Arizona School Nurse Access Program (ASAP), an aptly named program to expediently increase the number of school nurses in Arizona. The ASAP will support the professional growth and development of both new to practice school nurses as well as the incumbent workforce.
Learn more about the goal, mission, and outcomes of the ASAP program HERE.
Arizona offers three stock medication programs for schools: Stock Inhaler, Epinephrine and Narcan. A school may decide to participate in none, one, two or all programs. The following information will help you learn more about each program and necessary steps to complete to offer these programs at your school.
Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) offers an online program, the School Surveillance and Medication Program (SSMP), to assist schools in participating in the stock programs. The SSMP walks you through the requirements including annual training and items that will be needed in order to implement the program. Currently, MCDPH is working with all Arizona public schools to implement the stock inhaler and epinephrine programs, collecting data and offering the annual standing orders assuming schools sign up through the SSMP and follow the requirements. By starting with the SSMP site, you will gather the information and tips to establish a stock medication program.
The Stock Albuterol Program in Schools was put in place in 2017 by state law HB 2208, Emergency administration of inhalers by trained personnel; immunity; definitions and is in law as ARS 15-158. The Arizona Asthma Coalition has a through description of the program. Questions specific to the implementation may be sent to Ashley Lowe via email at [email protected].
If a school opts to implement the Stock Inhaler Program there are rules, R7-2-810 Emergency Administration of Inhalers, in place by the State Board of Education regarding training, obtaining the medication standing order and administering procedures in emergency situations.
The Stock Epinephrine Program in Schools was put into place in 2018 by state law HB 2085, Emergency administration of epinephrine auto-injectors by trained personnel; immunity and is in law as ARS 15-157.
If a school opts to implement the Stock Epinephrine Program there are rules, R7-2-809 Emergency Administration of Auto-Injectable Epinephrine, in place by the State Board of Education regarding training, storage and use of the medication in schools. The Kyah Rayne Foundation also helps with the Stock Epinephrine Program in Schools.
The Stock Narcan Program is part of the AZ Opioid Epidemic Act/Action Plan implemented in 2018. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has a website with information offering a standing order for Narcan and a form to complete to receive a supply of the medication. ADHS also offers some links to Narcan administration training though none are specific for schools. Development of a training for schools is in development and discussions are underway to incorporate the Stock Narcan Program within the SSMP. This site will be revised as updates are available.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have authorized the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for use in children as young as 6 months. COVID-19 vaccinations for the youngest children are expected to begin as soon as Monday, June 20, so please check when your provider plans to begin offering them. The ADHS Vaccine Finder at azhealth.gov/FindVaccine will be updated to include sites with vaccinations for children as young as 6 months. If you are interested in learning more about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, please visit azhealth.gov/COVID19Vaccines and azhealth.gov/VaccinesForKids.
All virtual training and professional development opportunities will be recorded and made available on-demand following the event. Participants are encouraged to attend events if available for the opportunity to engage in the conversation and provide an audience for our presenters. View our recorded and upcoming professional development webinars below!
Registration is now open for the 16th annual Arizona Asthma and Allergy Clinical Conference. This conference will take place on November 12th, 2022 and will provide education and networking for clinicians and anyone who cares for patients living with asthma and allergies. Through the conference, attendees will gain a better understanding of asthma and allergy management, pharmacology, and asthma devices, as well as gain new insights into clinical care and access to health.
Please see the flyer attached below for more details and how to register:
Title: School Health Offices in the Vortex of the Pandemic
Learning objectives:
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
Understand Public Health outbreak control measures as they affect schools
Describe how those measures were (and weren’t) applied to the current pandemic
Understand recent changes to authority that impact future responses
Speaker: Dr. Bob England
Speaker Bio: “Dr. Bob is the Interim Executive Director for The Arizona Partnership for Immunization, our state’s immunization coalition. He’s a career-long public health doctor, who has run three local health departments, including Pima and Maricopa Counties, as well as having been the State Epidemiologist for Arizona. He keeps trying to retire but just can’t while COVID is still a thing, and has made a second career of being a ‘permanent interim.’ He spent the last 20 years of his career endlessly preparing for and drilling for a pandemic. He wants to share his insight as to just how badly that worked out, and why.”
Watch the recorded webinar below and follow along with the Presentation Slides (PDF).
Here is a quick survey to let us know how you liked the webinar.
The Arizona Department of Education partnered with the University of Arizona Pediatric Pulmonary Center and the Arizona Asthma Coalition to host a webinar about asthma management in schools during COVID-19 for School Nurses and School Health Office Staff on February 2, 2022.
Presenters: Lynn Gerard, Ph.D., MSPH, and Wayne Morgan, MD
Lynn Gerard, Ph.D., MSPH: University of Arizona Professor, Public Health; Endowed Chair, Zuckerman Family Prevention and Lifestyle Medicine; Distinguished Outreach Professor and Member of the Graduate Faculty.
Wayne Morgan, MD: University of Arizona Professor, Pediatrics; Professor, Physiology; Associate Director, Asthma/Airway Disease Research Center and Member of the Graduate Faculty
About Our Partners: The University of Arizona Pediatric Pulmonary Center (UAPPC) is part of a national network of health care training programs funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to enhance care for children with chronic pulmonary diseases such as asthma, neuromuscular diseases, and cystic fibrosis. Established in 2000, the UAPPC is focused on building the capacity of health care providers to serve children with special health care needs.
Objectives: After the webinar, school nurses, health office staff, and other attendees will be able to:
Identify at least two impacts COVID-19 may have on children with asthma
State at least two new changes in the asthma guidelines for children with asthma
List at least three community resources for children with asthma to assist with asthma management
Click the link below to view the recorded webinar. After viewing, complete the webinar evaluation to receive a certificate of attendance. Presentation Slides (PDF).
ADE partnered with Touchstone Health Services, Teen Lifeline, and Project AWARE to educate Arizona school nurses and health office staff on how to identify and respond to common mental health challenges youth face in relation to COVID-19. Click the link below and enter the passcode to access the recorded event!
School Nurses in Arizona must maintain a broad knowledge base, have confidence in their skills, and be comfortable practicing independently. Because of this, it is important to have access to a reliable support system. ADE facilitates fun and engaging networking opportunities designed to provide new and experienced school nurses with information, encouragement, and support to help build their confidence, knowledge, and expertise.
NEW! School Nurse Huddles: Third Wednesday Of Every Month
Join us to connect and chat with school nurses and health office staff from across the state to share ideas, address challenges, gather updates, and receive support. Huddles are hosted every month by an RN Health Consultant and School Health & Wellness Specialist with ADE. Meetings have a relaxed structure where participants are encouraged to come and go as they please.
School Nurse Committees provide a platform where Arizona school nurses can go to impact change within the state. Committees meet virtually regularly to address a specific need or new initiative that falls within the school nurse's scope of practice. Additional committees will form as new initiatives emerge, all school nurses are welcome and encouraged to join!
We are currently recruiting those interested in joining this committee. Sign up HERE!
A Seizure Action Plan (SAP) contains the essential information schools need to help a student who has seizures. The lack of a standard SAP has led to a variety of different plans in practice across Arizona. This puts undue stress on school and health care providers when it comes time to collect and interpret plans into an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system.
Phoenix Children's Hospital has partnered with ADE and the Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona to develop a simplified SAP that can be adopted statewide. The SAP Committee is currently seeking the help of school nurses to push this effort forward!
Interested in joining the SAP Committee? Sign up HERE
We are currently recruiting those interested in joining this committee. Sign up HERE!
We are currently recruiting those interested in joining this committee. Sign up HERE!
Arizona School Nurse and Health Staff Survey
ADE partnered with the School Nurse Organization of Arizona (SNOA) to support school nurses and health staff across the state through a survey. The survey has allowed ADE to identify professional development priorities, learn of the top five chronic health conditions in Arizona schools, determine how to engage school nurses in future school health efforts, and identify COVID-19 related needs schools have or anticipate having.
Thank you to our 390 respondents to the 2021 survey. The full report is available in this pdf. We are using the responses to establish professional development (PD) opportunities, enhance our technical assistance for school nurses and guide our partnerships with the School Nurses Organization of Arizona (SNOA), the Arizona Nurses Association (AzNA), the Arizona Foundation for the Future of Nursing (AzFFN) and other state agencies including the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to enhance our support of school nursing. Join us in this effort by attending our virtual PD offerings, school nurse committees, or SN HUDDLES. Together we can advance school nursing and bring additional resources and supports to your health office.
How can we improve school nursing and health services in Arizona? Email Us today!
Patricia (Pat) VanMaanen, MS, BSN, RN, has over 30 years of experience in the health care industry, currently working as a health consultant to address health issues across a variety of clinical, community, and state-level projects. Pat has provided health care and social service project management, policy analysis, technical writing, needs assessments and community surveys, and other services, often with a focus on children’s health. She supports clients’ understanding of health needs by analyzing public health data, identifying how diseases, conditions, and social determinants affect specific populations and geographic areas.
Pat holds a Master of Science from Texas Woman’s University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan. She serves or has served on several boards and advisory committees including the Arizona Public Health Association, the American Nurses Association PAC Board, the First Things First State Health Advisory Committee (Co-Chair), the Arizona Nurses Association Public Policy Committee, the St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center Community Benefit and Health Equity Committee (formerly CHIN) and the Children’s Action Alliance Healthy Children Coalition.
She is the 2019 recipient of the Arizona Public Health Association Harold B Woodward Achievement Award, the First Things First 2014 Champion for Young Children Award, the 2009 recipient of the Reach Out and Read Arizona Early Literacy Leader of the Year, and the 2007 recipient of the Arizona Public Health Association Senator Andy Nichols Honor Award.
Through a collaboration with AZ Department of Health Services and AZ Department of Education, AHCCCS has launched a peer-based support program for educators
Project AWARE is a federal initiative funded by SAMHSA to build and expand the partnership between education and mental health systems at both the state and local levels.
