Christ School’s Wellness Team is central to the mission of the school and the wellbeing of the community.  Our staff nurses are valued and appreciated as professionals and team members.  Each brings professionalism and skill to the role and each works to develop even greater expertise. 

Our Wellness Team provides preventive health services to facilitate the students’ optimal physical, mental, emotional and social growth and development.

Our nurses work out of our Wellness Center at the heart of campus.  They serve our only campus and their responsibilities are for the student population.  The position is full time, with a predictable school year schedule.  It is a salaried role that reports directly to the Director of HR and Facilities.

I. The Primary Role of Head School Nurse

• The school nurse leads in the roles of program manager/ coordinator, case manager/direct care provider, collaborator/advocate, educator for Christ School. The Head Nurse coordinates, supports and supervises the nursing staff.

II. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

The complex role of the school nurse demands, but is not limited to, an understanding and knowledge of:

• Pediatric/adolescent Nursing
• Public Health/ Community Health Nursing
• Health counseling, mental health and crisis intervention
• Communicable Disease
• Applicable laws, regulations and standards pertaining to school nursing practice

(NC Nurse Practice Act, Standards of School Nursing Practice and the Eight Components of a Coordinated School Health Program)

• School Health law
• Special education legislation and services
• Case management and health advocacy
• Leadership, networking and collaboration
• Ethnic and cultural sensitivity and competence
• Contemporary health and psychosocial issues that influence children, families and the community
• Health care delivery systems and the concepts of the primary health care
• Building student, staff and family capacity for adaptation, self management, self-advocacy and learning

 Skills related to this important role include the ability to:

• Deal tactfully with others and exercise good judgment in appraising situations
• Make independent and timely nursing decisions and to triage
• Secure the cooperation and respect of students, faculty and staff
• Elicit needed information and maintain effective working relationships
• Collect data to direct evidence based practice
• Record accurately services rendered and interpret and explain records, reports, activities, health care plans, accommodations and medical interventions
• Identify health related barriers to learning (i.e., at risk behaviors, financial, cultural, economical, etc.)
• Maintain excellent professional boundaries within a boarding school community
• Speak candidly and kindly with parents concerning concerns raised

III. Duties, Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions

This professional school nursing position within Christ School is responsible for planning, implementing, coordinating and evaluating school health services that:

• Maximize the quantity of in-class time by reducing the incidence of health related absenteeism,
• Eliminate or minimize health problems which impair learning
• Promote the highest degree of independent functioning possible
• Promote student, staff and community awareness of and participation in healthy behaviors

Coordinates staffing and schedules, training, record keeping, interface with state and county health agencies, problem solves when special situations arise.

All school nurses will provide:

Standards of Care

• Assessment: Collects comprehensive data pertinent to the client’s health or situation
• Diagnosis: Analyzes the assessment data to determine the diagnosis or issues
• Outcomes Identification: Identifies expected outcomes for a plan individualized to the client or situation
• Planning: Develops a plan that prescribes strategies and alternatives to attain expected outcomes
• Implementation: Implements the identified plan through coordination of care, health teaching and health promotion and consultation to influence the identified plan, enhance the abilities of others and effect change.
• Evaluation: Evaluates progress towards attainment of outcomes

Duties

• Medication Administration
• General sick call for a population of approximately 305 adolescent males
• Transportation to hospital after the close of regular operating day if necessary for an emergency room visit
• Scheduling of appointments for students visiting a wide variety of medical practices in the area
• Communication exchange with parents, coaches, advisors, and other necessary parties within the school community
• Communication exchange with utilized pharmacy and medical offices per HIPAA guidelines
• Counseling of students and collaboration with staff/faculty on standards of student care on an individual basis
• Health and Wellness teaching on a PRN basis as student’s needs are assessed.
• Individual Health Care Plan development
• Wellness Team meetings on designated day
• Involvement in Faculty Meetings
• Oversee and manage other staff nurses on duty
• Payroll confirmation and submission

Standards of Professional Performance

• Quality of Practice: Systematically enhances the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice
• Education: Attains knowledge and competency that reflects current school nursing practice
• Professional Practice Evaluation: Evaluates one’s own nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules and regulations
• Collegiality: Interacts with and contributes to the professional development of peers and school personnel as colleagues
• Collaboration: Collaborates with the client, the family, school staff and others in the conduct of school nursing practice
• Ethics: Integrates ethical provisions in all areas of practice
• Research: Integrates research findings into practice
• Resource Utilization: Considers factors related to safety, effectiveness, cost and impact on practice on the planning and delivery of school nursing services
• Leadership: Provides leadership in the professional practice setting and the profession

IV. Performance and Work Load Standards

At a minimum, the school nurse may be expected to:

• Leading the nurses’ meeting with the entire nursing staff to encourage continuity of care and staff cohesion.
• Perform “other duties as assigned” within the scope of practice for an RN in the state of North Carolina.

About Christ School:

Christ School was founded in 1900 and is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.  Located nine miles south of Asheville, North Carolina, Christ School is an all-boys boarding and day school for grades 8-12.  Students come from 16 states and ten different countries.  All world faiths are represented and welcomed at Christ School. www.christschool.org

Christ School is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or any other legally protected status.

V. Job Qualifications

• Required: Registered nurse, currently licensed in North Carolina
• Preference given to Baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse in nursing or health-related field
• Preference given to RNs with school nurse experience

About Christ School

Christ School is a college preparatory boarding and day school for boys located in Asheville, NC. We offer a competitive academic curriculum, intramural and varsity athletics, spiritual development and a work program open to students of all faiths and backgrounds from around the world. Christ School is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, handicap, veteran’s status, or any other legally protected status.

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