By Alison James

alison.james@fct.wpengine.com

Summer represents different opportunities for people. Activities range from family vacations to athletic camps, religious revivals, cookouts and pool parties. But summer has also long been recognized as a time for professional development opportunities for teachers, and that includes one type of school employee who might not immediately come to mind – school nurses.

Children’s of Alabama pediatric hospital in Birmingham hosts a School Nurse Workshop every summer – actually, several one-day workshops throughout June and July – to help nurses stay up-to-date with clinical skills and new advancements in the care of illnesses, injuries and other health challenges they encounter among their students. As more and more children with serious and complex medical conditions return to school, the role of the school nurse has greatly expanded, presenting professional challenges that were previously not encountered during the school day.

This was the second time for Laura Pruett with Russellville City Schools to have an opportunity to attend a summer workshop. She said the experience was invaluable for gaining “insight into how school nurses are handling issues statewide.”

“It also updates me on new legislation and how to implement it into my everyday practice,” Pruett said. “Children’s hospital keeps up with what is going on with school nursing, as they see children from all over the state. They are a great resource, and they help us tremendously throughout the school year.”

Ginger Parsons, RN, a nurse educator in the Patient Health and Safety Information Center, plans and coordinates the annual School Nurse Workshops, which she said started in 1999 with a grant from the Alabama Council of Developmental Disabilities, which covered cost of videoing the conference and recording it on VHS tapes for school nurses who were unable to attend. Although for some time the hospital only used the recordings, Parsons said the live event became a focus once again in 2010.

“Children are going to school with more medically complex needs than they ever did,” Parsons said. “We feel like (the workshop) is good for the kids, it’s good for us, and its good for the school nurses.”

Parsons said the workshops are highly appreciated and well-attended by school nurses around the state – sessions usually fill up within a couple of days of emails being sent out. Some years the topics are more hands-on, and some years, like this year, the workshops are more lecture-based. Topics change from year to year but include asthma, drug use, teenage pregnancy and diabetes, which was one focus of this year’s workshops.

“We also did a really cool presentation on sleep deprivation and its effects on learning,” Parson said.

Year-round, nurses can also participate in Children’s of Alabama’s monthly webinars available at myschoolnurse.net, Parsons said. Upcoming topics include autism, attention deficit disorder and emotional wellness.

“I like it being a one-day event,” said Pruett, who pointed out the value of being able to just be in an atmosphere with other school nurses from around the state. “The skills are a great asset to keep school nurses updated and reviewed on their skills in the ever-changing medical world.”

The workshops represent a partnership between the state board of nursing and the Alabama Department of Education, Parsons said. The special summer sessions also present an opportunity for Children’s of Alabama to encourage school nurses – to eliminate caregiver burnout by reminding nurses of “the importance of what they do and that they’re caring people and they need to take time for themselves.”

“It affords them the opportunity to meet other people who are doing the same thing they do,” said Parsons, who pointed out that it also helps provide continuity of care between Children’s of Alabama nurses and school nurses. “It’s a win for everybody.”