News and Blogs

Next Steps for our Legislative Concept: RN@ODE

posted 12-18-2020
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Our experiences with this pandemic have made abundantly clear what school nurses have known for a long time. We need full time nursing representation at the policy making level in our state’s education department. That realization has provided clear direction for the Legislative Committee (see our previous blog, A Registered Nurse at ODE Will Support Optimal School Health ).  We are now well on the way to having a bill ready to present at the 2021 legislative session which will create a School Nurse Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education. At this point our idea is a Legislative Concept that will become a bill on January 11, 2021.  Quick ...
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INPUT of 2021 Spring Conference NEEDED!

posted 12-15-2020
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As with so many things in the time of COVID, Spring Conference is a work in progress, and we would like input before finalizing the planning. We have determined that the   2021 OSNA Spring Conference will be Virtual in 2021 . Please complete this 4 question  Conference Input Survey  so we will have guidance planning a conference which makes the most sense for school nurses in Oregon during the time of COVID. Thanks for your help!!
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A Registered Nurse at ODE Will Support Optimal School Health!

posted 12-13-2020
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The OSNA Legislative Committee has been busy this fall preparing for the 2021 Oregon State Legislative session.  We are excited to have more members joining us in this very important work. Senator  Monnes Anderson has agreed to sponsor and  introduce a bill that creates the position of School Nurse Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education.  Senator Monnes Anderson is a retired public health nurse who serves the communities of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village.  She has a strong passion for educational issues. The bill is currently a Legislative Concept, which means it has been drafted as a proposed bill and will be assigned a bill ...
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Power Hour and Conference Tech Check

posted 11-19-2020
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Hi All, Just a quick reminder that we have a Power Hour on Thursday afternoon. Everyone is welcome! We can spend some of the time during the hour answering technical questions in preparation for the conference on Friday for anyone unfamiliar with ZOOM! Register for Power Hour HERE
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Behavioral Health in School Nurse Practice: What supports do you need?

posted 11-11-2020
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With the rising awareness of the importance of social emotional learning and research supporting the effectiveness of proactive skill building and mindfulness techniques, understanding the school nurse role in behavioral health is critical. I am pulling together resources for school nurses to facilitate their role in providing proactive behavioral health support for students.  In conversations, it has become clear to me that school nurses need and want more training in this area, so I am gathering information about what is happening in schools and what nurses need. To do this, I need your help! Please take a few minutes to share your insights in this survey ...
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OSNA Fall Conference 2020, "Public/Community Health: The Critical School Nurse Role"

posted 10-09-2020
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OSNA has heard your requests for exploring tools to support your role in public health in the school setting during a pandemic... without focusing the entire Fall Conference on COVID. Participants in this conference will hear about the school nurse's role in public and population health throughout history, learn to be discerning about the reliability of resources explore how school district policy can impact school nurse practice and learn to translate practice into protocol and procedure. The conference will also provide two opportunities for discussion related to clinical aspects of COVID. First, nurses will hear a presentation about ...
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Closing soon: SNO Registration and SNAG Applications

posted 10-09-2020
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Thank you for all that you are doing! Here are two quick reminders and one open invitation. NEWER NURSES: REGISTRATION CLOSING SOON. ​Statewide School Nurse Orientation is coming up next Wednesday, October 14th. Sessions are available 8am-10:30am, or 11am-1:30pm. The 2.5-hour workshop sessions focus on the unique role of RNs in the school setting, and include brief presentations, small-group discussion, and Q&A. All RNs working in Oregon schools are welcome to attend, with priority given to those in their sites less than 2 years. Register here for either time. EXPERIENCED NURSES: APPLICATION CLOSING SOON. The ODE School Nurse Advisory Group application ...
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Communicable Disease Guidance Updates

posted 09-29-2020
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The OHA/ODE Communicable Disease Guidance for Schools has been updated to align with current recommendations. This is the broad guidance for all communicable disease (not just COVID-19). It is posted to the same link as previous versions: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/documents/commdisease.pdf The notable changes in this version are related to fever, cough, and shortness of breath. For those symptoms, and throughout the guidance, required actions for 2020-2021 should align with Ready Schools Safe Learners (RSSL). In the OHA/ODE Communicable Disease Guidance for Schools , > pages 4-7 summarize transmission routes ...
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Link for TODAY's School Nurse FIRST POWER HOUR

posted 09-24-2020
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Associated with    Oregon School Nurses Association School nurses need time to connect and re-energize. This informal gathering promises to relax and rejuvenate your school nurse spirit! Join other school nurses in a discussion about day-to-day successes and challenges! Invite information: Oregon School Nurses' Association is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: First OSNA Power Hour Time: Sep 24, 2020 03:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81913669733 Meeting ID: 819 1366 9733 One tap mobile +13462487799,,81913669733# US (Houston) +16699006833,,81913669733# US (San Jose) ...
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Help Select the Fall Conference Date!

posted 09-20-2020
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Hi All, The day-to-day rhythm of each district is so different with some being in comprehensive distance learning and others in-person, the OSNA Board does not want to make any assumptions about what fall conference date will work for Oregon school nurses. Therefore, we want your input. The Conference Committee has selected 3 possible dates for the 8:30am-4:00pm, virtual Fall conference, and we would like you to rank your most and least preferred dates! Please take a few moments to check your calendars and complete this Fall Conference Date Input form . Thanks for helping us choose the best date! :)W
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How can you support OSNA's important legislative initiatives?

posted 08-07-2020
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We had an amazing Legislative Committee meeting yesterday and continued work on 2 important initiatives. There are so many ways you can support this work, but the important first step would be to complete this BRIEF SURVEY. Thank you for sharing 3 minutes for this essential work!!
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Online Workshop: School Nurse Role in Communicable Disease Mitigation

posted 07-30-2020
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UPCOMING ONLINE WORKSHOP: SCHOOL NURSE ROLE IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASE MITIGATION Do you have questions about school re-opening? Do you need tools for your work supporting schools? Join other nurses working in Oregon schools to discuss our collective work supporting schools during the coronavirus pandemic.   Register today !   DESCRIPTION: This is an online workshop for nurses serving Oregon schools during the coronavirus pandemic. It includes presentations, discussions, and question-and-answer panels facilitated by OSNA school nurse leaders and OHA's State School Nurse Consultant.   For the month of August 2020, discussion will focus on   OSNA's COVID-19 ...
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Congratulations to Nina Fekaris, NASN Fellow!

posted 06-30-2020
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It is thrilling to be watching Nina's induction as a NASN Fellow! I am amazed by all she has done. Thank you, Nina, for all of your work on behalf of school nurses and the students we serve!
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OSNA Participates on Panel at Oregon Health Forum Virtual Event Series

posted 06-29-2020
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Greetings! OSNA President, Heather Godsey will be a panelist representing OSNA on a three-part Return-To-School webinar series hosted by the Oregon Health Forum, with the first session occurring this Tuesday, June 30th. Please see the invite with information below, and register to listen in. There are a limited number of scholarships available for school nurses to participate if needed. We hope to see you there! Learn what Oregon's new school guidance means for bringing students and staff safely back to ...
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ODE has released guidance for school re-entry in the fall: What is the school nurse’s role moving forward?

posted 06-11-2020
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After working with partners, including school nurses, ODE has generated guidance which will facilitate schools’ planning for re-entry in the fall. The ODE press  release states that “ Ready Schools, Safe Learners, provides schools flexibility to develop a local blueprint for safely starting school next year. This guidance is designed to be responsive to ongoing educator and community input and will be updated in the months ahead.” The main webpage for Ready Schools, Safe Learners holds a great deal of information, so we wanted to take an opportunity to talk you through the tools and planning process. We recognize several strategies ...
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Additional Workshop Sessions Being Offered: Social Determinants and Acuity Strategies

posted 05-26-2020
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OSNA is offering three additional sessions of the online workshop Social Determinants and AcuityStrategies (1hr 45min). Space is limited, so register ASAP! Thursday, May 28, 2020 @ Noon Friday, May 29, 2020 @ 10:00 am Monday, June 1, 2020 @ 2:00 pm​​​
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This week's acuity workshops are full. NO WORRIES! Additional dates will be announced on Monday!

posted 05-20-2020
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All acuity workshop spaces this week are filled. NO WORRIES, though. Additional dates for later next week will be announced on Monday!  We are thrilled to offer more Social Determinants and Acuity Strategies sessions later next week (though we will avoid Friday because of furlough conflicts). Look for registration links here!
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Registration Links for the OSNA Online Workshop: Social Determinants and Student Acuity Strategies

posted 05-19-2020
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As promised, here are the registration links for the   OSNA Online Workshop: Social Determinants and Student Acuity Strategies.  Remember, the sessions are limited to 30 participants, but we will schedule more sessions if these three fill! May 21, 2020 @ 12:00pm   May 22,2020 @ 10:00am May 22, 2020 @ 2:00pm
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SAVE THE DATE: acuity workshop online Thursday and Friday

posted 05-18-2020
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​ Coming soon to a computer near you! Thursday 5/21 - 12 noon Friday 5/22 - 10am Friday 5/22 - 2pm Watch this site for registration links. OSNA Online Workshop: Social Determinants and Student Acuity Strategies 90 minutes Facilitators: Wendy Niskanen, Jan Olson, and Corinna Brower This workshop is designed to increase the RN’s confidence in their ability to assess and report student acuity levels, with emphasis on nursing process and social determinants of health. The workshop will include presentations, small-group discussions, and case studies. This continuing nursing education activity was approved by Oregon Nurses Association, an ...
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Townhall Event recap; Coming soon: Acuity Workshop

posted 05-08-2020
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​​It was really great to see and hear from so many you last Thursday and Friday. Over 160 Oregon school-based RNs attended, asked questions, and shared resources. We heard a lot about current work, including some positive outcomes, and addressed many questions. See the discussion thread for slides and chatlog summaries. One of the updates during Townhall was about ODE's medically fragile data collection dates. District data can be entered as of May 7th, until July 31st. If you haven't seen Sasha's resources about entering your student acuity data, please reach out. Whether you've entered acuities for years or are new to the process, we'd love to have you join ...
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