Letter to the Editor
National Uniform School Nurse Data Set: Current Efforts
This letter is in response to the recent article by Gapinski and Sheetz (2014), which outlined Massachusetts’ success in identifying, defining, and collecting school nurse data on a statewide level. The vision and leadership of Massachusetts are commendable and so are efforts of 28 other states that collect statewide data. As Presidents of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and National Association of State School Nurse Consultants (NASSNC), we concur that there is an urgent need for a national initiative and would like to inform readers of The Journal of School Nursing about current efforts to advance a national school nursing database through a collaboration of our two organizations. It is well known that reliable information is wanting in discussions of health and well-being of school-aged children. Numerous topics for exploration, such as health and educational disparities, school nursing outcomes, educational outcomes, and precursors to academic success, as well as health care reform, are limited without the clarifying benefit of current, accurate data. NASN and NASSNC are working toward better data collection. In 2012, both organizations participated in the Health in Mind initiative, which proposed that health and wellness measures should be integrated into school metrics and accountability systems (Trust for America’s Health, 2012). That same year, the Journal of School Nursing published the article ‘‘The Promise of Standardized Data Collection: School Health Variables Identified by States’’ (Johnson, Bergren, & Westbrook, 2012). NASN and NASSNC leaders have been working together on a standardized data set for several years and in Fall 2013, we formalized our collaboration and formed a Joint Workgroup charged with development of a national database. The original group included NASN representatives Erin Maughan and Katie Johnson (WA), and NASSNC representatives Linda C. Wolfe (DE) and Marjorie Cole (MO). Upon completion and approval of a Joint Resolution and Memorandum of Collaboration, the group expanded to include NASN representatives Martha Bergren (IL), Deborah Pontius (NV), and Linda Mendonca (RI); and NASSNC representatives Kathy Patrick (CO) and Estelle Watts (MS).
The Journal of School Nursing 2014, Vol. 30(5) 316 ª The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1059840514542341 jsn.sagepub.com
Inherent in this work is identification of core school nursing and student data points with uniform definitions, standards for statewide data collection, and school nurse education on importance of data collection, including how to use it to influence student health and health policy. The Joint Workgroup will present a few specific data points that school nurses can begin to collect in Fall 2014, at the June 2014 NASSNC meeting and at the NASN Annual Conference. Information and future updates will be disseminated to all school nurses in various forms. We are excited for this joint project and invite all school nurses to participate. The national data set will yield a picture of student health in the United States and demonstrate the impact of school nursing services. Of course, creating the larger picture will require that school nurses begin to collect data for the first time, or change the data points they are now collecting, or add to what they already collect that is specific to their practices or locales. Changes may be challenging for some, but an important outcome is that school nursing will be able to articulate with evidence the vital role of school nurses in keeping students healthy and ready to learn. Sincerely, Carolyn Duff, MS, RN, NCSN President of NASN Jessica Gerdes, MS, RN, NCSN President of NASSNC References Gapinski, M. A., & Sheetz, A. H. (2014). The evolution of school nursing data indicators in Massachusetts: Recommendations for a national data set. Journal of School Nursing, 30, 317–323. doi:10.1177/1059840514526888 Johnson, K. H., Bergren, M. D., & Westbrook, L. O. (2012). The promise of standardized data collection: School health variables identified by states. Journal of School Nursing, 28, 95–107. doi: 10.1177/1059840511426434 Trust for America’s Health. (2012). Health in mind [Report]. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org/report/96/
Downloaded from jsn.sagepub.com at UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA on May 30, 2015
National Uniform School Nurse Data Set: Current Efforts
This letter is in response to the recent article by Gapinski and Sheetz (2014), which outlined Massachusetts’ success in identifying, defining, and collecting school nurse data on a statewide level. The vision and leadership of Massachusetts are commendable and so are efforts of 28 other states that collect statewide data. As Presidents of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and National Association of State School Nurse Consultants (NASSNC), we concur that there is an urgent need for a national initiative and would like to inform readers of The Journal of School Nursing about current efforts to advance a national school nursing database through a collaboration of our two organizations. It is well known that reliable information is wanting in discussions of health and well-being of school-aged children. Numerous topics for exploration, such as health and educational disparities, school nursing outcomes, educational outcomes, and precursors to academic success, as well as health care reform, are limited without the clarifying benefit of current, accurate data. NASN and NASSNC are working toward better data collection. In 2012, both organizations participated in the Health in Mind initiative, which proposed that health and wellness measures should be integrated into school metrics and accountability systems (Trust for America’s Health, 2012). That same year, the Journal of School Nursing published the article ‘‘The Promise of Standardized Data Collection: School Health Variables Identified by States’’ (Johnson, Bergren, & Westbrook, 2012). NASN and NASSNC leaders have been working together on a standardized data set for several years and in Fall 2013, we formalized our collaboration and formed a Joint Workgroup charged with development of a national database. The original group included NASN representatives Erin Maughan and Katie Johnson (WA), and NASSNC representatives Linda C. Wolfe (DE) and Marjorie Cole (MO). Upon completion and approval of a Joint Resolution and Memorandum of Collaboration, the group expanded to include NASN representatives Martha Bergren (IL), Deborah Pontius (NV), and Linda Mendonca (RI); and NASSNC representatives Kathy Patrick (CO) and Estelle Watts (MS).
The Journal of School Nursing 2014, Vol. 30(5) 316 ª The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1059840514542341 jsn.sagepub.com
Inherent in this work is identification of core school nursing and student data points with uniform definitions, standards for statewide data collection, and school nurse education on importance of data collection, including how to use it to influence student health and health policy. The Joint Workgroup will present a few specific data points that school nurses can begin to collect in Fall 2014, at the June 2014 NASSNC meeting and at the NASN Annual Conference. Information and future updates will be disseminated to all school nurses in various forms. We are excited for this joint project and invite all school nurses to participate. The national data set will yield a picture of student health in the United States and demonstrate the impact of school nursing services. Of course, creating the larger picture will require that school nurses begin to collect data for the first time, or change the data points they are now collecting, or add to what they already collect that is specific to their practices or locales. Changes may be challenging for some, but an important outcome is that school nursing will be able to articulate with evidence the vital role of school nurses in keeping students healthy and ready to learn. Sincerely, Carolyn Duff, MS, RN, NCSN President of NASN Jessica Gerdes, MS, RN, NCSN President of NASSNC References Gapinski, M. A., & Sheetz, A. H. (2014). The evolution of school nursing data indicators in Massachusetts: Recommendations for a national data set. Journal of School Nursing, 30, 317–323. doi:10.1177/1059840514526888 Johnson, K. H., Bergren, M. D., & Westbrook, L. O. (2012). The promise of standardized data collection: School health variables identified by states. Journal of School Nursing, 28, 95–107. doi: 10.1177/1059840511426434 Trust for America’s Health. (2012). Health in mind [Report]. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org/report/96/
Downloaded from jsn.sagepub.com at UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA on May 30, 2015
