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School Nurses Bridging Healthcare and Education

By Chris Rogen, MPH, BSN, RN, LSN, NCSN posted 04-21-2022
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Tom Burton, Superintendent for Princeton City Schools, was a Keynote Speaker at the Ohio Association of School Nurses’ 49th Annual Conference in Columbus with over 150 school nurses in attendance. Mr. Burton played a video message from other superintendents across the state expressing gratitude and appreciation for the work school nurses do every day to keep students healthy, safe, and in their classroom seat learning. Conference speakers, many of whom were physicians, demonstrated the relationship between health and education and highlighted the school nurse’s role in disease prevention and management, health screenings, and health promotion. Dr. Sara Bode, ...

OASN School Nurse of the Year is Dawn Abbott

By Chris Rogen, MPH, BSN, RN, LSN, NCSN posted 03-05-2022
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Dawn Abbott, ODE Licensed School Nurse at Wright Brothers Middle School, is this year's Ohio Associaion of School Nurses (OASN) School Nurse of the Year. Dawn has been the Wright Brothers school nurse in the Dayton Public School (DPS) District for the past 2 years but has been with the district since 2014. She also has experience as the Director of Health Services and as a state school nurse consultant. "I am honored to be selected as Ohio's School Nurse of the Year." said Abbott. "I am also thankful for the privilege of serving alongside other DPS school nurses as we care for the health needs of not only students but the entire DPS school community.” Abbott ...

Ohio Department of Health Aligns with Updated CDC Quarantine & Isolation Guidance (12-30-21)

By Chris Rogen, MPH, BSN, RN, LSN, NCSN posted 01-10-2022
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ODH Aligns with CDC Updated Quarantine & Isolation Guidance COLUMBUS – Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, director of the Ohio Department of Health, today announced that the Ohio Department of Health has aligned with CDC’s recently updated quarantine and isolation guidance released earlier this week. “Evidence shows that the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to symptom onset, and in the 2-3 days after symptoms begin,” explained Dr. Vanderhoff. “The CDC’s updated quarantine and isolation guidance takes the latest science and evidence into consideration, with a focus on testing, masking, ...

Susan Kramer: Awarded Staff Above & Beyond

By Chris Rogen, MPH, BSN, RN, LSN, NCSN posted 10-28-2021
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Susan Kramer, Licensed School Nurse, was awarded the Staff Above & Beyond Award at Laurel School's 2020-2021 Staff Awards. Congratulations Susan!

Membership Unification: What does it mean?

By Chris Rogen, MPH, BSN, RN, LSN, NCSN posted 09-20-2021
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Unified with One Voice. One Dues for One Membership to OASN, NASN, and your Region. One dues payment will: offer free CE, conference discounts & VSP coupons provide access to numerous practice strategies connect school nurses everywhere ease communications & networking help drive membership & simplify dues payments yield a stronger VOICE for advocacy * Regions will receive $10 for each member within their region who joins OASN/NASN Encourage a Colleague to JOIN OASN TODAY !

Governor DeWine Signs Proclamation Recognizing OH School Nurses on May 12, 2021

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 05-11-2021
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Ohio School Resource Officer Endorses OH School Nurse Licensure Education Requirement

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 04-23-2021
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Officer John Hartman #48, Community Education Division- Delaware City Police Dept., School Resource Officer - OSROA Board of Directors-VP has written the attached letter in support of OH School Nurse Licensure and the education required to attain this license. He states "It is paramount that, like an SRO, the School Nurse role be defined. Job specific education, basic and continuing, be identified, offered, and implemented as a pre-requisite for the role change. This approach will prepare the nurse for success in his/her performance, the school in its overall wellness and, likewise, reduce liability and unnecessary issues that may arise from negligence." Please ...

OASN School Nurse Administrator of the Year: Kate King DNP, MS, RN, LSN

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 04-15-2021
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Dr. Kate King received her BSN from the University of Akron (1982); her MS-Major in Nursing from The Ohio State University (1990); and her DNP from Otterbein University (2019). Her educational and professional specialties include community health, adolescent psychiatric nursing, and school health legislation. Her doctoral work focused on her passion for Creating Voice in School Nurses through Increasing Self Efficacy. She has been employed as a School Nurse at Columbus City Schools since 2002 and is presently the Director of Health, Family and Community Services for CCS, which is the largest school district in the state of Ohio with over 51,000 students and 110 ...

OH HB 6 Aims to Make School Health Services Less Safe for Ohio's 1.8 Million School Children

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 03-15-2021
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The health and safety of 1.8 million Ohio school children will be directly impacted by the legislative attacks against Ohio School Nurses in OH HB 6 (134th General Assembly of the Ohio Legislature), that was recently passed in the OH House and is currently in the OH Senate - Government Oversight and Reform Committee. OASN is the professional association for School Nurses and other health professionals with a specific interest in school nursing and school health services. There are currently over 2000 Licensed School Nurses serving Ohio’s children, working in large and small school districts, in public, charter, and private schools, and in rural and urban districts, ...

NASN Elections: Ohio's Kate King Nominated for NASN President-Elect

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 02-13-2021
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2021 NASN Election: Meet the Candidates Candidates listed here have completed the Nominating Committee process and are running for office. Ballots can be cast online beginning March 15, 2021. Online voting will close on April 15, 2021 at midnight Eastern. Kate King 2021 NASN Elections Candidate Data and Statement of View President-Elect Kate King, DNP MS, RN, LSN Current NASN Affiliate: Ohio Association of School Nurses (OASN) Major Clinical, Teaching, or Practice Area: Administration/Management, School Nurse Education: Otterbein University, Nursing, DNP/2019; The Ohio State University, Science‐Major ...

Remembrance: Renee Besecker, Past OASN Executive Director

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 02-13-2021
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It is with a heavy heart that OASN announces the passing of former OASN Executive Director, Renee Besecker. Please read the kind tribute from Past President of OASN Deborah L. Strouse. CLICK HERE

Ohio Guidelines for School Re-entry Released by the Big 8+ Health & Safety Coalition

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 06-04-2020
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The Ohio Association of School Nurses is pleased to endorse and release the Ohio Guidelines for School Re-entry for School Nurses and school administrators to plan for return to schools in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Big 8+ Health and Safety Coalition is a group of school nursing leaders throughout the state who worked collaboratively to create the guidelines. The key details to consider and the resulting recommendations are based on current information from ODH, CDC and NASN, as well as other applicable research data. This is a comprehensive list of recommendations that represent the best practice guidelines for the safe return to schools for both ...

School Nurse Day is May 6, 2020 - School Nurses: Supporting Students in Times of Crisis

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 05-01-2020
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National School Nurse Day, May 6, 2020, is a time to celebrate the specialty practice of school nursing. In 1972, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) created National School Nurse Day to recognize school nurses and acknowledge their role in the educational setting. NASN applauds the contributions school nurses make every day to improve the health, safety, and academic success of all students. The theme this year – School Nurses: Supporting Students in Times of Crisis – reinforces the changing times of 2020. This year, more than ever, all members of our school communities, school nurses included, have been required to take on unprecedented roles ...

Join Ohio Governor DeWine’s Office for #SpiritWeekOhio starting April 27

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 04-27-2020
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These have been long and stressful days for so many of us while we maintain social distancing to stop the spread of the coronavirus and flatten the curve. One way we hope we can continue to unite, as we encourage each other, is highlighting #SpiritWeekOhio on social media platforms. Starting Monday, the Office of Governor Mike DeWine will feature the following challenge days: Monday, April 27 is Pajama Day . Stay in your PJs all day if you can. Tuesday, April 28 is Garden Day . Plant your garden. Wednesday, April 29 is Salute Your Hero Day . Share a video message of thanks, dress up like or draw a picture of your doctor, nurse, truck driver, ...

Ohio Department of Health Receives All Allocated PPE from the Strategic National Stockpile

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 03-31-2020
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Ohio Department of Health Receives All Allocated PPE from the Strategic National Stockpile Supplies received and the state’s reserve will not meet immediate or future needs COLUMBUS — A critical part of our state’s effort to contain and stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is to ensure our healthcare providers, Emergency Medical Services, law enforcement, and long-term care workers have the equipment they need to protect themselves and those they serve. The increase in people with respiratory symptoms visiting hospitals and needing care is straining our healthcare system’s supply of Personal Protective Equipment ...

Personal Protective Equipment Needed in Ohio

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 03-26-2020
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 26, 2020 MEDIA CONTACTS: Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957 Breann Almos: 614-799-6480 Personal Protective Equipment Needed; New COVID-19 Data Dashboard Unveiled (COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Dr. Amy Acton, MD, MPH, today continued to remind Ohioans of the oncoming shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, goggles, gloves, gowns and face shields for healthcare workers and first responders. Taking care of a patient who is in intensive care for a 24-hour shift requires: 36 pairs of gloves 14 gowns 3 pairs of goggles 13 N-95 face masks. The state ...

Ohio Stay At Home Order Issued to Reduce COVID19 Spread

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 03-22-2020
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 22, 2020 Ohio Issues "Stay at Home" Order; New Restrictions Placed on Day Cares for Children (COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, M.D. MPH, today announced that Ohio will be under a "Stay at Home" order. The order will go into effect beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. and will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on April 6, 2020, unless the order is rescinded or modified. Read the full order here: Director's Stay At Home Order "We haven't faced an enemy like we are facing today in 102 years - we are at war. In the ...

2020 Ohio School Nurse of the Year - Diane Miller BSN, MEd, RN

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 03-04-2020
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Diane Miller, MEd, BSN, RN, LSN, is Ohio’s School Nurse of the Year for 2020. She has been a school nurse for Dayton Public Schools (DPS) in southwest Ohio for the past 28 years, currently covering an elementary school with 440 students in grades Pre K–6 and serving as a nurse leader and resource nurse for DPS. She is an active member of the Ohio Association of School Nurses (OASN) and represents the Southwest region on the OASN Board of Directors. She also has been president of her Southwest region. Diane takes initiative and demonstrates leadership skills to motivate and inspire others to accomplish jobs that need to be done. When the number of students with ...

"Governor DeWine, Health Director Update COVID-19 Prevention and Preparedness Plan"

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 02-28-2020
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Thursday afternoon, Governor Mike DeWine held a news conference along with Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, MD, MPH, and others to talk about the state's preparedness and education efforts to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. Below is a follow up news release, and here are a couple of news stories from the Cleveland Plain Dealer ( https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2020/02/gov-mike-dewine-how-ohio-is-preparing-for-coronavirus.html ) and Columbus Dispatch ( https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200227/governor-fight-flu-first-to-prepare-for-coronavirus-in-ohio/1 ). FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 27, 2020 MEDIA ...

Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 (2019 n-CoV) Guidance for K-12 School Nurses & Administrators

By Joan Hlinomaz, MS, BSN, RN, NCSN posted 02-20-2020
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Here is current information about the novel coronavirus as of Feb. 18, 2020. Please use this information to inform your school community about the current situation here in Ohio. Please note the correct terminology for this disease is "COVID-19." Click on the boxes below for the links. COVID-19 (2019 n-CoV) Guidance for K-12 School Nurses & Administrators February 18, 2020 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released updated guidance for childcare and K-12 settings about COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) -- formerly referred to as 2019-nCoV or 2019 novel coronavirus. Some of ...