2026-27 Licensed School Nurse Pool

About the Role

The Licensed School Nurse enhances the educational process by identifying and addressing health-related barriers to learning and promoting optimal physical, mental, and emotional wellness for all students. The nurse provides direct health services, health education, chronic and/or acute disease management, health screenings, care coordination, and advocacy for students and families, ensuring equitable access to educational opportunities in a diverse urban school community.

The Licensed School Nurse reports to the Health and Wellness Administrator in matters of nursing practice and health standards, and to the Building Administrator in matters of school building administration.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing.
• Current Minnesota Registered Nurse (RN) license.
• Current Minnesota Public Health Nurse (PHN) certification.
• Licensed as a Public-School Nurse by the Minnesota Department of Education (or ability to obtain license upon hire).
• Current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working as a nurse in a school, public health, or pediatric setting.
• Experience working in an urban or high-need school community.
• Experience working with diverse racial, cultural, economic, socio-economic, and linguistic populations.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care, culturally responsive practices, and social determinants of health.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with students, families, staff, and community partners.

Skills and Abilities

• Nursing principles, practices, and procedures for children and adolescents.
• Public health principles, including prevention and control of communicable diseases.
• State and federal laws, rules, and regulations related to school health (e.g., immunizations, medication administration, mandated reporting, data privacy).
• Child and adolescent growth, development, and mental health needs.
• Chronic disease management (e.g., asthma, diabetes, seizure disorders, allergies).
• Special education processes, including IEPs, Section 504 accommodations, and health-related supports for students with disabilities.
• Trauma-informed care and culturally responsive health practices in diverse school communities.
• Community health resources and referral systems that support students and families.
• Clinical skills in health assessment, screening, medication administration, and emergency care.
• Effective written and oral communication skills to effectively communicate with students, families, staff, and community partners.
• Strong documentation and record-keeping using electronic health record or student information systems.
• Collaboration and teamwork with educators, administrators, families, and community providers.
• Health education and promotion strategies for individuals and groups.
• Case management and care coordination for students with chronic or complex health needs.
• Organization, prioritization, and time management in a multi-site or high-demand environment.
• Ability to build trust and positive relationships with students and families from diverse racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.
• Ability to manage multiple demands, frequent interruptions, and changing priorities in a busy school health office.
• Ability to respond calmly and effectively in medical or behavioral health emergencies.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with laws and district policies regarding data privacy.
• Adapt nursing practice to the school setting, balancing clinical needs with educational priorities.
• Advocate for equitable access to health services and supports for all students.
• Provide professional leadership and guidance to staff regarding student health needs.
• Remain flexible and resilient when managing changing priorities and multiple demands.
• Lift and position students and/or equipment as needed (up to 50 pounds occasionally).

Responsibilities

Direct Student Health Services

• Apply the nursing process (assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation) to determine the physical and mental health and developmental status of students.
• Conduct vision, hearing, and health screenings.
• Administer and manage medications, procedures, and treatments necessary for students to remain in school during the school day.
• Provide health counseling and promote wellness for students, families, and school staff.
• Administer immunizations as required in certain settings.
• Develop, implement, and monitor Individualized Health Plans (IHP) and Emergency Care Plans (ECP) for students with medical needs requiring accommodations.
• Provide case management for students with chronic health conditions, coordinating care with families, school staff, and medical providers.
• Monitor, prevent, and report communicable diseases in collaboration with public health agencies.
• Follow systems for first aid and emergency care.
• Assess, recommend, and implement safety measures to support a healthy school environment.
• Provide consultation, assist in locating resource materials, and assist in the instruction of students in health education.
• Work in collaboration with licensed educators of the building in the provision of health service to all students.
• Refer students and families as needed to appropriate community resources to respond to students' health needs.
• Assist with Early Childhood Screening, as assigned, to help identify potential health and developmental concerns that may cause barriers to children’s learning.
• Licensed School Nurses assigned exclusively to Early Childhood Screening may work an alternate calendar, as defined through Health and Wellness, in alignment with the Teacher contractual obligation of 187 duty days.
• Assist with Basic Life Support and/or CPR training as assigned (if certified).

Educational and Staff Support

• Train and delegate appropriate care duties to designated staff and Health Assistants to ensure the continuity of health services when the nurse is unavailable.
• Work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and administrators to assess, plan, and evaluate effective health programs and services.
• Provide consultation, resources, and health education to staff regarding student health conditions.
• Collaborate with teachers, administrators, and student support staff to integrate health considerations into the educational environment.

Student Support Services

• As a Related Services Provider for Special Education Services, collaborate with the Child Study Team in:
  • Evaluating students’ eligibility for Special Education Services.
  • Assessing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the services on students’ Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams in assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating effective programs to address unique student health and behavior needs.
• Collaborate with school-based staff to efficiently and effectively assess and report suspected abuse, neglect, or maltreatment.
• Collaborate with the Section 504 team to develop health-related accommodations for students to access their educational programming.

Parent and Community Relations

• Share health information and education with families via newsletters, communications, and school events.
• Partner with public and private health providers to improve access and continuity of care for students.
• Serve as a liaison between home, school, and community health resources.

Mandated Services (per MN Statute)

• Review annually the immunization status of students, maintain records of their immunizations, recommend to the School Board exclusion of students not in compliance, and report annually to the state departments of education and health.
• Establish and maintain a complete and confidential Pupil Health Record as defined by MN Statute 144.29 that contains the health status of the student, a record of immunizations, vision, and hearing findings, medications, treatments, and a chronological history of physical and mental health conditions that may affect the education of the student.
• Report suspected communicable diseases to Saint Paul–Ramsey County Public Health as required by Minnesota Code of Agency Rule 4605.7000 to 7900.
• Report suspected child abuse/neglect as required by MN Statute 626.556 to Ramsey County Child Protection and follow SPPS mandated reporting protocols.
• Maintain the data privacy of all individual physical, emotional, and social issues of students and staff and act as the primary data privacy keeper of the Pupil Health Record as required by Minnesota Government Data Privacy Act MS 13.01-4, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Administrative Duties

• Maintain inventory of first aid supplies, forms, and equipment; arrange for repair and replacement when needed.
• Record and track immunizations, health screenings, and care plans in the district’s student information system.
• Collect, monitor, and maintain statistical information about suspected communicable diseases and follow-up of referrals that have not been completed.
• Establish and maintain a chronological sequential health history record as part of the Pupil Health Record.
• Adhere to billing and reimbursement processes for eligible health services.
• Comply with established Third-Party Reimbursement billing system(s) for reimbursable health care services provided to students.

Other Duties

• Contribute to the SPPS current strategic plan efforts by partnering with other staff to support student achievement and the alignment and sustainability of resources.
• Contributes to the District’s inclusive workplace efforts by fostering a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all staff, students, and community members.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the Health and Wellness Administrator or the building administrator.

The hours for this position may vary by building(s) based on the assignment from Health and Wellness.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to occasionally perform heavy work (lift, position, and assist students or equipment weighing up to 50 pounds of force).
• Ability to frequently perform medium work (up to 20 pounds), and ability to regularly perform light work (up to 10 pounds) to move objects or assist students.
• Frequent standing, walking, bending, and reaching during the school day.
• Manual dexterity to operate medical and standard office equipment.
• Visual and auditory acuity sufficient to perform health screenings and respond to medical needs.
• Ability to remain seated for extended periods when performing data entry, recordkeeping, and documentation.

Mental Requirements

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills for rapid decision-making in health emergencies