Enriching the public health nursing database by including school nursing data

BACKGROUND:  With the increased emphasis on population-based wellness across the lifespan, we must find ways to better understand the health of all, not just in sickness but also in wellness. School nurses already collect much of this information. The purpose of the presentation is to describe a newly developed national school nurse common core dataset that is being implemented so that school nurses across the country will collect the same data in the same way. The dataset was developed by leaders in school nursing in partnership with other public health stakeholders. METHOD: An evidence-based approach that included a review of the literature, what was currently being collected, and current needs in student health data identified a common core data set for all school nurses to collect. RESULTS: The dataset includes definitions of each data point and instructions on what to collect so the data are collected uniformly across the nation. The dataset was developed so it can be applicable and immediately adopted by all school nurses now.  CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS: The presentation will discuss how the data will be used at the local, state and national level not just for school nurses’ quality of care and program evaluation; but also for population-based, community health needs. Using a common core dataset will allow local public health agencies, school nurses, and communities to work together to better address child health. This collaboration is key for the future of public health nursing and the role of public health in health care reform.