Texas School Nurses Organization

To enhance whole student wellness in support of health and learning by advancing school nursing practice.

Student access to health and learning. All day. Every day.

This newsletter takes NASN’s Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice approach.

The countdown to conference is on! I look forward to seeing and visiting with you November 12 – 14th in Grapevine Texas! If you can’t make it this year, mark your calendars for November 5 & 6, 2022 at the Houston Galleria.

Thanks, and Thanksgiving! This month we set aside time to give thanks! We truly do have so much to be thankful for; our families, friends, health, and most of all a week away from those we spend every working day with! Thank you to you for giving your talents, care and concern to your students, families and co-workers. Especially at a time when we are experiencing the affects of the pandemic – COVID testing, vaccinating, contact tracing, etc. you continue to give it all you’ve got! That’s what school nurses do best!

I’m thankful for each of you and your dedication to our profession of school nursing! Be sure and take some time just for you during your time away from school! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families from TSNO!

Karen S. Schwind, BSN, RN, NCSN

TSNO President

As your current TSNO President, I am pleased to announce that your TSNO Board of Directors unanimously voted to hire Andrea Pee as our Executive Director. Ms. Pee officially became the TSNO Executive Director as of October 4th, 2021. This is the first Executive Director for our organization, and we are excited for this new growth.

Ms. Pee, born and raised in Angleton, Texas, holds a Political Science degree from Texas State University. Andrea worked as the Senate Agenda Clerk during the 84th Legislative Session before moving on to the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists where her position has grown from Executive Assistant to Chief Operating Officer over the course of six years.

In her new role as Executive Director, Ms. Pee looks forward to growing TSNO membership and advancing our mission by engaging TSNO members, affiliates, and the public in ways that promote and advocate for whole student wellness and the practice of school nursing.

Ms. Pee resides in Austin, Texas where she will operate the association remotely.

I also want to acknowledge and thank our Executive Director Search Committee for their tireless efforts over the past several months during our search.

Please join us in welcoming Andrea to TSNO!

Karen Schwind

President, TSNO

We have established the TSNO Disaster Relief Fund. This fund will provide assistance to nurses that have experienced a natural disaster.

Please bring your purse for donation to the conference registration desk upon check-in to the conference.

Please sign up your donations here: https://forms.gle/13JdxZYcME3ABhoh9. Only complete ONE form for each donation.

Thank you so much for your donation and making this successful so we can support our communities and School Nurses in need.

If you have questions, please reach out to Denise Petherbridge at denisek.tsno@gmail.com.

The reporting period runs from Friday, October 29, 2021 through Friday, December 10, 2021. Many may have received a packet from the state with instructions; however, you can also view the packet HERE. Reporting is completed at http://www.artximmunize.com/Login.aspx.

Scoliosis- A brief overview

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) through the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 37 was authorized by the Texas Legislature to establish a spinal screening program in the public-school system as well as private schools.

Spinal screenings are performed by nurses and other trained individuals that have gone through DSHS’s certification program. The goal of the program teaches the attendee how to establish a screening program, what is required to be come a spinal screener, the who and when to screen, what physical signs might warrant a spine problem, how to prepare for the actual screening, and how to record results and refer.

Do you know the screening schedule?

Girls will be screened twice, once at age 10 (OR fall semester of grade 5) and then again at age 12 (OR fall semester of grade 7).

Boys are screened one time at age 13 or age 14 (OR fall semester of grade 8).

It is expected for schools to catch those students that are promoted to higher grades and are at the age to be screened or those students that are held back.

Do you know who can conduct the screening?

Any licensed health profession may conduct spinal screening WITHOUT prior certification if their course of study included physical assessment. This includes: Physicians, Physician Assistants, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Nurse Practitioners, and Registered Nurses.

Those that need be certified are those that are not mentioned above. Everyone else has to be trained and certified according to the program rules. A spinal screener must 1) have at least a high school degree or GED 2) must be trained directly by a DSHS instructor and 3) have passed the certification test. A certification is valid for 5 years.

Did you know that DSHS occasionally identifies the need for additional instructors? To be a qualified instructor an individual has have a current valid department screening certificate and experience in conducting screenings, have experience training adults, and lastly, be a Physician, Physician Assistant, Chiropractor, Physical therapist, Nurse Practitioner, or Registered Nurse.

For more information regarding scoliosis, and how to conduct a screening in your school please go to this website: https://dshs.texas.gov/spinal/spinalguide.shtm. This guide will assist you in your implementation of this screening. A link is also provided in the resources tab at https://www.txsno.org/home.

Make A Difference: #RemoveTheFilter

During National Epilepsy Awareness Month (NEAM) in November, join the Epilepsy Foundation as we #RemoveTheFilter and highlight not only the challenges that people with epilepsy may face, but the importance of creating awareness to support the more than 3.4 million people with epilepsy nationwide. Use the power of your journey to make a difference.

We did it! The third special session of the Texas Legislature ended Oct. 19 without the passage in either chamber of any bill that threatened to weaken the state’s vaccine requirements and undo decades of sound, public health policies. Lawmakers filed more than 40 anti-vaccination bills across the three special sessions and with your help TIP helped defeat all of them!

Anti-vaccination bills filed during the 3rd special session ranged from preventing employers, including health care systems, from setting their own health and safety vaccination policies, to SB 51, which prohibited schools and universities from setting COVID-19 vaccine school entry requirements. Hill Powell, our Interim Executive Director testified against that bill, along with many individuals and representatives of business and healthcare entities.

At this time, we don’t know if the governor will call a fourth special session or if vaccines and vaccine requirements will be part of that call. Meanwhile, Texans are forced to continue to protect themselves and their families under the governor’s anti-public health executive orders.

In the meantime, we will continue to uphold our mission and will ensure legislators and the governor know our position on these types of anti-public health legislation.

---The Immunization Partnership

Proposed bylaw changes to be voted on during Business Meeting to be held Sunday, 11/14/2021. The change is proposed to provide consistent language with the NASN bylaws and provide for the non-RN membership:

Current language:

Article III.

B. Associate members shall be: Any registered professional nurse, licensed by the State of Texas, who is not eligible for Active membership, but who serves a school as a school nurse, upon payment of dues, shall be an Associate member.

Proposed change is:

Article III.

B. Associate: A licensed nurse who serves with the primary assignment, the administration, education, or the provision of school health services, but is who not eligible for active membership, upon payment of dues may be an associate member. Associate members shall not vote or hold office in TSNO.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management has maps for that!

• Testing Locations: http://COVIDtest.TDEM.Texas.gov
• Vaccine Providers: http://meds.TDEM.Texas.gov
• Therapeutic Providers: http://meds.TDEM.Texas.gov

We are still missing a few Region Presidents, so if you are a President or know one, please reach out to Denise Petherbridge as soon as possible! Lots of great things are happening!

Did you know that less than half of school nurses in Texas know about TSNO and all of the benefits? We challenge you to ask! You could be the one who introduces them to those precious vision vouchers for their students or to other school nurses who can support them. Tell them what being a member of TSNO means to you! Feel free to give them our TSNO infographic.

VSP Vision Care's Sight for Students program is open to NASN members. Through this partnership, NASN members receive gift certificates they can share with qualifying students 19 years of age or younger.

The best professional liability rates available are extended to NASN members through NASN's partnership with Lockton Affinity.

The UnaRxCard is a discount prescription drug card that can lower the cost of many prescription medications and things like diabetes supplies, hearing aides and glasses. The card is available to NASN members and can be shared with others including students and their families.

The TSNO website has a "Resource" link with so much valuable information in just one click of the mouse! Examples include advocacy tools, AED's, asthma resources, confidentiality, diabetes care manual, federal agency links, food allergies, models, IHP Templates (my personal favorite), position statements, Scope and Standards, and so much more! Check it out at this link:

http://www.txsno.org/tsnoresources

ELECTED OFFICERS:

PRESIDENT Karen Schwind - Region 13

karenschwind.tsno@gmail.com

PRESIDENT-ELECT Laurie Smith - Region 8

Lsmith1@pittsburgisd.net

TREASURER

SECRETARY Lisa Formby - Region 16

lisa.formbytsno@gmail.com

NASN DIRECTOR Francis Luna - Region 10

francisluna.tsno@gmail.com

NOMINATIONS COORDINATOR Deana Bunting - Region 5

deanabunting.tsno@gmail.com

STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS:

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Lisa Sicilio- Region 6

lsicilio.tsno@gmail.com

ADVOCACY CHAIR Becca Harkleroad- Region 13

bechark.tsno@gmail.com

SCHOOL HEALTH ISSUES Amber Cichocki- Region 10

acichocki.tsno@gmail.com

MEMBER SERVICES Brandy Bowlen - Region 4

brandybowlen.tsno@gmail.com

APPOINTED COORDINATORS:

Membership Coordinator Ronnie Howard - Region 4

ronniehoward.tsno@gmail.com

REGION PRESIDENTS Coordinator Denise Petherbridge - Region 13

denisek.tsno@gmail.com

COMMUNICATIONS Coordinator Monica Porras- Region 15

monicaporras.tsno@gmail.com

EXHIBIT LIAISON Elizabeth Goedde - Region 4

ElizabethGoedde.tsno@gmail.com

EXECUTIVE BOARD LIAISON/ WEBSITE & MARKETING COORDINATOR

Kara DeLay - Region 8

kdelay@atlisd.net

Email: monicaporras.tsno@gmail.com
Website: txsno.org
Location: Richardson, TX, United States
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Texas.School.Nurses.Organization
Twitter: @TxSchlNurses

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