POSITION STATEMENT

Management of Students with Chronic Health Conditions in Schools

Due to the increased number and diversity of students attending school with chronic health conditions, there is a need for planning and coordination of health services in the schools. It is the position of the Illinois Association of School Nurses (IASN) that school health services address all chronic health conditions in total, rather than considering the management of each specific condition separately.

Certified School Nurses (Type 73) are highly qualified to assess, plan, and adapt care for student populations with chronic health conditions in a school community. Students’ rights to mandated school health services are protected under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of American with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Illinois Nurse Practice Act. Therefore, it is not necessary to have legislation to address needs of individual students with specific health conditions.

IASN supports the position on School Nursing Management of Students with Chronic Conditions adopted by NASN. http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=351

IASN further supports having a multidisciplinary approach to the care of students with chronic health conditions in a collaborative relationship. To this end, IASN supports a comprehensive task force to investigate this need in the school setting.

Approved:

IASN Board of Directors

April 25, 2009