School Nurse Leadership Institute for Nurses in Colorado

Perhaps more than anyone, school nurses understand how the school environment shapes children’s health, and how children’s health shapes their ability to succeed at school. The food children eat, the air they breathe and the opportunities they have to be physically active affect their health and learning for a lifetime.

Colorado is the inaugural state for this exciting School Nurse Leadership Institute. Healthy Schools Campaign, along with the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, is offering school nurses in Colorado the opportunity to participate in leadership training beginning in October 2011 to help implement policies and programs addressing school food, nutrition education, physical education and physical activity in schools and districts.

What will I learn?

Topics to be covered include: assessment, evidence-based practice, convening wellness teams, leadership skills and successful wellness interventions for students and staff. Trainers include representatives from the Healthy Schools Campaign and Colorado wellness and school nursing experts.

When is the training?

The School Nurse Leadership Institute features a series of three one-day workshops on October 3, 2011, January 20, 2012, and April 20, 2012, with assignments and on-going communications in between.

All assignments are hands-on ways to help you become a school nurse leader with products that you can use in your school or district. Homework assignments will include assessments, online tutorials, and preparation of a Powerpoint or poster presentation. (Homework does not include writing papers!) Assignments include about 3-5 hours of homework between sessions.

What about travel expenses?

Funds are available for travel costs! To learn more, contact Kathleen Patrick by email or at 303-866-6779.

How can I apply?

Thank you for your interest in applying to the School Nurse Leadership Institute. To complete the application process, please complete the following steps by September 15, 2011.

1. Complete the application. Select the application that is relevant for your role – either the application for nurses working at the school level or the application for nurses working at the district level – and complete the application in Word. Save the file with your last name as the file name.

2. Customize the administrator agreement and have it signed by your administrator. Customize the administrator agreement with your name and school information, then print the agreement, sign it, and have it signed by your administrator.

3. Submit your application and administrator agreement by mail or email by September 15, 2011 to:

Kathleen Patrick, RN, MA, NCSN
patrick_k@cde.state.co.us
Colorado Department of Education
Health and Wellness Unit
201 E Colfax Ave. Room 300
Denver, CO 80203

4. Forward a copy of your school district’s current wellness policy to Kathleen Patrick at the address above by September 15, 2011.

Please note

This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the Illinois Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Questions?

Please contact Alex Schaible at Healthy Schools Campaign at alex@healthyschoolscampaign.org or Kathleen Patrick at the Colorado Department of Education at patrick_k@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6779.