Special Education and School Nurses
From Assessments to IEPS
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This book is the first of its kind to address the health needs of students in public schools written by an expert school nurse consultant with state-level experience in two states, and an expert former school nurse administrator in a large urban school district and former clinical instructor in a school nursing certification program at a major state university. This book is intended to be used by school nurses to understand the role of school nurse in the special education process and increase knowledge in writing student’s IEP goals for health issues impacting student’s learning. While the authors are currently practicing in the State of Illinois, the information contained in this book can be applied to other states and U.S. territories as most of the information and guidance is based on federal law and best practices. The reader is advised to check federal U.S. Department of Education websites and their own state department of education websites for any laws or regulations that may have been implemented after the date of this publication.
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About the Book
A veteran school nurse and former school nurse consultant bring their wealth of knowledge to the forefront in this indispensable guide for school nurses who care about keeping children healthy so they can learn. Frances Belmonte-Mann and Jessica H. Gerdes pay particular attention to the increase in students with special needs and chronic conditions that affect education. They go beyond the common health history to help readers evaluate the health of students as it relates to academic achievement. The authors focus on: • turning over every stone in a search for unknown health conditions or unrecognized effects of known health conditions; • understanding the role school nurses play in the special education process and writing individualized education program goals for health issues that affect learning; and • applying instructional techniques and nursing interventions to improve student outcomes in a meaningful way. While written for nurses, the guide serves as an important resource for other school staff members, including principals, assistant principals, deans, department chairs, team leaders, special education coordinators, district administrators, classroom teachers, and others with questions about the role nurses play in special education.
About the Author
Frances Belmonte-Mann, MA, BSN, RN, IL PEL/School Nurse, PEL/ADM, NCSN has been a School Administrator/School Nurse for over 25 years, which she continues to do part-time. She has attended and written over 1,500 IEP (Individual Educational Programs) for students in all educational settings. She has published nursing articles in the Journal of School Nursing. She was former clinical instructor at the University of Illinois – Chicago in the College of Nursing School Nurse Certification Program. Jessica H. Gerdes, MS, BSN, RN, IL PEL/School Nurse, NCSN retired from the Illinois State Board of Education as a school nursing consultant. Prior to her employment in Illinois, she served in a similar position in the North Carolina Department of Public Health. She is a former president of the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants. Her career in school nursing spans 26 years. She is on the adjunct faculty of the Lewis University School Nurse Certification Program.