Standards of Practice and Professional Performance of School Nurses

Standards of Practice and Professional Performance
Student’s Name
Institution
Standards of Practice and Professional Performance
The practice of school nursing plays an essential role in promoting the health of students.
The services offered by school nurses are rooted in the standards of practice and professional performance which establish and measure the performance of school nurses (Mattey, 2018). This paper discusses the standards of practice and standards of professional performance of school nursing as described by the American Nurses Association (ANA) and National Association of School Nurses (NASN) (2017).
Standards of Practice
1 Assessment
           School nurses collect comprehensive data that is relevant to the situation or health status of the patient (ANA & NASN, 2017). This data is essential in the diagnosis of the patient. School nurses can meet this standard by, for example, collecting data to identify risk-taking behavior, such as alcohol abuse, among adolescents. 
2 Diagnosis
           School nurses analyze the collected data to identify the health issue or potential/actual diagnosis of the student. They can meet this standard by, for example, using data collected on risk-taking behavior to identify alcoholism. Once the issue is identified, school nurses can develop a care plan for the patient. 
3 Outcomes Identification
           School nurses establish the expected outcomes for an individualized plan, based on the identified issue/ diagnosis. For example, for a patient whose diagnosis revealed that they have high cholesterol levels, the outcome for an individualized plan would be reduced cholesterol levels after the plan has been implemented. 
4 Planning
           The school nurse creates a plan that will facilitate the achievement of the identified outcomes. The nurse can meet this standard by clearly outlining the strategies to be taken to help the patient. For instance, the strategies to help the student with high cholesterol can be medication, a healthy diet, and physical exercise. 
5 Implementation
           The school nurse implements the plan. This standard encompasses two main sub-areas namely; 
* Coordination of care: The school nurse coordinates care to enhance continuity of care
* Health teaching and health promotion: The school nurse offers health education. For instance, the school nurse can meet this standard by educating students on the need for physical activity. 
6 Evaluation
           The school nurse assesses the patient’s health to determine whether there has been progress towards achieving the expected outcomes. The nurse can meet this standard by asking the patient several questions about how they feel. The patient’s responses should be recorded to establish whether there has been progress.
Standards of Professional Performance
7 Ethics
           School nurses should practice ethically by protecting the autonomy, confidentiality, dignity, and rights of patients (ANA & NASN, 2017). . School nurses should also practice within the confines of the law and establish healthy relationships with patients by creating professional boundaries. For example, school nurses should practice seeking parental consent before sharing a student’s health information, unless it’s a health emergency as defined by the law. 
8 Culturally Congruent Practice
           School nurses should practice in a manner that is consistent with the cultural values, practices, and beliefs of the patient (ANA & NASN, 2017). One way that school nurses can meet this standard is by eliminating the language barrier that often hinders communication between nurses and patients. This can be achieved by the use of translators/interpreters. 
9 Communication
           This standard requires school nurses to effectively communicate in their practice using various formats (ANA & NASN, 2017). To promote the health of students, school nurses have to comm...