The Journal of School Nursing2024, Vol. 40(3) 247© The Author(s) 2024Article reuse guidelines:sagepub.com/journals-permissionsDOI: 10.1177/10598405241242209journals.sagepub.com/home/jsn
Twice a year, the Board of Directors of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) issues position statements that alert the members, stakeholders, policymakers, and the public regarding a position or stance of NASN on child health, school health, or school nursing (NASN, n.d.). Position statements are clear, articulate, and concise and may touch on historical, political, financial, social, ethical, or scientific aspects of an issue. Each position statement includes the background on the issue and a rationale for the statement. They are written about substantive topics of importance to the association where there may be debate or differences of opinion (Fain, 2018; Turner, 2023). The positions are crafted using the best evidence available at the time they are written (Fain, 2018; Turner, 2023).
The process of developing NASN’s position statements is rigorous. A lead author or authors conduct a review of the best evidence on an issue. After the authors craft an initial draft statement, it is critiqued by a review team. The full NASN Board of Directors reviews and provides feedback on an interim draft of the statement. Following revisions, the position statement is brought to the board for a vote. The writing team and review team members are listed and acknowledged for their expertise at the end of the statement.
The position statements of the National Association of School Nurses have been published in the association’s scholarly clinical journal, NASN School Nurse, for the past 14 years. Starting with the June 2024 issue, the position statements will be published in The Journal of School Nursing. Publishing the statements in The JOSN increases the visibility of NASN’s stance on important issues to a wider and more diverse interprofessional audience and will increase the likelihood that the statements will be read, shared, and cited.
In this issue, one of the new position statements is published, “Electronic health records: An essential school nursing tool for supporting student health.” Over the next several issues of The Journal of School Nursing, other position statements will be published, including “Transition planning for students with healthcare needs,”“School-sponsored trips: Equitably addressing student health needs,” and “Supporting scheduled recess.” The position statements are available in Online First now.
The position statements will be open access and can be disseminated by sharing the statement’s link. School nurses should be knowledgeable and conversant about the NASN’s positions of importance and share the statements with school nurse colleagues, education leaders, health professionals, and policymakers.
Martha Dewey Bergren PhD, RN, NCSN, PHNA-BC, FNASN, FASHA, FAANExecutive Editor, The Journal of School Nursing
Martha Dewey Bergren https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8655-5418
Fain, J. A. (2018). Publishing AADE’s position statements. The Diabetes Educator, 44(1), 13. http://doi.org/10.1177/0145721717750834
National Association of School Nurses. (n.d.). Position statements. https://www.nasn.org/nasn-resources/professional-practice-documents/position-statements
Turner, H. N. (2023). Position statements and using current best evidence to guide practice. Pain Management Nursing, 24(4), 373–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2023.06.003