SNC Newsletter September 2026 No 25

Name: Dena Olson

School District: Freeman School District

How long I have been a school nurse: 27 years

What I love about school nursing: I love the unique autonomous practice of school nursing, the broad variety of challenges, and the gratification that comes as a result of those challenges. I am a lifelong resident of the Freeman community, my children all attended Freeman, and my grandson attends now. In some cases I am beginning to serve my third generation at the school. The long term relationship with students and families over so many generations and directly influencing public health through early intervention and managing health conditions at a critical point in a child's development is very rewarding. The school nurse has the opportunity and responsibility to be present as students not only learn academically but learn about themselves and their individual health conditions as they grow.

Fun fact about me: When I am not at school or managing our small farm, I love riding my adventure motorcycle on backcountry routes, and creating in my woodshop.

This course equips participants with the knowledge and skills to serve as a Parent Designated Adult (PDA) in the school setting, supporting students with diabetes to ensure a safe, therapeutic learning environment. This course is being held on Friday, September 11, 2026, at Talbott Event Center. This course will cover:

*Diabetes in a school setting
*Understanding of how diabetes affects the body
*Rules, regulations and laws surrounding diabetes care in schools
*Treatment and administering medication/calculating doses
*Care plans and school activities

Register

Time: 12:00 p.m. PDT

Webinar Registration - TRAIN.org

Continuing education (CE) credits are available for nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and naturopathic physicians. The webinar will be recorded and CEs will be available for watching the recording. The Washington State Department of Health is hosting a respiratory season vaccine updates webinar in September. The webinar will cover:

• Respiratory season clinical overview and vaccine recommendations.
• Respiratory season vaccine allocation and the ordering process.
• Strategies to improve clinic workflow for respiratory season vaccines.

Wednesday, October 26, 2026

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., PST

Join via Zoom here

NEWESD 101 offers many training opportunities for school staff, faculty, and nurses. Visit pdEnroller to see the latest trainings offered.

This interactive training is designed for school nurses and unlicensed school personnel with experience in diabetes care. Participants will gain current, evidence-based knowledge and practical skills to support students with diabetes, including routine care, emergency response, and use of diabetes technology. Guest speakers from regional partners will share insights on available resources, devices, and innovations. Parent Designated Adults will also have the opportunity to complete required skills check offs during the training. Lunch is included. Registration coming soon!

Going back to school in the Fall can be an exciting time of year for students and educators, where they can look forward to new experiences. It can also challenge the school community with unknowns that they have to navigate. Who are the new teachers? How many new friends will students meet in classes? Will new students and caregivers feel safe walking around their school? Do the schools provide after-school activities? These questions can bring up a lot of feelings, even anxiety, for students, parents, and educators. Using the HOPE framework, a strength-based model focused on the key types of positive childhood experiences (PCEs), parents, teachers and other school staff can prioritize including PCEs into their return-to-school preparation to ensure that their schools provide a safe and supportive learning experience. The Four Building Blocks of HOPE is an accessible way for parents and educators to talk and act on the key PCEs that promote health and well-being for children. Here are 10 ways to practice PCEs as students return to school.

Stop The Bleed Coalition

As National Preparedness Month approaches this September, the STOP THE BLEED® campaign is reminding communities that emergency preparedness goes beyond having supplies—it means having the skills to save a life. Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death from trauma, and a person can bleed to death in as little as 3–5 minutes, often before first responders arrive. This month, make sure your household is prepared by building an emergency supply kit, creating a family emergency plan, and taking a STOP THE BLEED® training course if you haven’t already. The Coalition also recommends keeping a Department of Defense Licensed STOP THE BLEED® Kit on hand so you have the proper tools ready when a life-threatening bleeding emergency occurs. NEWESD 101 School Nurse Corps has two Stop the Bleed training kits you can reserve! To reserve one or both training kits, complete the online reservation form.

School supply list items can have an impact on the health and safety of students in the classroom. Commonly used supplies can contain chemicals that trigger asthma and allergies in students. These are options for safe supply list choices that will help to provide a healthier classroom environment. Be aware that some schools or districts have established additional policies and may prohibit certain classroom supplies. Always consult with your school or district to ensure compliance with internal policies.

The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program partners with 24 health systems across Washington, with a focus on serving Tribal communities, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and rural populations. During a 6-month enrollment period, participants receive $250–$500, based on household size, to purchase eligible fruits and vegetables.

Shopping Tips for Participants and Participating Clinics:

• A Safeway Loyalty card is required. Enter your phone number or scan your loyalty card at checkout. (The voucher will not scan without a Safeway Loyalty card number.)

• Purchase a minimum of $10 in qualifying items to use the voucher.

• Use the voucher to purchase fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables with no added salt, sugar, or fat, and fresh herbs.

• You can use more than one voucher at a time.

• NEW! You can now use this voucher at self-checkout.

• Ask for a manager for assistance if your voucher does not scan.

In the Works: We are excited to continue working with our partners on an electronic card option to support fruit and vegetable prescriptions throughout the state. Please stay tuned for additional details and updates through 2026! Visit Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program to find more information on participating health systems and retailers

The 988 Lifeline provides support to anyone having thoughts of suicide, mental health crises, substance us concerns, worries about a friend or loved one, and any other kind of emotional support. People who contact the 988 Lifeline will get free, confidential support from trained crisis counselors. Help-seekers can call or text 988 or chat with a counselor online.

Free print materials about the 988 Lifeline are available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). You can share these with patients and as part of a community campaign to increase awareness of 988 services.

The links below provide tools and resources that your EMS agency can use to learn more about the 988 Lifeline and spread awareness of this important resource in your community:

• SAMHSA Partner Toolkit
• What EMS and First Responders Need to Know about 988
• What happens when you call?
• 988 Fact Sheet
• Mental Health Crisis Call Diversion Initiative
• Washington 988 Promotional Toolkit

For more information or if you have questions, please contact 988ProgramInfo@doh.wa.gov.

Students may use drugs and alcohol to cope with mental health struggles such as anxiety, depression, and stress. To address the connection between youth substance use and mental health, the CDC developed the Free Mind campaign. Informed by youth, the campaign offers resources for students (ages 12-17), parents, caregivers, and educators to understand the link between substance use and mental health, risk factors that contribute to drug use, and strategies to prevent youth drug use and overdose.

The Guidelines for Care of Students with Anaphylaxis have been updated to address FDA approval and subsequent availability of intranasal formulation of epinephrine which may be used in the place of epinephrine autoinjectors. Additionally, information about the availability of a statewide standing order from the Secretary of Health, or designee, per RCW 28A.210.383 was added. The basic principles for prevention and response to anaphylaxis remain unchanged. Additional guidance was provided regarding allergy aware schools and district responsibility to promote a safe physical environment to protect children with life-threatening allergies.

Find public health recommendations to protect children and youth from fine particle air pollution, or PM2.5. Washington Children and Youth Activities Guide for Air Quality (PDF)

It can apply to:

• Schools
• Child cares
• Athletic practices and games
• Before- and after-school programs
• Camps, field trips, and other outdoor activities

Appendices A and B have guidance on using air monitoring data and sensors.

🌡️Appendix D covers Considerations for when Heat and Poor Air Quality Overlap.

Check the Washington Smoke Blog for current air quality data, forecasts, and health information.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and every year, children with poorly controlled asthma miss 1o million school days according to the National Institutes of Health (2022).

Is your school asthma friendly? The American Lung Association's Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative Toolkit Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative Toolkit | American Lung Association can help. The toolkit provides tools, templates, and resources around four major strategies:

1. Maximizing School Health Services
2. Strategy 2: Build Asthma Education | American Lung Association
3. Strategy 3: Provide a Healthy School Environment | American Lung Association & Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit | US EPA
4. Strategy 4: Manage Physical Education & Activity | American Lung Association

Every student with asthma should have an asthma plan at school. See Establishing a Circle of Support for more information.

House Bill 2731 requires public schools to report all diagnosed concussions of students participating in athletics or other school activities. The link for the 2026-27 student head concussion reporting is live: Student Head Injury Information Reporting | Washington State Department of Health. For more information, please see: Student Head Injury Information Reporting | Washington State Department of Health

In response to House Bill 2360 (RCW 28A.210.370-373), OSPI is updating the Uniform Asthma Policy in collaboration with the Department of Health, adding provisions for stocking albuterol, an asthma rescue medication in schools. Districts that choose to stock albuterol for students in respiratory distress must adopt the policy.

We are holding two community forums to provide opportunities for reviewing the draft policy and providing feedback. You are invited to attend either forum or both. We hope you can join us. Registration Links:

Thursday, October 15 - 4-5 pm

Tuesday October 27, 3-4 pm

Here is the updated Health and Safety Guide for K-12 Schools in Washington State, OSPI/DOH, 2026 (PDF). The recommendations in the Guide are based on current and established best practices and research. The authority for the Guide comes from the State Board of Health School Rule, WAC 246-366-140(1).

Naloxone (or Narcan) is a medication that reverses an opioid overdose. Families and parents in Washington State can order free naloxone by filling out this form.

HearMeWA is a youth-centered crisis-response program that meets youth safety and well-being needs by linking them to existing support systems. This program is available statewide and provides support to youth 24/7/365. It offers an app, text, chat, website, and phone line, and serves youth up to the age of 25.

T1D Family Support Group services include:

• Emotional support and listening for caregivers of children with T1D
• Information and referrals to state and community resources
• Trained volunteers who closely match your parenting experience
• Social and recreational opportunities, such as camps
• Up-to-date non-medical information and resources on T1D

Get Involved: If you have families who might benefit from this support, please share with them, Washington Type 1 Diabetes Family Support. Subscribe to Washington State Type 1 Diabetes Workgroup

Information and Referral (I&R) provides information about services and assists in connecting people with resources and services.

WA211 provides free and confidential Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) I&R Services.

📞 Dial 2-1-1 or (877) 211-9274 for support.

📺 Watch WA211 Information & Referral - Help is just a contact away to learn more.

📞 Dial 9-8-8 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for help during a crisis, emotional support, referrals, and resources.

🔗 Link in with Teen Link, a program of Crisis Connections that serves youth in Washington State. For teens by teens, volunteers are trained to listen to your concerns and talk with you about whatever’s on your mind. Dial (866) 833-6546 for Teen Link!

Safe Medication Return lets people appropriately dispose of unwanted household prescription and over-the-counter medication (including pet medication). Secure storage and safe disposal of medication helps reduce overdoses, poisonings, and suicide attempts. Safely disposing of medication also helps protect our environment. Our website provides additional information about Safe Medication Return, including department contacts and other resources. You can find convenient medication drop-off locations and order free medication collection mailers at medtakebackwashington.org or 844-4-TAKE-BACK (TTY 711).

If you would like to reserve training equipment from NEWESD 101, please fill out the reservation form. We have the following items available for use:

• AED Trainer
• Audiometer
• Color Vision Testing
• Glo Germ Kit
• Male and Female Catheterization Training Models
• Midazolam Kit
• Medication Lock Boxes
• Medication Training Kit (includes Naloxone and epi)
• Pediatric Simulator Training Doll
• Tooth Tutor Kit

NEWESD 101 | SNC has two Stop the Bleed training kits you can reserve! To reserve one or both training kits, complete the online reservation form.