Certification

Becoming a School Nurse in New Jersey: Certification

The term “school nurse” has special meaning in New Jersey. School nurses must be a registered nurse and then complete a prescribed program of studies and specific fieldwork in order to be eligible for certification. School nurses are considered “teaching staff members,” entitled to all the rights and benefits of any certified teacher working in a public school. School nurses are trained to understand both health and education and serve to ensure that all students come to school healthy and ready to learn.

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) issues school nurse certification to those individuals who have completed the specific requirements set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:9. Genertal information on certification can be found at : http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/.

New Jersey issues two school nurse certificates. The School Nurse Certificate authorizes the nurse to perform specific school nursing services AND teach health education in grades P-12. The School Nurse Non-Instructional certificate authorizes the nurse to perform nursing services ONLY. Registered nurses may be authorized to serve as substitute school nurses. The requirements for each are described below and can be accessed at: http://www.state.nj.us/education/code/current/title6a/chap9.pdf.

N.J.A.C. 6A:9-13.3 School nurse

(a) The school nurse endorsement authorizes the holder to perform nursing services and to teach in areas related to health in public schools in grades preschool through 12.

(b) To be eligible for the standard educational services certificate with a school nurse endorsement, a candidate shall hold a current New Jersey registered professional nurse license issued by the New Jersey State Board of Nursing, hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, hold current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AED) certificates and complete either a Department-approved college curriculum for the preparation of school nurses or a program of studies, minimum of 30 semester hour credits from a regionally accredited college or university, that includes studies in the following topics:

1. A minimum of six semester-hour credits in school nursing, including school health services, physical assessments, organization and administration of the school health program and clinical experience in a school nurse office;

2. Human growth and development;

3. Health assessment

4. Fundamentals of substance abuse and dependency;

5. Special education and/or learning disabilities;

6. Methods of teaching health in grades preschool through grade 12 including curriculum development;

7. Public health including such areas as public health nursing, community health problems and communicable disease control;

8. Human and intercultural relations. Studies designed to develop understanding of social interaction and culture change, including courses such as the following: urban sociology, history of minority groups, intergroup relations, and urban, suburban and rural problems;

9. Guidance and counseling;

10. School law including legal aspects of school nursing; and

11. A minimum of six credits in a college-supervised school nurse practicum. Half of the practicum experience shall be completed in the school nurse office. The balance of the practicum experience shall be completed in the classroom under the supervision of a certified health educator.

(d) Candidates in possession of a written evaluation completed by the Office prior to January 20, 2004 will have five years from January 20, 2004 to complete the requirements set forth in the written evaluation.

6A:9-13.4 School nurse/non-instructional

(a) The school nurse/non-instructional endorsement authorizes the holder to perform nursing services in public schools in grades preschool through 12. This endorsement does not authorize the holder to teach in areas related to health.

(b) To be eligible for the standard educational services certificate with a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement, a candidate shall hold a current New Jersey registered professional nurse license issued by the New Jersey State Board of Nursing, hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, hold current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AED) certificates and complete either a Department approved college curriculum for the preparation of school nurse/noninstructional or a program of studies, minimum of 21 credits, that includes study in the following topics:

2. Human growth and development;

3. Health assessment

4. Public health, including such areas as public health nursing, community health problems and communicable disease control;

5. Fundamentals of substance abuse and dependency;

6. Special education and/or learning disabilities;

7. Human and intercultural relations. Studies designed to develop understanding of social interaction and culture change, including courses such as the following: urban sociology, history of minority groups, intergroup relations, and urban, suburban and rural problems;

8. Guidance and counseling; and

9. School law including legal aspects of school nursing.

(c) An emergency certificate may be issued to a candidate who holds a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a current New Jersey registered professional nurse license and current CPR/AED certificates. The candidate shall present evidence of study in public health nursing and child and/or adolescent growth and development. The study must appear on the transcript of a regionally accredited four-year college or university.

N.J.A.C. 6A:9-6.3 Emergency certificate

(a) An emergency certificate is a substandard certificate issued only to educational services certificate candidates who meet the requirements specified for each endorsement. An emergency certificate shall be issued at any time during the academic year. All emergency certificates shall expire on July 31 of each year regardless of issuance date.

(b) A district board of education may apply to the executive county superintendent for an emergency certificate for a candidate in authorized educational services areas if it can demonstrate its inability to locate a suitable certified candidate due to unforeseen shortages or other extenuating circumstances. The executive county superintendent may approve the application if he/she determines that there are no suitable certified candidates to fill the position.

(c) With the exception of the speech-language specialist endorsement pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9-13.6(e) and the educational interpreter endorsement pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9-13.18(d) through (f), the certificate is renewable annually up to a maximum of two times at the request of the school district and approval of the executive county superintendent. Renewal is predicated upon demonstration of progress toward successful completion of coursework and tests required for issuance of a CE, CEAS or standard certificate. A candidate serving under an emergency certificate shall be employed under emergency certification for no more than a total of three years in any one educational services endorsement area regardless of the number of districts in which the candidate serves. (d) An emergency certificate is valid for employment only in the district requesting the emergency certificate.

N.J.A.C. 6A:9-6.5 Substitute certificate

(i) The executive county superintendent may issue a substitute credential to serve as a substitute school nurse/non-instructional to the holder of a valid New Jersey registered professional nurse license.