School Health Services

School health services staff can help all students with preventive care such as flu shots and vision and hearing screening, as well as acute and emergency care. Qualified professionals such as school nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, health educators, physicians, physician assistants and allied health personnel provide these services.

For students with chronic health conditions, school nurses and other health care providers play a large role in the daily management of their conditions. School health services staff also are responsible for coordinating care by communicating with the student’s family and health care providers so that they can stay healthy and ready to learn.

School health services is part of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model (WSCC) which promotes a collaborative approach designed to improve learning and health in our nation’s schools. Another component of the WSCC model, Counseling, Psychological and Social Services, is often an area that overlaps with school health services, because students may be referred by a school nurse or school-based health center for additional care to address these needs.

Figure 1 shows how school health services uses various methods to support students.