Job Title: CSHS Regional School Nurse Consultant Brief Job Description: Full Time School Nurse position for the MetroWest Regional Nurse Consultant. This position offers an excellent opportunity for professional growth and leadership development. The regional consultant (RC) works closely with the Braintree Public Schools Nursing Team, as well as with the School Health Services Unit of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and other regional consultant colleagues. This position is for the school year plus two weeks. This job may be eligible for job sharing and remote work. Qualifications: Valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Massachusetts; Master’s Degree in Nursing or related field preferred; Bachelor of Science in Nursing required; Professional school nurse licensure from Massachusetts Department of Education required; Director/Supervisor licensure from Massachusetts Department of Education preferred; Minimum of three years of experience in school nursing or related field, one of which is in a management position; Experience as a regional school nurse consultant preferred: Maintain certification in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and First Aid; Assume responsibility for updating knowledge and skill in community health, management and related fields as new information emerges; Complete ongoing continuing education programs pertinent to the evolving specialty area of school health and school nursing practice, as well as meet the continuing education requirements for nursing licensure in Massachusetts and Department of Education certification. Reports To: Director of School Nursing Services The CSHS Regional School Nurse Consultant (RC) is responsible for facilitating school health program design and the implementation of these programs while demonstrating high quality standards of school nursing practice. Within their assigned region, the RC will be accountable for providing health education utilizing innovative approaches for all individuals, schools, and communities seeking assistance as it applies to school health. The RC is also responsible for providing updates in all areas of school health including those relating to clinical skills, research, and leadership. The RC works closely with MDPH as well as public and private, local and regional school districts, health officials and other DPH programs, regional office staff, etc. to design programs, policies and reimbursement strategies for school health services throughout the assigned region. COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES-REGIONAL CONSULTANT PROGRAM SCOPE OF SERVICES A. Required Services and Programming The Regional Consultant’s responsibilities are as follows: Identify and provide support to all Model CSHS programs, Affiliated programs and all other public schools including charter schools and collaborative programs as well as non-public schools in the EOHHS region assigned to the program. Provide consultation and technical assistance to these programs (including their own host district), as needed. This should include telephone consultation, meetings and site visits. Consultation content areas may include but not be limited to: clinical services, leadership development, policy and program development, budgeting, etc. NEW 21/22 school year, Workforce Investment funding project. This project will involve partnering with BU SHIELD and the MASSTART program to develop and provide supplementary regional hands-on training for state-mandated screenings as well as complex care skills. This may include partnerships with local higher education and health care partners for simulation experiences. These partnerships may also lead to the creation of education-to-workforce pipelines and opportunities for nursing students to experience school nursing during their clinical rotations. Additional funding will be available for the 21/22 and 22/23 fiscal years for purchase of equipment and supplies to achieve this goal. Schedule a minimum of three meetings annually (a minimum of five hours in duration) within the region for all Model CSHS programs, Affiliated schools/districts and all other public and non-public school nurse managers to provide networking and consultation in areas such as clinical services, leadership development, policy development, the role of the nurse manager, emergency preparedness planning, data collection, budget, funding opportunities, nursing practice issues, etc. Please note: The DPH School Health Unit staff should be invited to these meetings. Make site visits to all CSHS programs at least annually; for programs with new leadership, this should be done quarterly. Provide management, financial and program consultation on CSHS grant funds, including review of annual budget expenditures. Explore common issues and resources in the region, such as school nursing workforce development, leadership skills, etc. with community partnerships. Represent school health on the regional emergency planning committees and other committees/coalitions across the region as appropriate. Collaborate with both local and “regional” primary care providers (PCPs) and other providers to identify issues related to providing and linking healthcare systems with school health services. Establish communication systems to meet the needs of the specific region. This may include listservs, discussion boards, etc. Regional Consultants are expected to maintain these communication systems and moderate them regularly. Communication systems should support both learning across programs in the same region as well as provide a mechanism for all schools to communicate with DPH and for DPH to provide time-sensitive information to all schools. The DPH School Health Unit staff should be included in all group discussions. Attend all required CSHS meetings, including Regional Consultant and CSHS Evaluation meetings as organized by the Department. Attend and participate in delivering content in all DPH mandated training programs annually, including Foundations of School Nursing Practice, Medication Administration, Health Screening Programs, Leadership trainings, etc. As appropriate, work with the Boston University School Health Institute for Education and Leadership Development (SHIELD) to provide attendees of professional development programs with professional development points (PDP’s) or continuing nursing education units (CNE’s); programs must not duplicate the role of SHIELD. Collaborate with state agencies serving children in the region, e.g., Department of Mental Health, Department of Children and Families, etc. Advise DPH on issues relating to child health and developing the school health service system across the Commonwealth. This consultation will include the School Health Unit and involve serving on local, regional, and statewide committees. Agree to join with the other Regional Consultant school districts to develop an article on regional Consultant schools for publication in years 2-3 of the contract. Please note: the DPH School Health Unit will continue to assume responsibility for consulting on regulatory/legal issues pertaining to school health. The DPH School Health Unit will also maintain responsibility for the evaluation of the Regional Consultant program. B. Continuous Quality Improvement and Evaluation: Serve on the DPH CSHS Evaluation Committee and provide all districts in the region with assistance to complete CQI projects. Regional Consultants will serve as both facilitators and consultants to all quality improvement projects that are conducted both locally and regionally. Regional Consultation program evaluation will include the outcomes of both regional consultation and technical assistance provided to all schools within the defined region, as well as participation at all DPH mandated programs. C. Reporting Requirements Complete and submit to DPH an annual narrative report documenting the progress of schools within the region toward meeting the goals of the Grant D. Staffing Requirements Successful applicants for the Regional Consultant Program will identify a full-time Consultant Nurse (licensed or eligible for MDESE licensure as a School Nurse). DPH recommends that this is an eleven-month position and the Consultant Nurse be at a minimum BSN prepared, masters prepared nurse preferred. E. Administrative Support A school district that assumes the contract for the Regional Consultant will provide all administrative services needed for implementation of the program. This will include, but is not limited to, office space and equipment, telephone, etc. Grant funds can be used for the costs of this overhead. Use of funding for additional staffing is limited to 15% of the Regional Consultant grant. The Regional Consultant should not serve to provide substitute nursing services in the district. Successful applicants will have the support of their district administration, and school districts must provide assurances of appropriate school personnel acknowledged in a “Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Grant Assurances for Regional Consultant Programs”.