Release Date: 12/01/2023
Expiration Date: 12/01/2026

Cost: Free for NASN members and $20 non members!

Instructions to Complete This NCPD Program
To receive a Certificate of Completion and be awarded NCPD contact hours for this program, follow the steps below, and complete and view the full content of the program including the program evaluation. If an assessment is included in the content, you will need to have 75% of the answers correct in order to pass the assessment. You will also have unlimited retakes on the assessment.

Step 1: Enroll in the program through the e-commerce system. Select the Purchase button. You will be directed to the e-commerce system. The program should already be in your shopping cart (look for the shopping cart icon at the top of the e-commerce web page). Select the shopping cart and choose "check out." You will receive a confirmation email with a link back to this program after your transaction.

Step 2: Complete and view the full content of the program. Content items are indexed at the bottom of this screen. After you enroll, you will return to this screen. The first content item will be “unlocked” so that you can begin completing the course. Subsequent items will “unlock” as you complete previous items.

Step 3: Retrieve the certificate.  After completing all content items, you will earn a certificate. You can save or print it.  Certificates are also stored in your Learning Center Profile.

Program Overview
The prevalence of mental health (MH) problems is increasing among school-age children. Close to 10% of children 3-17 years meet the full criteria of an anxiety disorder, and another 10% experience excessive anxiety that causes impairment in daily functioning. School nurses play a pivotal role in assessment, identification, intervention, referral, and follow-up of students with MH concerns. It is estimated school nurses (SN) spend approximately 33% of their time addressing student MH concerns. Despite this documented role, SNs report they would benefit from additional education in counseling skills and MH. In the Fall of 2021, the Minnesota (MN) Department of Health invited school health services staff across the state to participate in a survey about professional development. The top interest/need was “mental health.” In November of 2022, a survey of MN school nurses was launched to help understand more specifically what the need and interest is related to “mental health.” The most common mental health issue was anxiety. They also expressed it was very important to receive professional development on this topic.

Learning Outcomes
As a result of participating in this educational activity, learners will be able to:

• Describe how the scope of the problem of pediatric anxiety impacts student health and learning.
• Articulate why the school nurse must be engaged with the school-based mental health team.
• Apply the steps of the nursing process to providing care for students with the full criteria for an anxiety disorder and those experiencing excessive anxiety that causes impairment.
• Outline three reasons participation with CALM (Child Anxiety Learning Modules) can advance your school nursing practice.

Intended Audience
This continuing education program is a practice, skill, and knowledge NCPD program developed to meet the educational needs of registered nurses who are interested in child, adolescent health, community/public health, and school nursing.

Faculty

Karen Graf, MSN, RN-BC, APHN
Nursing Education and Practice Specialist
National Association of School Nurses

Golda Ginsburg, Ph.D.
Professor, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
CALM, Principal Investigator

Kathleen Martin, MSN, RN
School Nurse, CALM Nurse

Faculty and Nurse Planner(s) Disclosures
NASN must ensure that all educational program content is free of commercial interest, bias, influence, and that the integrity of the content is uncompromised. The intent of this disclosure is to provide learners with information on which they can make their own judgments.

The nurse planner(s), faculty, and reviewers disclose there are no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies for ALL those involved with the ability to control the content of this program.

Accreditation Statement
The National Association of School Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Accredited status does not imply endorsement by NASN or ANCC of any commercial products discussed in this learning program.

Commercial Support or Grant Funding

This educational activity is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number NU58DP007086, funded by the Healthy Schools Branch - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the National Association of School Nurses and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services.