School health leadership program creating agents of enduring change

After over 20 years of providing leadership and alcohol and drug training to school nurses, the highly respected School Nurse Fellows Program underwent a comprehensive quality review in 2009. Alumni, school nurse leaders, program faculty, evaluation specialists, and content specialists met for three days to highlight the positive outcomes of the program, and to identify program improvements and child health and school community outcomes necessary for program sustainability. Following the quality review, the program was overhauled to build on the strengths of the existing School Nurse Fellows Program and to add additional skills training to prepare school nurses to become agents of enduring change. In 2012, the revitalized program was launched. Teams of school nurses and executive sponsors were selected from a competitive application process for a year-long fellowship that includes a summer week in residence in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Eleven teams from Delaware, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas were selected to participate in the launch. The teams developed programs to be implemented in their home communities, supported by coaching from faculty members. An outline of the revamped program will be shared. Short term outcomes measured at the conclusion of the Summer 2012 School Health Leadership Institute will be reported. Further long term evaluation strategies to measure improved child health and school community outcomes will be described.