Sign up for the School Nurse Mentorship Program!
The Iowa Department of Education has launched an exciting new opportunity that will pair school nurses from across the state for continued learning and partnership.
The School Nurse Mentorship Program is a one-year voluntary commitment designed to strengthen individual practice while empowering school nurses to recognize their role as leaders who influence student health outcomes, school systems and population health. Through this opportunity, new school nurses who are within their first three years of practice are connected with experienced school nurse mentors who have four or more years of service. All participants must have the approval of their supervisor or administrator to participate.
“The School Nurse Mentorship Program is an innovative opportunity for school nurses to learn, collaborate and support each other during the busy school year,” said Melissa Walker, school nurse administrative consultant at the Iowa Department of Education. “With nearly 1,200 school nurses across the state, building connections between newer school nurses and those with several years of experience helps to share best practices and knowledge and strengthens our school nurse workforce overall. I hope all school nurses take part in this amazing opportunity.”
Through a paired mentorship, mentors and mentees connect weekly and meet online once per month to share information, troubleshoot issues and provide support.
Additionally, the structured mentorship experience offers both school nurse mentors and mentees with opportunities to earn up to five continuing education (CE) hours while building professional capacity and connecting Iowa’s bold vision to a broader system impact. Participants will earn their first CE when matched with a mentee or mentor. Four additional CE learning opportunities will be offered at no cost throughout the school year and will be based on participants’ interest in the following key focus areas:
- Federal programs and compliance leadership
- Chronic absenteeism and attendance strategies
- Student mental health and wellness integration
- School policy and leadership growth
- System thinking through continuous improvement cycles and Iowa's bold vision
At the end of the school year, all participants and their supervisors will be invited to provide feedback on the mentorship experience.
School nurses can now sign up to join the School Nurse Mentorship Program as a mentor or mentee. A one-hour, asynchronous course link will be provided via email to anyone who signs up for the program. Matches will be notified automatically as mentors and mentees become available.
For more information on the mentorship opportunity, visit the Department’s School Nurse Toolkit webpage. Specific questions can be directed to Melissa Walker at [email protected].
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