Since 1972, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses. National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is May 6-12 each year.

Why Is a School Nurse Important?
The number of students with complex physical and mental health conditions, along with the number of students at risk for health concerns, and students who are affected by societal issues, such as living in poverty, necessitates school nurses to use critical thinking and provide highly skilled, evidence-based practice that meet the needs of students, families and school communities.
School nurses work collaboratively with principals, teachers, parents and guardians to carry out a comprehensive school health services program for students, following the guidelines of the School Code, DOH Regulations, PDE Regulations, and local school district policies so that students can learn and thrive each day. Responding to everything from daily medication management to the outbreak of communicable diseases in the classroom or injuries on the playground, our school nurses rise to meet each challenge with the same sense of urgency, compassion, and duty as every other front-line health professional in the Commonwealth.
Together with the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners (PASNAP), we take special time to recognize the contributions that school nurses are making to the health and education of our Commonwealth’s nearly 2 million schoolchildren.
Please join us in recognizing and honoring the more than 3,200 School Nurses working across our public education system in Pennsylvania.

Source: Bipartisan PA Senate Resolution