Webinars for school nurses offered

HERSHEY — A new collaboration between the Highmark Foundation and Penn State Hershey PRO Wellness Center will offer five pre-recorded, professional development trainings for school nurses throughout Pennsylvania.

The School Nurse Professional Development Web Series features physicians from Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Allegheny Health Network to address important topics identified by school nurses while providing them with required continuing education credits.

“We are actively seeking to improve school health,” said Donna Kephart, executive director of the PRO Wellness Center. “In doing so, we asked school nurses what educational topics would be of most value to them. This way we can assist in keeping their students healthy and ready to learn.”

All of the series’ webinars will be uploaded to the Pennsylvania Department of Health Learning Management System, where school nurses can easily access the materials and obtain an ACT 48 or 58 certificate upon completion. Access this portal at pennstatehershey.org/PROwellness/highmarkwebseries. The first webinar was uploaded in mid-Oct. 2015.

The topics of the webinars and their anticipated launch dates include:

Dermatology (Oct. 2015, now available)

Mental health (Nov. 2015)
Diabetes (March 2016)

Asthma and allergies (May 2016)

Food allergies (Oct. 2016)
"School nurses do more than just tend to scraped knees and upset stomachs,” said Highmark Foundation President Yvonne Cook. "They play an integral role in keeping our kids healthy. We want to provide the resources they need to best take care of our children."

The Highmark Foundation is a private, charitable organization that supports initiatives and programs aimed at improving community health. Penn State Hershey PRO Wellness Center is committed to inspiring youth and their families to eat well, engage in regular physical activity, and become champions for bringing healthy choices to life.