Ewing, N.J. (Aug. 13, 2020) — “Giving schools extra time to ensure that health and safety protocols can be met before students and staff return to in-person learning is a positive move that will benefit the entire school community and help better manage the spread of COVID-19,” said Dorian Vicente, President of the New Jersey State School Nurses Association (NJSSNA) which announced support for Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 175.

Executive Order 175 gives schools the option to start the school year via remote-only instruction if they cannot adequately meet critical health and safety protocols outlined in the state’s school reopening guidance and the health and safety standards set by the Department of Education (DOE).

“The Governor has been listening to the concerns of the 584 school districts that have been grappling with trying to reopen, while simultaneously dealing with implementing complex public health mitigation strategies with limited resources, staff and time,” said Vicente.

“The extra time will help districts procure critical supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and obtain much needed guidance from the State (NJDOH/NJDOE) about issues such as entry and exclusion criteria, health surveillance, guidelines for contact tracing, and to establish greater collaboration with local health departments,” she added.

The additional time will also give school districts an opportunity to tap into the expertise of Certified School Nurses to refine reopening plans.

“School Nurses are vital to pandemic planning teams because they are the experts of school health and are the only medical professionals who provide direct nursing care in the school setting,” Vicente explained. “Since March, School Nurses have been working virtually with students, families, and staff. Many have also been gaining valuable experience working as contact tracers and volunteering with their local health departments. However, School Nurses have not had much opportunity to engage with the administration on the reopening plans.”

Certified School Nurses are versed in communicable disease, surveillance, mitigation and work closely with students, staff, and school communities. There are more than 2,200 School Nurses in New Jersey.

Vicente noted that the additional time will also allow for greater outreach and education effort to encourage “buy in” from the school community which is necessary for compliance with the health and safety regulations and essential for reopening efforts.

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The New Jersey State School Nurses Association, which represents more than 1,200 Certified School Nurses, seeks to improve health and educational outcomes for children and youth by building the capacity of school nurses to promote school and community wellness and deliver high-quality healthcare in the school setting.