School Nursing Support

Both state and regional supports are available to school nurses, offering guidance, resources, and collaboration to enhance school health services and student well-being.

State School Nurse Consultants (SSNCs)

Minnesota has two state school nurse consultants who work closely together – one hired by the Minnesota Department of Education, and one hired by the Minnesota Department of Health.  

Together they:

• Provide leadership and support for the design, implementation and evaluation of state and local policies and programs that address the health needs of children, youth & adolescents in school settings and early childhood education programs to promote healthy development and safety which enhances positive educational outcomes  
• Provide technical assistance, education/training, consultation on health and wellness best practices, procedures and policies to local public health departments, schools, state and national agencies that address the needs of children in schools and early childhood education settings.
• Identify, develop and/or disseminate information and resources about best practices to ensure optimal health and wellness for children and youth in school and early childhood settings

Monthly School Health Services Update Webinars  

The State School Nurse Consultants host a monthly School Health Services webinar to provide timely updates, promote awareness of available resources, and deliver relevant education to support and enhance the delivery of school health services across the state.

The School Health Services Monthly Update webinars typically occur the third Wednesday of the month from 2 – 3 pm during the months of September through May, unless otherwise noted. No registration needed to attend these informational webinars. The virtual link remains the same each month:  

Join the meeting now

Upcoming School Health Update webinars

December 17, 2025

January 21, 2026

February 18, 2026

March 18, 2026

April 15, 2026

May 20, 2026

Regional School Nurse Consultants (RSNCs)

Minnesota has nine volunteer regional school nurse consultants whose primary role is to host regional school health meetings throughout the year.  

Minnesota School Nurse Consultants Map

Regional Community of Practice (CoP) Meetings

Goals of School Health Services Regional Community of Practices (CoP)s are to  

1. Improve quality of school nursing services.
   • By disseminate evidence-based practices.
   • Through building knowledge and using a variety of resources.
   • Through regional sharing to duplicate promising practices, knowledge, experience, and mentoring with peers.
2. Support mental health, well-being, and reduce isolation of school nurses.

Regional CoP meetings are not exclusive to schools that reside in the region. School nurses are welcome to join a different regional meeting if the date or location works better for them. While the regional school nurse consultants make every effort to offer a hybrid CoP, occasionally a meeting may only include an in-person or virtual option. 

Upcoming Regional CoP Meeting Dates

Please note: Dates and times are subject to change. We encourage you to check back closer to the scheduled Community of Practice (CoP) date for the most up-to-date information. In-person location details will be shared through regional contact lists. If you have not previously been connected with your regional school nurse consultant, please email them to ensure your information is added to the regional contact list. Regional School Nurse Consultant emails can be found in the School Nurse Consultant Map above.

If you are interested in attending a CoP outside of your district’s assigned region, please contact the regional school nurse consultant for that region to obtain details for the in-person meeting location.

School Health Services Regional CoP Evaluation Results from the 2024-2025 School Year

To understand the impact of school health regional infrastructure, particularly the community of practice, on the school health services workforce, the School Health Services Regional Community of Practice Evaluation was conducted to assess participant experiences and outcomes. Below are the evaluation findings.  

Twenty-seven  Regional School Health Services CoPs were hosted throughout the 2024-2025 school year with a total of 516 attendees (274 in-person attendees/242 virtual attendees).

A total of 246 CoP participants completed the School Health Services Regional Community of Practice Evaluation, representing a 47% response rate.

• 80.8% of respondents reported they value regional community of practice because it provides them with school health services specific professional development.
• 97.9% of respondents indicated the community of practice met or exceeded their expectations.
• 96.3% of respondents report they will utilize information they learned from the content, tools, and resources shared during community of practice to enhance their practice.
• 85.3% of respondents indicate they have applied or implemented something they learned from a previously attended community of practice.
• 85.3% of respondents reported attending regional community of practice improved their practice.
• One regional consultant organized additional targeted community of practice sessions to support newer school nurses.

Professional Nursing Organizations

Joining a professional nurse organization can offer several benefits for individuals in the nursing profession.

The School Nurse Organization of Minnesota (SNOM) is the state affiliate to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).