Back-to-School Health Success Tips for School Nurses & Admins - PCL

You are at the center of your students' wellness journey. 

Back-to-school season means physicals, new routines for student disease management, and vaccinations. Needle pain and fear can create hesitancy and impact their overall health. 

Over 63% of teens (and even 1 in 4 adults) have moderate to severe fear of needles. 

As trusted providers, you and your clinical teams play a vital role in helping students get back to school safely. How can you help?

• Organize “pop-up” school vaccination clinics. Be an advocate and work with the local superintendent, PTA, and community to prepare students for a new school year. 
  
  
• Encourage school staff, students, and their families to get flu & COVID-19 vaccinations (ages 12+). Address their concerns around safety and side effects. 
  
  
• Be Needle Fear Friendly - Needle fear and hesitancy is quite common.  Use Buzzy and share distraction techniques to help students with needle fear cope. Hear about how the University of Michigan Health-West uses Buzzy. “It’s a total game-changer when it comes to vaccines for kids.”

Ready to do more? Download the "6 Tips for Anxiety-Free Immunity" for your vaccine clinic before the new school year.