Stretching our wings as school nurses is challenging, especially in the midst of a pandemic. But, this when we need it most! Truthfully, unless your school district is decidedly progressive and forward-thinking, there are limited opportunities for high-level professional learning. Which is why investing in yourself to become an NCSN is invaluable!
Our Outreach Committee has been busy over these winter months expanding our network of State Liaisons, the true ambassadors of NBCSN. Through the expert guidance of our management team, the new State Liaison page on the NBCSN website is ready for your exploration! COVID has not stopped our progress, it has challenged all of us, but we continue to push forward with promoting the importance of national certification.
In this edition of the NBCSN newsletter, we are continuing to tell the backstories of what compelled us to take the plunge and become nationally certified. This month it is Lori Anderson’s turn:
“Robin and I thought it would be fun to share our personal journeys to becoming nationally certified. It is interesting to hear why school nurses are considering sitting for the exam and what drives their decision making. You heard from Robin in the last newsletter, here is my story:
One of the most powerful motivators of action is a personal interaction with a respected peer. Six years ago, Martha Bergren emailed me to see if I would be interested in writing exam questions for NBCSN. I had already been a school nurse for 35 years, had held the role of state school nurse consultant in Wisconsin for several years, and was on the faculty at University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Nursing teaching and conducting research on school nursing. But I wasn’t nationally certified and so had to decline the request to write questions. Persistent as always, Martha followed up with the information on the next exam and that was the nudge that I needed. I now proudly add NCSN to my signature and promote certification with my students and nursing colleagues.
There are several lessons in my story. The first is that you, as a NCSN, are one of the most influential advocates for national certification. Your interactions with your school nursing peers provide you with opportunities to be the one who gives a colleague a nudge toward certification (and being persistent also helps). The second lesson is that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. I had already spent many years in school nursing but being a NCSN validates my specialized knowledge and expertise as a school nurse.
Now it is my turn to be persistent, please take the opportunity to promote certification with your peers – you are a powerful influencer. NBCSN has some resources on their website to give you some ideas: https://www.nbcsn.org/resources/promote-the-ncsn/.”
– Lori Anderson