School Nursing Graduate Certificate Program

Certification
Photo of 2 medical professionals testing child raising hand

About This Degree

This is a Certificate Program.

The School Nurse Certification at NJCU is a robust graduate-level certificate program designed to prepare bachelor’s-prepared registered nurses for the specialty practice of school nursing. The program is approved by the New Jersey Department of Education in meeting requirements for the Standard Non-Instructional (N.J.A.C.6A:9B-14.4) and Standard (Instructional) School Nurse Endorsement (N.J.A.C.6A:9B-14.3). 

Admission Criteria for School Nurse Certificate Program

  • Completed online application and non-refundable $55 application fee
  • Official transcripts from all previous U.S. colleges attended or official NACES course-by-course evaluation of any foreign transcripts*
  • Submission of a 250-500-word essay discussing goals and objectives for pursuing admission to the intended program
  • Professional Resume or CV
  • Copy of current, unencumbered NJ nursing license

Pre-Requisites

  • BSN degree from an ACEN or CCNE-accredited institution that is also a regionally accredited college/university
  • Undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0-point scale

School nursing is a dynamic, complex, and evolving specialty practice. School nurses serve an essential role in assuring healthy equity and academic success for all children. They bridge the gap between health and education, ensuring that all children, regardless of their health, economic, or social status, have an opportunity for optimum wellness and educational achievement. School nurses provide health services, coordinate care for students with chronic or acute health conditions to minimize disruptions in learning, perform health screenings, conduct disease surveillance, and connect families with needed services. The school nurse’s effectiveness in meeting the needs of students and the school community are dependent on the nurse’s knowledge, skills, and resources, combined with his/her ability to effectively apply them in the school setting.

The primary goal of the School Nurse Certification Program at NJCU is to prepare registered nurses with the advanced nursing knowledge and skills required to care for diverse populations of students in the K-12 educational setting. Using the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model (WSCC) (CDC & ASCD, 2015) approach, the program emphasizes graduate-level competencies identified in School Nursing Scope & Standards of Practice (ANA & NASN, 2017), and prepares nurses to apply principles of the Framework for 21st Century School Practice™ (NASN, 2016) in the provision of required school health services for students and families.

New Jersey City University has a proud and long-standing history of preparing nurses for this challenging, autonomous and multifaceted role. Previously located in the Health Sciences Department, the School Nurse Certification Program has recently undergone curricular redesign, and is now located in the Nursing Department. The new graduate-level nursing program builds on nursing baccalaureate education, by emphasizing evidence-based practice, leadership skills, and principles of population health. Designed for adult learners, the program provides seamless learning experiences and professional growth opportunities to support nurses’ career trajectories.

School Nurse Certificate Requirements

Course #

Course Name

Credits

NURS 614

Role of the School Nurse I: Care Coordination

3

NURS 616

Role of the School Nurse II: Reducing Barriers to Health & Learning

3

NURS 600

The Science of Health Promotion

3

NURS 642

Advanced Health Assessment

3

NURS 672

School Nurse Practicum I

3

Upon successful completion of the above 15 credits students are eligible for the Non-Instructional School Nurse Certificate

School Nurse Certificate Requirements
Course # Course Name Credits

NURS 622

Curriculum Design, Development & Evaluation in School Health Education

3

NURS 673

School Nurse Practicum II

3

*NURS 614 is a prerequisite for NURS 616

**NURS 616, NURS 600 and NURS 642 are prerequisites for NURS 672

***NURS 616 NURS 600 NURS 642 & NURS 622 are prerequisite for NURS 673

Upon successful completion of the above 21 credits students are eligible for the Standard (Instructional) School Nurse Certificate

 *Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 to remain in the program.

Upon successful completion of this program students may apply for admission into the Master of Science in Nursing with a Specialization in School Nursing Degree Program. If accepted, all 21 credits taken in the certification can be applied to this degree

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the School Nurse Specialization Program at NJCU will be able to:

  1. Assimilate the role of the school nurse in schools and communities with diverse populations.
  2. Demonstrate competencies in using evidence-based practice to design, implement, and evaluate nursing services and health education curricula in schools and communities.

Contact Us

Emily Alequin
Program Assistant
SchoolNurse@njcu.edu
(201) 200-2453

Nelda Ephraim, Ph.D., MSN Ed. RN, CCRN-K, CSN-NJ
Assistant Professor, Graduate & School Nurse Program Coordinator
E-mail: nephraim@njcu.edu
Phone: 201-200-3272