School nursing, as defined by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), is a specialized practice of public health nursing that protects and promotes student health, facilitates normal development, and advances academic success. School nurses, grounded in ethical and evidence-based practice, are leaders that bridge health care and education, provide care coordination, advocate for quality student-centered care, and collaborate to design systems that allow individuals and communities to develop their full potential (NASN, June 2016).

The overarching aim of the graduate-level School Nurse Certificate Program is to educate nurses to become change agents and health thought leaders in diverse school populations and communities. The program is grounded in theory that prepares students to advocate for their schools and communities, and provides evidenced-based, student-centered care. By utilizing the NASN framework for 21st-Century School Nursing Practice and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDCs) Whole School Whole Child Whole Community Model, students incorporate a model for nursing practice and care coordination that infuses a core set of values reflecting integrity, accountability, and responsibility for ethical practice.

The student teaching and school health office clinical practicum experience enable students to learn in a school setting with careful mentoring and guidance from a certified school nurse preceptor. Through engaged civic learning, students explore how social determinants and health inequities impact overall health and well-being, and the pivotal role of school nursing in building and sustaining healthy communities.