August 2023

Vol. 2, Issue 7

Welcome to a new school year!

It was so great seeing your smiling faces this summer at AASN and MEGA. We know

this time of year can be exciting and exhausting, especially with all the things you, our school nurses, do! On behalf of Children’s of Alabama, thank you for all the love

and kindness you show your students everyday. We hope you have a great school

year, and please let us know if we can help in any way!

The Monthly Spotlight

Neurosurgical Awareness Month

Because August is Neurosurgical Awareness Month, we wanted to take a moment to highlight concussions. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can be caused by a hit, bump, or jolt to the head causing the brain to bounce around in the skull which can stretch and damage the brain cells.¹Some common symptoms of concussions include headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue/drowsiness, blurry vision, and ringing in the ears.² Physical and mental rest is necessary for recovery. Abstaining from looking at a screen, reading, listening to loud music, and physical activity will help alleviate symptoms. Students might need to miss a few days of school following their concussion; however, as the student starts to feel better, it is best for them to try to complete as many classes a day as they comfortably can.³

Stay tuned for the video recording from this summer's Concussion updat e which will be available on myschoolnurse.net soon. The slides from each session, including the Concussion update, are now available.

1. Mayo Clinic - Concussion

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Brain Injury Basics

3. Cleveland Clinic - Concussion

Sports Safety

A good way to prevent concussions and other sports related injuries is practicing sports safety. Children are at an increased risk of sports injury because their bodies are still growing and developing.¹ Using appropriate and well fitted gear for their activity can prevent or greatly reduce the severity of the child’s injury. Reminding kids to hydrate before, during, and after activity, as well as having the coach implement mandatory water breaks, can prevent dehydration amongst other heat related illnesses. Children won’t always tell you when they’re not feeling their best, so as adults if you see something out of the ordinary, a good rule of thumb is "when in doubt, sit them out.”²

Visit KidsHealth for more information on concussions, sports safety, and heat illness.

If you have any questions concerning school nurse workshops or any other school nurse resources available at Children's of Alabama, please reach out to our School Nurse Liaison, Ginger Parsons, via telephone at (205) 638-6287 or email at ginger.parsons@childrensal.org

Did you know...

The slides from this summer's school nurse workshops are now available on our website. Stay tuned for the full length recordings of each session soon!
Our website houses numerous free resources you can access at any time, including full recordings of previous school nurse workshops.

Visit our website for more info

Think First Alabama is part of a National Injury Prevention Foundation dedicated to preventing brain, spinal cord and other traumatic injuries. This program is available to your school FREE of charge, and is designed to provide age appropriate injury prevention education for children of all ages.

For more information, or to schedule a session at your school, you can reach out to Julie Farmer via telephone at 205- 638-2729 or email at julie.farmer@childrensal.org

Need help educating your students and parents?

Check out KidsHealth

Printable resources with advice on children's health, behavior, and growth from before birth through the teenage years
Information on a variety of topics including how the body works, homework help, and more
Approved by doctors, and has separate sections written specifically for parents, teens, and kids

If you have any suggestions on future content you would like to see featured in our newsletter, please reach out to us via email at healthedu.safety@childrensal.org.

Inside Pediatrics

Inside Pediatrics is a free monthly podcast series featuring specialists at Children’s of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Episodes cover topics related to child health and wellness, research and treatment, and frequently complement articles appearing in Inside Pediatrics magazine.