National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is a professional society of about 18,000 members that promotes the placement of a permanent full-time registered nurse in every school in the United States. The group was founded in 1968 as an arm of the National Education Association (NEA) labor union but later became an independent organization.

The organization has affiliated chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as an international chapter catering to school nurses overseas. The organization’s main priorities include providing training and credentialing to school nurses as well as lobbying the federal government for more funding for school nurse placement. The organization also lobbies for increasing regulation and taxation of tobacco products as well as the regulation and taxation of harm-reduction products such as e-cigarettes. ^{1 2}

The organization has also drawn scrutiny from right-leaning advocacy group Parents Defending Education for its left-of-center policies on gender identity and sexual orientation affirmation and “safe spaces” in public schools. ³

Background

National Association of School Nurses was founded in 1968 as the Department of School Nurses, an arm of the National Education Association labor union. In 1979 the organization became a separate entity from the NEA and a hub for the state-level school nurse associations. ⁴

The association’s individual membership program claims over 18,000 school nurses as members. The group also has affiliated state-level associations of school nurses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia with an additional chapter catering to international school nurses. The group’s state affiliates lobby their respective states to promote funding of school nurse positions and other issues at the state level. ⁵

Policy Stances

The National Association of School Nurses’ top legislative priority is funding for a full-time registered nurse on site the entire school day in every school in the United States. At the federal level, the organization supports legislation that funds nursing positions in under-funded school districts. Such legislation in the 117th Congress is titled the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act and is sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in the Senate and Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) in the House. ⁶

The association supports the Tobacco Tax Equity Act, which would increase tobacco taxes and create the first ever tax on e-cigarettes at the federal level, and the Improving the Social Determinants of Health Act, which gives the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) additional authority to investigate the “social” aspects affecting health. The Tobacco Tax Equity Act is sponsored by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and the Improving the Social Determinants of Health Act is sponsored by Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA) as well as Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Chris Murphy (D-CT). ⁷

The association also supported the Biden administration’s large American Rescue Plan funding package and distributed talking points for state and local school nurse groups to request specific funding from American Rescue Plan funds. ⁸

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the association expressed “concerns” about the return to in person schooling and supported mask mandates in public schools. ^{9 10}

LGBT Policies

National Association of School Nurses has issued a policy statement supporting LGBT students and providing “safe spaces” for them. The policy was criticized by right-leaning advocacy group Parents Defending Education. ¹¹

1. “Legislative Priorities and Outreach.” National Association of School Nurses. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/advocacy-priorities-outreach
2. “National Association of School Nurses.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-association-of-school-nurses/about/
3. “12-year-old student invited to after-school art club finds herself in a meeting about trans and queer identity where she is told to keep secrets and that parents aren’t safe.” Parents Defending Education. May 10, 2022. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://defendinged.org/incidents/12-year-old-student-invited-to-afterschool-art-club-finds-herself-in-a-meeting-about-trans-and-queer-identity-where-she-is-told-to-keep-secrets-and-that-parents-arent-safe/
4. “Our History.” National Association of School Nurses. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.nasn.org/about-nasn/about/our-history
5. “Legislative Priorities and Outreach.” National Association of School Nurses. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/advocacy-priorities-outreach
6. “Legislative Priorities and Outreach.” National Association of School Nurses. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/advocacy-priorities-outreach
7. “Legislative Priorities and Outreach.” National Association of School Nurses. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/advocacy-priorities-outreach
8. “American Rescue Plan.” National Association of School Nurses. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/arp
9. “NASN Raises Concerns for School Communities in Face of Omicron.” National Association of School Nurses. January 12, 2022. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.nasn.org/blogs/nasn-inc/2022/01/12/concerns-for-school-communities-in-face-of-omicron
10. “National Association of School Nurses Statement on Schools Providing In-person Learning.” National Association of School Nurses. July 21, 2021. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.nasn.org/blogs/eva-wang/2021/07/21/nasn-statement-on-schools-providing-in-person-lear
11. “12-year-old student invited to after-school art club finds herself in a meeting about trans and queer identity where she is told to keep secrets and that parents aren’t safe.” Parents Defending Education. May 10, 2022. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://defendinged.org/incidents/12-year-old-student-invited-to-afterschool-art-club-finds-herself-in-a-meeting-about-trans-and-queer-identity-where-she-is-told-to-keep-secrets-and-that-parents-arent-safe/