Coordinated support system for STUDENTS with epilepsy - components B1 and B4 - children spend a significant amount of time in school (national center on education and the economy, 2020

Schools present an opportunity to support STUDENTS with epilepsy to increase their self-management, address physical and social needs, and provide training needed to help them progress through school and into adulthood. School nurses play a critical role in ensuring that STUDENTS with epilepsy are safe in school by providing chronic disease management, educating the school community on seizure safety, and bridging the GAP between the school, STUDENTS, and underutilized community-based services. Nasn?S coordinated support system for STUDENTS with epilepsy (CSSSE) program (components B1 and B4) will increase the capacity of school nurses to serve as the linchpin that binds the work together and coordinates efforts to support the needs of STUDENTS with epilepsy during school and as they transition out of high school. Nasn?S CSSSE program is grounded in the evidence-based concept of strategic multi-sectoral community coalition-building that brings key stakeholders together to coordinate and address the local needs of a population (janosky ET AL., 2013). Critical stakeholders in this effort include state and regional level epilepsy resources and organizations; local community resources that address the social needs caused by social determinants of health (SDOH); and creators of school and district culture and policies that address epileptic crises, promote self-management, and create a culture of inclusion to reduce stigma associated with epilepsy. Critical components of this project include: a national advisory group consisting of national organizations that will help identify state and regional epilepsy resources and connect them with nasn?S state school nurse affiliate chapters to form state school epilepsy teams. Epilepsy school nurse navigators (ESNN) , school nurse leaders who can help bridge the GAP between the state epilepsy team and L ocal school nurse district leaders, and disseminate information to school nurses in the district. Training, toolkits, and resources to build school nurses capacity related to seizure management, addressing SDOH, building coordinated coalitions, and fostering a culture of health and safety. Outcomes: at the end of nasn?S CSSSE program, sustainable changes will have been made in schools? Capacity to increase social participation among STUDENTS with epilepsy, reduce the stigma and social isolation of people (STUDENTS) with epilepsy, and improve the health and quality of life among people (STUDENTS) with epilepsy. The proposed project will meet the immediate and future needs of STUDENTS with epilepsy in the school setting, while also assisting STUDENTS? Self-management and transition to being successful adults. Overarching outcomes of this project are to increase knowledge among school nurses about epilepsy, seizure first aid and epilepsy stigma, and increase referrals of STUDENTS with epilepsy to community-based services, self-management programs, and specialist healthcare providers.