What is APNA doing for school nurses?

APNA is the peak body and professional membership association for all nurses working outside of a hospital setting in Australia. Primary health care is the first level of contact individuals, families, and communities have with the health care system. School nurses play a critical role in maintaining children and adolescents' physical and mental health.

Your work in preventative health education can have a positive impact on the long-term health of students. School nurses are an essential part of the health system and are often the first point of contact for students who require medical attention, and you provide essential support to the students, families, and school staff. 

After a lengthy amalgamation process, School Nurses Australia officially joined APNA in late August 2022.

When utilised well, your impact is life-changing for students and staff. And that's what we've been advocating for at a state and national level.

School nurses are an afterthought when health policy gets decided - and this has to change. This year, we have already been advocating ahead of the NSW State election at the Regional Health Workforce Conference.

We've been ensuring to include you in the 10-Year Nursing Strategy developed by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Allison Macmillan.

School nurses who are APNA members receive up-to-date education and resources; the latest industry news and guidelines; expert advice and support, career tools and professional benefits.

Let's go into more detail: 

Nurse Support Line

You can receive one-on-one support from experienced nurses with school nursing knowledge on APNA’s Nurse Support Line. We are working on tailoring our suite of resources specifically for school nurses. If you have a question about a clinical issue, regulation or guideline, we’re only a phone call away. Or you can email us at nursesupport@apna.asn.au

Education

We facilitate Educational Events, Workshops, and Webinars throughout the year. You can learn, connect and re-energise alongside other school nurses at the annual APNA Conference, with various education sessions planned for school nurses.

NurseTalk

Keep an eye out for our NurseTalk events! An opportunity to top up your CPD and network in your local area. We know this is important to you, and we ensure the educational content is relevant to school nurses.

Nursing Australia Podcast

Have you listened to Nursing Australia? It’s the most popular nursing podcast in the country! It’s a news and education podcast for Australian nurses, presented by APNA

Keep up-to-date with the latest news you need to know, listen to powerful interviews, learn with education segments and hear stories from nurses on the frontline of Australian health. You can listen to the podcast via your favourite podcast app.

The Connect

Our weekly e-newsletter arrives in your inbox on Mondays, keeping you updated on clinical guidelines, news and events and education opportunities. We aim to provide a balance of resources for nurses working across all primary health care settings.

Online learning

We know that access to fully flexible online learning content is essential to nurses. We also know that school nurses work nationwide across an incredibly diverse range of settings.

Not only do you support students, but you often provide support to your entire school community. You’ll find a broad range of online modules in our online learning store, including at least 30 that are relevant for school nurses.

Insurance

And finally, we are here to help you to protect your livelihood and career. APNA has negotiated cost-effective Professional Indemnity Insurance for its members, covering school nurses for anything within their scope of practice.

If you have any further questions, please email membership@apna.asn.au 

Watch the full video here.