New President's Message

Greetings School Nurses, NYSASN Members and Board of Directors,

I’m proud to becoming the President of the only professional organization in the state that solely represents school nurses. NYSASN offers excellent education conferences and represent school nurses at the state level. Our conferences offer more than educational opportunities. It’s a time to have fun and unite with our school nurse colleagues.

My very first encounter with NYSASN was the year 2000 at School Nurse Orientation in Lake Placid. Even though I was an experienced RN, for over 20 years, I knew that I had much to learn about school nursing. I sat in awe, listening and learning from these wonderful, kind, and highly skilled school nurses and knew that “I wanted to be like them and have my Health Office run like theirs”  

It takes many committed individuals to run an effective, well-run organization. Since 1986, NYSASN’s Board of Directors has tirelessly worked to provide exceptional education programs and support to school nurses who have varying degrees of experience and knowledge.  Being at the helm of a volunteer organization, such as NYSASN, is a challenging and compelling, yet rewarding, position. I’m the spokesperson and the “Go To” person when issues and questions arise. With your support I hope to meet these challenges.

We continue to work towards the “School Nurse in every school” mandate, forever hopeful our state legislators and school officials will see the value we bring to our school communities. We have combined forces with NYSUT and the Collective Care Team in supporting bills to get this accomplished.

We need to reinforce to New York’s School Nurses that we are the liaison between home, school and community resources. I will help guide the various members throughout the state in Our Mission. Which is: To advance the practice of school nursing and enhance the educational success of students by promoting quality health services.

 We have survived a Pandemic and now we are considered experts in public health and communicable disease. We have been invited to participate as policy makers for school health practice. We have, as always, risen to the occasion and emerged as champions of the children of New York State.

NYSASN past leaders and their commonsense approaches, perseverance and hard work paved the way for NYSASN’s viability. We continue to stand behind the foundation they built in 1986 by main training and building upon the professionalism and values they developed

As Florence Nightingale once said, “Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses … we must be learning all of our lives. “Together we are stronger!

Sincerely.

Jill Kenney

President