42nd Annual School Health Conference: Featuring Hands-On School Nursing Skills

Friday, October 16, 2026, 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Nationwide Children's Hospital Conference Center

ANCC Contact Hour(s) (7.00 hours), General Attendance (7.00 hours)

Please join us for the 42nd Annual School Health Conference: Featuring Hands-On School Nursing Skills hosted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a leading pediatric care facility and research institute. At Nationwide Children’s, we help kids everywhere and provide life-saving research and care. This year’s conference will highlight dynamic speakers on topics such as food allergies, EMS practices, digital boundaries, functional seizures, and much more. Participants of this conference will also have access to hands-on skills sessions. We encourage school nurses, school administration and other public health professionals involved in caring for children and families through schools to attend.

1. Identify new evidence-based practices in pediatric care that support student health.
2. Integrate updated practices in pediatric care into the day-to-day care for students in the school setting.
3. Recognize the difference school nurses and other professionals can make in advancing equity in health care for all children.
4. Obtain and review practical skill-based competencies through hands-on learning.

Group Discount:

We have a group discount of $25 per person available for groups of 3 or more people. For more information, please email Whitney Phillips ([email protected]). 

General Session Descriptions:

• From Panic to Plan: Practical Strategies for School Nurses while Supporting Students with Functional Seizures - This talk provides a practical overview of functional seizures—also known as psychogenic nonepileptic events (PNEE)—and equips school staff with the knowledge and confidence to support students who experience them. Functional seizures are real, involuntary episodes that resemble epileptic seizures but are not caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The session also explains how functional seizures differ from epileptic seizures, what they may look like in a school environment, and why a calm, consistent response is essential. By the end, attendees understand how to respond confidently and compassionately, helping students feel safe while minimizing disruption to learning. (In-Person and Virtual)

• EoE: the Asthma of the Esophagus - Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an increasingly common cause of swallowing and feeding difficulties in school-aged children, yet it is often underrecognized in everyday clinical settings. Often described as “the asthma of the esophagus,” EoE can significantly affect a child’s nutrition, social interactions, and confidence—particularly during meals at school and home. This educational presentation will review how EoE presents, how it is diagnosed, and what school nurses can look for at the bedside and in the classroom. Through a multidisciplinary approach involving gastroenterology, allergy/immunology, families, and school staff, young patients with EoE can safely manage symptoms and fully participate in daily life. (In-Person and Virtual)

• Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Food Allergies is Wrong - From diagnosis to management, our understanding of food allergies has evolved tremendously in recent years. On average, 1-2 children in every classroom has a food allergy. While this can be potentially life-threatening, it is also manageable. This fun, engaging session will offer current evidence-based perspective and strategies to allow every child with food allergies to safely participate in school activities. (In-Person and Virtual)

• Rethinking EMS: The 911 Call, Today's Challenges, and Tomorrow's Innovations - An overview of the current state and operations in the 911 call center. How it works today and how we might improve the service for better patient care alignment. (In-Person and Virtual)

Morning Breakout Session Descriptions:

• Legal Survival for School Nurses: From the Clinic to the Courtroom - This session provides an overview of the school nurse’s role in legal cases involving students, including abuse, neglect, dependency, and delinquency. Participants will learn how to recognize concerns, document observations clearly and objectively, and understand what to expect if called to testify in court. The goal is to build confidence and preparedness when navigating these sensitive and legally significant situations. (In-Person Only)

• Rooted in Confidence, Growing in Joy: A Journey to Lasting Happiness - This session explores how confidence and self-efficacy form the foundation for emotional well-being. By understanding how belief in one’s abilities fuels joy, resilience, and lasting contentment, participants will gain insight into practical ways to strengthen self-trust and cultivate happiness in everyday life with the use of reflection, interactive activities, evidence-based insight and practical tools to build positive emotional. (In-Person Only)

• Supporting Healthy Digital Boundaries - Technology is deeply embedded in students' daily lives, and school health professionals are uniquely positioned to see how technology affects students' physical, mental, and social health. This interactive workshop will explore how students use technology in friendships and relationships, how digital habits can impact well-being, and how online safety strategies evolve across developmental stages. Participants will learn about emerging trends in technology-facilitated abuse, including deepfakes and sextortion, along with practical strategies and resources to support safe and balanced technology use. (In-Person Only)

• Press Play, Not Pause: Behavior Activation to Promote Student Well-Being - This engaging session explores the benefits of behavioral activation for youth with or without depression or other mental health conditions. The session will focus on behavior activation as a tool that can be used to both prevent and treat even the most severe mental health conditions and one that can be delivered, not only through mental health professionals, but any adult in a young person’s life, including school personnel. The session will provide information and resources, as well as opportunities for school personnel to practice using behavioral activation in their own lives and with the youth they serve to promote student well-being. (In-Person and Virtual)

Afternoon Breakout Session Descriptions:

• Simulation Training for Common Adult Emergencies - Immerse yourself in a cutting-edge learning experience at our state-of-the-art simulation center. This hands-on training utilizes advanced interactive dolls to recreate realistic scenarios of common adult emergences that could occur in a school setting. Designed for educators, school nurses, and caregivers, this session provides practical skills and confidence to handle critical situations effectively. (In-Person Only)

• Simulation Training for Common Pediatric Emergencies - Immerse yourself in a cutting-edge learning experience at our state-of-the-art simulation center. This hands-on training utilizes advanced interactive dolls to recreate realistic scenarios of common pediatric emergences that could occur in a school setting. Designed for educators, school nurses, and caregivers, this session provides practical skills and confidence to handle critical situations effectively. (In-Person Only)

• Sugarland - Step into Sugarland, an interactive and engaging game inspired by the classic Candyland! This fun, hands-on experience blends learning and play to help participants build their knowledge of diabetes management. As players journey through Sugarland, they’ll explore important topics like blood sugar control, healthy choices, recognizing symptoms, and understanding treatments—all in an exciting and memorable way. (In-Person Only)

• Building Trust Through Communication - StartFragmentThis session is an interactive talk that explores why communication breakdowns occur, even among highly skilled professionals, and how differing roles, training, and priorities shape the way we communicate and receive information. Using a hands-on LEGO-based communication exercise, participants will experience the challenges of building shared understanding without a common mental model. The session highlights common barriers including assumptions, unclear language, and cognitive overload, while introducing practical strategies for more adaptive and collaborative communication. (In-Person Only)

• Protecting Our Students and Families - How to Become a Safe Storage Champion - This session will highlight the NCH’s work to reduce preventable injuries and deaths, specifically those attributed to firearms and poisonings. You will learn about local data, the NCH Safe storage program development, implementation, and impact. (In-Person Only)

• Saving a Life at School: Reflections, Challenges, and Takeaways After a Cardiac Arrest Event - An open, interactive roundtable discussion featuring a school nurse’s firsthand reflection on responding to a cardiac arrest event in a school setting. Participants will hear insights on what went well, challenges faced, and key lessons learned—from emergency response and team coordination to communication and emotional impact. The session will also provide opportunities for attendees to engage in discussion, share perspectives, and collaborate on strategies to strengthen preparedness and improve outcomes in future critical events. (In-Person Only)

In support of improving patient care, Nationwide Children's Hospital is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC),  and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), to provide continuing medical education for the healthcare team.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations received in writing no less than 20 days before the course will be refunded, less a 20% administrative fee. No refunds will be made on cancellations received after that date. Please send cancellation requests to [email protected].

Nationwide Children's Hospital reserves the right to cancel or postpone this program if necessary; in the event of cancellation, course fees will be fully refunded. We are not responsible for other costs incurred such as non-refundable airline tickets or hotel penalties.

Accessibility Statement
 
Nationwide Children's Hospital is committed to ensuring that its programs, services, goods and facilities are accessible to individuals with disabilities as specified under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008.  If you have needs that require special accommodations, including dietary concerns, please contact the CME Conference Coordinator.

The Nationwide Children's Hospital® adheres to ACCME Criteria, Standards and Policies regarding industry support of continuing medical education. Disclosure of faculty and their commercial relationships will be made prior to the activity.

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Nationwide Children's Hospital adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers or others are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

Friday, October 16, 2026

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