Summer break never feels long enough, especially for faculty and staff. As quickly as students empty the halls on the last day of school, employees are already gearing up for the year ahead. For school nurses, these precious months can be some of the best times to reflect, rejuvenate, and prepare their office for success.

To help school nurses find that perfect balance between rejuvenation and preparation for the back-to-school season, we’ve compiled the top activities and habits to focus on during these key months of the year. Whether you apply one tip or embrace them all, we hope these strategies will set you up for a successful school year!

Prioritize Self-Care

As summer break begins, it’s important to take time for yourself. As a school nurse, you are trained to care for others – but don’t forget, your care begins with you! Take some time to prioritize you with any of these self-care tips:

· Start a Digital Detox: Temporarily say goodbye to the emails and the student files, taking some time to do a little digital detox. Of course, school nurses who are still working during the summer will still have to answer an email or two (or ten!) but take this time to learn that new hobby you’ve always wanted to try or take language lessons for your upcoming trip to Italy. Get out in nature, go for walks or bike rides, or hangout by the beach.

· Implement a Routine: Setting a daily routine offers a wide range of mental, physical, and emotional benefits for yourself. From boosting mental clarity to reducing stress, daily routines like eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep can innately set your mind and body up for long-term success. Mindful practices like meditation or journaling can also help you to slow down and destress after the school year.

· Embrace Slow Living: Don’t feel pressure to be productive in your off time. Use this time to rest and remember who you are outside of a school nurse. Meeting up with friends and family is always a great way to recharge!

Reflect and Plan for the School Year

During the summer, take time to write down notes and ideas in a journal. Reflect on the past school year — what worked and what didn’t go as planned. This can help you pivot where needed and slowly start to create a plan for next year. Set goals for the upcoming school year, including projects

you may want to work on as well as personal career goals. Journaling and brainstorming are great ways to find a renewed purpose for the next school year.

Connect With Athletics and Counseling

As you near the beginning of the school year, set up a meeting with the other healthcare professional at your school to ensure you’re all on the same page. Figure out the best methods of communication and how to collaborate for the year ahead. If you use Magnus Health, determine the best way to share information with everyone. How will you document health center visits? Will everyone access treatment notes within the platform? Take the time to ensure you’re aligned on how to use the platform best.

Reassess Equipment

Where on earth did all the band-aids go? Did all the ice packs make their way to the gym? Why is there only one crutch and not two!?

By the end of the school year, the nurses’ office supply can be running low. Take stock of your inventory and make note of any supplies that need to be replenished or replaced. Check expiration dates and test all equipment to ensure it’s in working order.

Prepare Family Communication

School nurses emerge from summer break feeling refreshed and relaxed, only to face the craziness and dread of all the back-to-school paperwork that awaits them. In that precious time before the students get back in the classrooms, take the time to draft parent communications and back-to-school forms ahead of time.

Schools with 350-400 students save an average of 120 hours of paper a year on just back-to-school forms when they digitize their student health information. You can use Magnus Health to set up request forms and reminders, as well as automated emails to track down missing information and files from parents. Magnus Health can greatly help with form compliance, providing up to 98% compliance by the end of July. Our app makes it easy for parents to easily upload forms and information.

Update Policies and Processes

Take the time to review your school’s health policies and procedures. Is there anything that feels out of date? Was there a situation last year that could have benefited from a procedure being put in place?

When you take the time to reflect on the wins and misses of last school year, you can use that information to improve existing workflows and your nursing framework. This can greatly free up administrative time when the school year starts. Health staff spends 38% of their time on admin tasks like reviewing and approving health information and documents. Magnus Health can help you make your process more efficient, freeing up valuable time to be one-on-one with students.

Whether you’re working or relaxing this summer, remember that balance is important. Give yourself a pat on the back and take the time to recharge and prioritize yourself. Then as back-to-school season approaches, you can begin to reflect and prepare for the year ahead. Enjoy the summer!