A Message from School Health Services

Beginning January 1st, 2025, the School Health Screening and SBIRT in Schools trainings will no longer be required for DESE licensure.  If you have a license pending, and all you are missing are these two trainings, your license will be processed ASAP.  We will continue to offer the trainings, as they ARE required if you will be conducting the screenings, but we hope this helps to reduce one of the barriers for those who are working on licensure, or for those who need to hire new school nurses.  From January 1st onward, ONLY the Foundations of School Nursing Practice and Medication Administration in a School Setting: School Nursing Practice in Massachusetts will be required for Initial licensure

A Quick Message About Purchase Orders

 We have received an unprecedented amount of purchase order requests. Thus, we've had to update our timeline to 6-8 weeks. This means you will receive your purchase order invoice within 6-8 weeks. We appreciate your patience!

A Message About Our Price Increase

As announced on our website in July, due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to make the difficult decision to increase the prices of our courses as of August 1st, 2024. We understand that price increases can be challenging. This decision was not made lightly and was necessary to address increased costs due to inflation while also facing a reduction in state and federal funding. For the past eight years, SHIELD has maintained pricing that was well below industry standards. The increased fees reflect standardization across all courses while remaining within typical price points for professional continuing education. We remain committed to providing the accessible, high-quality training you expect from us while keeping costs as low as possible. Should we receive additional funding in the future, we will prioritize reducing our prices again.

Note: Due to budget constraints, only two audit courses are available: (AUDIT) Medication Administration in a School Setting: School Nursing Practice in Massachusetts and (AUDIT) School Health Screenings. However, any course previously completed for credit on our website remains available for re-review at no cost.

Thank you for your understanding,

BU SHIELD

Mandated Trainings

Public school nurses must be licensed by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and complete an orientation program defined by the MA Department of Public Health (MDPH). These four (4) mandated trainings meet the MDPH entry-level educational requirements for school nurses.

The Essentials of School Nurse Leadership

This self-paced online course offers individual learners foundational tools and actionable strategies that align with modern leadership practices. It is designed to enhance knowledge, skills, and behaviors — empowering nurses to be successful in the school setting and act as leaders in their community.