The Overseas School Health Nurses Association (OSHNA) is the professional organization for Registered Nurses employed overseas as School Nurses in the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS), not in the continental United States.  OSHNA is unified with National Association of School Nurses (NASN). Membership fees for NASN include OSHNA membership. Last year, we had over 103 members, located in 12 countries, from Cuba to Iceland, throughout Europe, and the Pacific.

What OSHNA can do for you.

The Board of Directors meets several times a year and is in touch, electronically, on a daily basis. Board members meet on their own time and expense to work for the entire organization. The Board works with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and other organizations to advance the practice of overseas school nursing DoDDS. There is an OSHNA newsletter mailed/e-mailed to members twice a year. OSHNA interprets overseas DoDDS School Nursing to Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and NASN, as we are a unique group working under our own state licenses in an overseas setting.

OSHNA was instrumental in ensuring that there is at least one school nurse in every school in the DoDDS system. According to NASN, we are ranked 4th for nurse to student ratio within all NASN affiliates.

OSHNA leaders are in communication with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools leadership. Issues being addressed include:
     - a new nurses in-service held early in each school year,
     - administrative leave (TDY) for an OSHNA annual conference,
     - nursing leadership within the administrative levels of DoDDS,
     - appropriate school nursing staffing,
     - a yearly conference, brining the most up-to-date information on school health to our members,
     - continuing the work on the Health Services Guide which sets the acceptable standard for our comprehensive school health programs,
     - a unified job description
     - representation of School Nurse issues to respective bargaining agencies (FEA/OFT)