Description

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is a nonprofit specialty nursing organization, organized in 1968 and incorporated in 1977, representing school nurses exclusively. NASN has nearly 20,000 members and 49 affiliates, including one overseas.

Position Summary:

The Director of Data Initiatives provides leadership and implementation of strategic direction for the development, integration, and utilization of school health data and evidence to advance the mission of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN). This position leads NASN’s data infrastructure and analytics efforts, including oversight of the National School Health Data Set: Every Student Counts! (ESC!) and implementation of NASN’s School-based Active Surveillance Process (SBAS). The Director fosters a data-driven culture within NASN and among school nursing professionals and ensures that NASN’s data initiatives generate meaningful insights that inform practice, policy, and advocacy — thereby strengthening school nursing’s impact on student health outcomes at local, state, and national levels. Oversight of the Clinical Practice Guidelines and Implementation Toolkits to promote integration of evidence into school nursing practice and outcome-focused practice improvements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contributes to the implementation of NASN’s organization-wide data strategy that supports NASN’s strategic goals (see current strategic plan) and research priorities of workforce, sustainable school funding, data to promote the value of the school nurse, and child well-being. 
• Advises NASN Leadership, committees, and partners on the use of data for strategic planning, advocacy, and research priorities.
• Leads NASN’s efforts to elevate data capacity, data literacy, data ethics, and evidence-based decision-making across NASN staff teams, programs, BOD, affiliates, school nurses, and stakeholders. 
• Leads NASN’s data-based initiatives and programs including leading NASN’s National School Health Data Set: Every Student Counts! data collection initiative, and the implementation of NASN’s Active Surveillance program.
• Leads initiatives to build data capacity among school nurses, offering education and tools for effective data collection and utilization within ESC!, SBAS, and other organizational-wide projects.
  • Ensures the programs maintain rigorous data standards, consistency, and compliance with ethical and privacy expectations (e.g., FERPA, HIPAA).
  • Oversees data collection processes, validation, integration with national education and health data sources, and collaborates with state affiliates, school nurses, and school systems to strengthen data capacity.
  • Produces and disseminates reports, dashboards, and policy briefs that highlight key findings and trends in school health and nursing practice.
  • Partners with research and government affairs teams to leverage NASN’s project data, including ESC!, to inform publications, advocacy efforts, and national discourse.
• Coordinates the development of clinical practice guidelines and toolkits and the integration of research and education into practice.
• Represents NASN as a thought leader on national data initiatives and partnerships relevant to school health.
• Reviews NASN materials and publications related to data integration into practice and identifying school nurse and student outcomes.
• Collaborates with project team members and NASN leadership to develop analytic frameworks, dashboards, and visualizations that support timely, data-informed decision-making. This includes data analyses to assess program impact, member engagement, workforce trends, and national school health outcomes.
• Leads collaboration among internal departments and project teams to ensure strategic use of data across NASN programs, including the design, management, and optimization of data systems that support NASN’s educational, membership, and research initiatives.
• Serves as a liaison to external research partners, professional associations, and public health agencies to advance shared school health data goals.
• Provides input into program and evaluation design, including program needs assessment and evaluation skills.
• Establishes and maintains data governance policies and procedures to safeguard security, privacy, and ethical use of data to ensure compliance with relevant data protection laws and best practices.
• Manages budgets and resources related to data programs and projects.
• Serves as Principal Investigator for NASN projects, as needed.
• Supervises staff and contractors dedicated to data functions, including analysts and program coordinators.
• Prepares and delivers presentations, reports, and grant proposals to advance NASN’s data agenda. 
• Serves as a member of NASN Staff Nursing Team and NASN Management and Internal Research Team.

Other Duties and Responsibilities (Departmental/project-related duties):

• Participates in assuring association data accuracy and consistency.
• Participates on cross-departmental teams for specific work projects.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Skills):

• Current and active registered nurse licensure with school health, community health, or public health background.
• Master’s degree in: Data Science, Health Informatics, Public Health, Nursing, or related field required; Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) preferred.
• Certification as NCSN, preferred.  
• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience in data analytics, research, or informatics within healthcare, public health, or education.
• Demonstrated experience developing and leading organizational data strategies. Experience with national-level data projects ESC! and SBAS), especially related to health or education, strongly preferred.
• Experience in management of large-scale datasets, dashboards, and data reporting systems related to school nursing, child health, or population health-related data, preferred.
• Experience with development of clinical guidelines and translation of evidence to practice, preferred.
• Strong analytical, conceptual, and communication skills (oral and written), including the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.
• Proven leadership ability and experience mentoring cross-disciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with data privacy laws relevant to children and educational settings. 
• Experience in project/grant management with proficiency in program needs assessment and evaluation skills. Experience as a Principal Investigator is highly preferred.
• Flexibility in independent and collaborative working structure to pivot as needed to support project and team needs.
• Ability to travel overnight (approximately 5-10%) across the U.S. to support data initiatives, participate in organization-wide meetings, and participate in external meetings and/or conferences. 

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Environment: Remote work setting with occasional interruptions.
• Physical: Ability to perform sedentary work, including prolonged sitting or standing, occasional stooping, bending, kneeling, and lifting light to moderate weights. Frequent use of technology and travel within the U.S. 
• Vision and Hearing: Normal visual and auditory ranges, with or without correction.

NOTE: This job description outlines the general nature and level of work expected. It is not exhaustive and may evolve based on organizational needs. Reasonable accommodation will be made for individuals with disabilities.

Location:    Remote

Benefits:    Health, Dental and Vision Insurance: Group Life, STD, LTD Insurance; Paid Time Off; 403(b) Retirement Account

To apply:    Email the following to kmcduffie@nasn.org with the subject line: Director of Data Initiatives:

• Resume
• letter of interest with salary requirement
• references