Diverse school staff participating in wellness activities, symbolizing health and community support.

Fit for Success: How School Nurses Champion Employee Wellness

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Kai Mendoza in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 5 min read.

"Discover how school nurses are leading the charge in developing effective employee wellness programs, boosting staff health, and ultimately improving student outcomes."


School nurses hold a unique position within the educational system. They are not only responsible for the health and well-being of students, but also have the opportunity to positively influence the health of school employees. Recognizing this potential, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) provides comprehensive support and evidence-based guidelines to empower school nurses in their multifaceted roles.

NASN's Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice™ serves as a roadmap for creating healthy and safe school environments. This framework prioritizes student health and academic success and aligns with the whole school, whole community, whole child model, fostering collaboration between learning and health initiatives. These models emphasize a student-centered approach that includes family, the school community, and school employees.

Inspired by the Johnson and Johnson School Health Leadership Program, a team of school nurses from Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) in Virginia, embarked on a mission to create sustainable change in their community. Their goal was to develop a comprehensive plan for the school division that would positively impact employee wellness and ultimately improve student achievement and educational outcomes. This article will delve into the ACPS Employee Wellness Program, known as "Finding Fit," and explore the strategies and tools employed in its development.

Finding Fit: Building a Healthier School Community

Diverse school staff participating in wellness activities, symbolizing health and community support.

"Finding Fit" is Alexandria City Public Schools' Employee Wellness Program, designed to provide resources and encourage employees to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle. The program is managed at the school division level, ensuring consistent support across all schools.

Each school within ACPS has a designated Wellness Champion – a staff member who helps disseminate health information and promote participation in the wellness program. Since the inception of "Finding Fit," an informative website was created and is maintained by a school nurse, serving as a central hub for program information (ACPS, 2018). The Wellness Program webpage highlights several key components:

  • Employee Assistance Program: Offers immediate, no-cost counseling assistance for emotional or work-life concerns, financial information, and legal support resources.
  • This Month's Focus on Your Health: Provides monthly updates on educational information, online seminars, and informative podcasts related to health and wellness.
  • Get Active in Alexandria: Features fun and active things to do in and around the community, including fitness classes, school-hosted activities, and events at the City of Alexandria's Community Recreation Centers.
  • Health Insurance Carrier Wellness Partnership: The school division's health insurance partners, Kaiser and United Healthcare, provide online health, fitness, and wellness programs and resources.
  • Annual Spring Health Challenge: A competition between all schools and the division office to encourage staff to engage in successful health and wellness practices.
Studies show that school-based staff health promotion programs have the potential to positively affect the health of the estimated 7.2 million staff working in U.S. elementary and secondary schools and save funds that could be more useful in other areas (Society for Public Health Education, 2013). These health promotion programs have been linked to reduced staff absenteeism, improved morale, increased physical activity, weight loss, improved blood pressure, and higher levels of general well-being. Faculty and staff health promotion programs, as part of a coordinated school health program, indirectly influence the health of students attending school daily (Society for Public Health Education, 2013).

The Ripple Effect: Healthier Staff, Healthier Students

The School Health Policies and Practices Study 2012 (Society for Public Health Education, 2013) emphasizes the recommendation of coordinated school health as a strategy for improving student health and learning. School nurses are in a unique position to influence staff and student health. Health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have found that employee wellness is related to positive health outcomes (ASCD & CDC, 2015).

These health outcomes in staff may contribute to a greater commitment to personal health and improved positive role modeling for students. Research shows that healthy staff who model healthy behaviors may lead to healthier students with improved academic outcomes (Gray et al., 2017). In fact, ACPS found the evidence presented by school nurses, including the whole school, whole community, whole child (WSCC) model, so compelling that a goal for staff wellness was added to the ACPS 2020 Strategic Plan (ACPS, 2015).

School nurses collaborating with division leadership, human resources, division insurers, and community partners have propelled Finding Fit Wellness Program off to a good start. School nurses can use their influence, working within the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice™™, to help develop employee wellness programs and make policy changes to align with the WSCC model (National Association of School Nurses, 2015).

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

Everything You Need To Know

1

What is the 'Finding Fit' program and why is it significant?

The 'Finding Fit' program, implemented by Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), is an employee wellness program designed to promote a healthy and active lifestyle among school staff. Its importance lies in its potential to improve staff health, which indirectly benefits students. The program's existence aligns with the understanding that the well-being of school staff correlates with positive outcomes for students. Its main components, like 'Employee Assistance Program' and 'Annual Spring Health Challenge', aim to create a supportive environment that extends to both staff and students.

2

What is a 'Wellness Champion' and why is this role important?

The 'Wellness Champion' is a staff member assigned to each school within Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) to facilitate health information and program participation. This role is crucial because it ensures consistent dissemination of health-related information and promotes staff engagement. The 'Wellness Champion' acts as a vital link between the division-level program ('Finding Fit') and individual schools, helping to create a culture of wellness throughout the school community.

3

What does the 'Employee Assistance Program' offer and why is it important?

The 'Employee Assistance Program' (EAP) provides immediate counseling, financial, and legal support to Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) employees. This is important because it addresses the various stressors that employees face, offering support and resources. By providing no-cost assistance for emotional, work-related, financial, or legal concerns, the EAP helps to improve employee well-being and reduce stress, contributing to a healthier school environment.

4

What is the role of the 'National Association of School Nurses' (NASN) and its 'Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice'?

The 'National Association of School Nurses' (NASN) provides support and guidelines to school nurses. The 'NASN's Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice' is a key resource because it offers a roadmap for promoting healthy school environments that support student health and academic success. The framework emphasizes collaboration between learning and health initiatives, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to student well-being and the role of school nurses in achieving these goals.

5

What is the 'Annual Spring Health Challenge' and why does it matter?

The 'Annual Spring Health Challenge' is a competition among schools and the division office within Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), encouraging staff to engage in wellness practices. Its significance is the promotion of active participation in health initiatives that leads to an overall improvement in staff health and well-being. By fostering friendly competition, the challenge motivates staff to adopt healthier habits, reinforcing the program's goals and ultimately contributing to improved student outcomes.

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