PSNI Professional Development
School Health Webinars
April 15, 2027
Times
- 2:00 - 2:30p - Eastern
- 1:00 - 1:30p - Central
- 12:00 - 12:30p - Mountain
- 11:00 - 11:30a - Pacific
More Than Pain: Recognizing and Responding to Sickle Cell Emergencies at School
A student with sickle cell disease arrives at the health office complaining of pain and fatigue, but how do you determine what can be managed at school and what requires immediate escalation? Through realistic case scenarios, this session will examine common school-based presentations of sickle cell disease and the clinical decisions that school health professionals may face during the school day. Participants will explore approaches to pain management, hydration, fever, activity, and communication while recognizing that each student’s presentation and care plan may differ. Emphasis will be placed on assessment, early recognition of complications, individualized care planning, documentation, and knowing when the situation has moved beyond routine school-based management.
Learning Objectives
1. Recognize common and potentially serious presentations of sickle cell disease in the school setting and differentiate routine symptoms from situations requiring urgent escalation.
2. Develop a practical, student-centered response to pain, fever, fatigue, and other concerns while incorporating the student’s individualized healthcare plan.
3. Identify essential assessment findings, interventions, documentation, and communication that support safe care and timely escalation.
Webinar Speaker
The speaker is: Matthew Hickling, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC
Matthew Hickling is a board-certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with experience spanning developmental pediatrics, primary care, and school health systems. He most recently served as a Chief Nursing Officer and as a Medical Director for a public school district in New York, where he led initiatives to improve student health services, emergency preparedness, and care coordination.
He continues to practice in developmental pediatrics and is actively working with schools, the state, and hospital systems to expand telehealth access for students and families. Matthew also consults and mentors medical directors and school nurse leaders nationwide and holds a School Nurse Leadership Certification through Northeastern University School Health Academy. He serves on the Board of Directors for the New York State Association of School Nurses and presents nationally on pediatric and school health innovation.
Nursing contact hours (0.5 contact hours for each workshop) are provided by Northeastern University School of Nursing, accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.