Rau receives national recognition for school nursing work at LPS

July 23, 2025

Wendy Rau’s passion for boosting the mental and physical health of students has helped her reach the pinnacle of the school nursing profession.

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) added Rau to an elite list of National Academy of School Nursing Fellows this summer. Rau, the director of health services at Lincoln Public Schools, was one of eight people to participate in an induction ceremony at the NASN’s national conference in Austin, Texas. The honor of school nursing fellow is the most prestigious recognition that the NASN bestows on members. The group has inducted only 138 school nursing fellows since 1997.

Nebraska School Nurses Association (NSNA) leaders Jessica Truman and Megan Lytle said Rau has earned the respect of school nurses from across the country. Truman served as NSNA president this past school year and Lytle, a health services coordinator at LPS, has taken the presidential baton for 2025-26. Both have watched Rau promote the school nursing profession with an uplifting mix of determination, dedication and kindness.

“Not only is Wendy a fabulous school nurse, she is an even better leader,” Lytle said. “Wendy leads by example, is forward-thinking and is always trying to improve the practice of school nursing – not just in Lincoln Public Schools but around the country. Wendy is empowering, encouraging and so humble. She is a true role model.”

“She has a full understanding of what it means to be a school nurse, how legislation affects our work, and the leadership style necessary to support and grow a strong team of school nurses,” Truman said. “Wendy has helped guide our association through conflicts and changes with a calm, patient and confident demeanor. I admire that Wendy consistently works to improve practices – not just for the sake of efficiency, but to enhance student outcomes.”

Former NSNA president Lori Bouda has also worked with Rau on many state projects. She said Rau is “an amazing leader and person” who has elevated school nursing in Nebraska.

“Wendy is collaborative, reliable and brings a positive energy to the team,” Bouda said. “I’ve appreciated her thoughtful input and strong commitment to advancing school nursing.”

Rau said she was honored to be inducted as a national fellow. She said the support she has received from her LPS co-workers made the trip to Texas even more memorable.

“It is extremely rewarding to work with the best school nurse leaders in the country,” Rau said. “Our school nurses at LPS are extremely dedicated to their students and they are extremely growth-minded. They always have that thought that we want to be growing together, being innovative in our care and always doing what is best for students.”

Rau said she has enjoyed every step of her LPS journey. She began working as a school nurse at Lincoln High in 2005 and became director of health services in 2017.

“I absolutely fell in love with school nursing because I have a huge passion for providing care to our students,” Rau said. “Now with my new role, I have even more of a passion for growing school nurse leaders and providing school nurse mentorship.”

Rau has compiled a lengthy resume on local, state and national levels. She was NSNA president in 2014-15, served on the State Immunization Advisory Committee from 2014-20 and was on the NASN Board of Directors from 2017-21. She received the Nebraska School Nurse Administrator of the Year Award in 2020 and served on the NASN Executive Committee in 2020-21.

Rau is on the editorial panel of the “NASN School Nurse” publication, is a reviewer for “The Journal of School Nursing” and is the current NSNA treasurer. She conducts appraisals for 64 LPS school nurses, oversees a mentorship program for new school nurses and coordinates all health services programming and staff training.

Truman said Rau has produced a national blueprint for helping both the mental and physical health of students. She said her creativity has led to many life-changing solutions.

“The school nurse role is a unique one that often requires thinking outside the box,” Truman said. “Wendy always keeps the bigger picture in mind.”

One example came in 2017 when Rau implemented multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) strategies in LPS health offices. The prosocial learning has helped hundreds of students understand how stress-causing events and emotions can affect them physically.

“By intertwining the MTSS framework in their health office practice, they’ve created a model that can be emulated by other districts in addressing the rising mental health needs of students,” Truman said.

Lytle said there have been many other instances where Rau has advocated for students. She has advised the NSNA about topics such as asthma self-management, concussion protocols and cardiac emergency responses. She has also created health training videos, led CPR classes, coordinated immunization clinics and developed plans to add automated external defibrillator (AED) devices at every LPS school building.

“Wendy is a great school nurse because she uses a student-centered lens,” Lytle said. “She is always thinking about what is best for the student and family.”

Truman felt Rau will make a major difference to many more LPS students for the rest of her career.

“I am confident Wendy will continue to positively influence our state’s school health structure to ensure it remains in alignment with evidence-based practice and the National Association of School Nurses,” Truman said. “She truly sets the bar for excellence in school health across Nebraska.”

Learn more about the many ways that the LPS Health Services team helps students across the school district at home.lps.org/healthservices.

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