Addressing School Connectedness, Belonging, and Culturally Appropriate Care for Newly Immigrated Students and Families.

School connectedness is the degree to which students experience acceptance, inclusion, and care by school personnel and peers. A sense of belonging incorporates an emotional connection to the community. School connectedness and belonging are protective factors that promote student engagement, accomplishment, and community performance. Despite the rise in students from immigrant families in the United States, belonging and connectedness for youth from diverse cultural and linguistic experiences are understudied. School-based nurses, our term, is inclusive of advanced practice pediatric, family, and psychiatric nurse practitioners, are well-positioned to support school connectedness for youth who may encounter hurdles to health care because of cultural and linguistic differences. We present practice suggestions for language, culture, and inclusion using three health conditions experienced by youth: anxiety, asthma, and obesity. School-based nurses and other school personnel who provide linguistic and culturally appropriate care can support students in feeling connected and included in their school communities.

Perceptions of School Nurses in Addressing Student Mental Health Concerns: An Integrative Review.

Mental health disorders in school-aged children are on the rise. The need for mental health care is well recognized, and the provision of this care in schools is recommended. An integrative review explored how school nurses view their role in addressing students' mental health. Fourteen articles were identified, eleven using a qualitative design and three using a quantitative design. Findings suggest that school nurses see their role as trusted members of the school community. They perceive upholding standards of practice as an integral part of their position and recognize competence in mental health care to be highly important. Practice recommendations include providing school nurses with evidence-based training on managing the mental health needs of students, as well as ensuring access to school nurses who can provide mental health supervision in the community.

School Nurses as Vital Members of 504 and Individualized Educational Program Teams: Do District-Level Policies Make a Difference in School Nurses' Involvement?

In 2019, 10 to 20 million school-aged youth were identified as having a chronic health condition or disability. However, little is known about U.S. school district policies on school nurses' participation in Individualized Educational Program (IEP) and Section 504 teams to support these youth. Using nationally representative district-level data from the 2016 School Health Policies and Practices Study, we examined whether U.S. school districts have policies on school nurse participation in IEP and 504 development. In addition, we examined the relationship between having such policies and policies on (a) creating and maintaining school teams to assist students with disabilities and (b) the participation of other essential school staff in IEP and 504 development. Among districts with policies regarding school nurse participation in IEP development versus those that did not, a significantly greater proportion had policies on student support teams and counselors' participation on IEP teams (79.2% vs. 44.4%, p < .001, and 98.7% vs. 56.2%, p < .001, respectively). In addition, among districts with policies on school nurse participation in 504 development versus those that did not, a significantly greater proportion also had policies on support teams and counselors' participation on 504 teams (77.5% vs. 43.1%, p < .001, and 97.2% vs. 50.7%, p < .001, respectively). We also examine regional and locale differences in these policies. Findings encourage discussion on student support teams' role in school districts for students with chronic health conditions and disabilities, how school nurses can be essential team members, and better coordination of student care to promote children who are engaged, healthy, and supported within the school community.

An Evidence-Based Framework for Implementation of a School-Community Partnership.

School-community partnerships (SCPs) are collaborative efforts between schools and community organizations geared toward improving the health of school-age children through care coordination. These partnerships are ideal for youth with acute and chronic illness because they can implement evidence-based interventions and offer skills and education to support youth self-management and academic success. Utilizing the chronic condition of asthma as an exemplar, this article highlights several successful SCPs and how they are mutually beneficial to both the school and community. Additionally, this article offers strategies for stakeholders, including school nurses, to establish an SCP. SCPs lay the foundation for supporting community- and school-based health and lend themselves to a healthier future for youth.