School Nurse Perspectives on COVID-19.

Pennsylvania responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by closing schools and moving to online instruction in March 2020. We surveyed Pennsylvania school nurses (N = 350) in May 2020 to assess the impact of COVID-19 on nurses' concerns about returning to school and impact on practice. Data were analyzed using χ2 tests and regression analyses. Urban school nurses were more concerned about returning to the school building without a COVID-19 vaccine than rural nurses (OR = 1.58, 95% CI [1.05, 2.38]). Nurses in urban locales were more likely to report being asked for guidance on COVID-19 (OR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.06, 2.68]), modify communication practices (OR = 2.33, 95% CI [1.42, 3.82]), and be "very/extremely concerned" about their safety (OR = 2.16, 95% CI [1.35, 3.44]). Locale and student density are important factors to consider when resuming in-person instruction; however, schools should recognize school nurses for their vital role in health communication to assist in pandemic preparedness and response.

A conceptual framework for effective dissemination and implementation of a policy on school health in rural Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: There is a marked inequality between children in public schools and their counterparts in private schools in terms of school healthcare in rural Nigeria. This is because of the ineffective dissemination and implementation of a policy on school health in public schools. Effective dissemination and implementation of such policy can reduce the prevalence of risky health behaviours amongst young people and have a positive effect on academic performance. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual framework for the effective dissemination and implementation of a policy on school health in rural Nigeria. METHODS: This study consisted of four phases as follows: an empirical phase, concept classification, framework development and critical reflection on the conceptual framework. An exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to develop the framework. The work of Dickoff et al. was used to classify concepts from the empirical phase. Chinn and Kramer's nursing theory on generative method was used for the development of the conceptual framework and for critical review. RESULTS: The framework consisted of six components, namely, departments of health and education (context); health or educational professionals in the ministries (agents); health or educational practitioners, pupils, parents and communities (recipients); ratification of a policy on school health, stakeholder engagement, training as well as monitoring and evaluation (process); communication, collaborative partnership, commitment and support (dynamics); and effective dissemination and implementation of a policy on school health. CONCLUSION: The framework would be a firm foundation and contribution to improve the health of children in public schools, and well-being and academic performance that would be a good feat towards the future endeavour. The findings of the study are pertinent to school health nursing practice, education and research.

The Sexual Risk Behaviors of Middle School Students According to School Nurse Placement Levels in Korea.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to provide basic data for the future development of school-based sexuality education and school nurse placement policies by examining the sexuality education experience in middle schools according to levels of school nurse placement and identifying factors influencing on adolescent sexual risk behaviors. METHODS: This study examined data from the 2018 14th Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The raw data from 30,229 middle school students enrolled in 400 schools were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, independent t test, and complex sample logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: It is found that, in Korea, school nurse placement rates varied by region from 37.9% to 114.8%, resulting in different levels of sexuality and alcohol prevention education (p < .001). Sexuality and alcohol prevention education lowered the likelihood of sexual risk behaviors by 0.54 and 0.87 times, respectively. The experience of drinking alcohol increased a student's likelihood of committing sexual risk behaviors by 4.40 and 3.57 times, respectively, whereas the experience of using a drug increased the risk by 9.42 and 5.00 times, respectively. Personal factors (e.g., gender and academic achievement) and socioenvironmental factors (e.g., school type and perceived economic status) were also found to influence on the sexual risk behaviors of adolescents, although, not to the same degree as sexuality education or health risk behaviors. CONCLUSION: To protect students' sex-related health equity, more elaborate support policies are needed to ensure adequate placement of school nurses able to provide professional sexuality and related health education.

School Discipline Experiences Among Youth With Disabilities From the Perspective of School Nurses.

Youth with disabilities disproportionately experience harsh discipline. Exploring perspectives of behavior and discipline could increase inclusivity, yet school nurses' perspectives are unexplored. Using the Peace and Power Conceptual Model, school nurses' perspectives were explored employing secondary qualitative analysis using Thorne's typology of analytic expansion. Parent study included interviews with school nurses, 24 data files comprised the sample for secondary analysis. Three peace-power versus power-over themes emerged: "having discordant perspectives," "being mislabeled," and "placing at higher risks." School nurses are equipped to build healthy school communities through changes in discipline practices, policies, and understanding of how youth with disabilities are impacted.

Actual and perceived knowledge of type 1 diabetes mellitus among school nurses.

BACKGROUND: In general, school nurses are aware that it is important to have knowledge of type 1 diabetes to give adequate care to children with the disease. Many studies assessing diabetes knowledge have found different deficits among nurses. To our knowledge, however, no study has assessed the knowledge of type 1 diabetes among school nurses. OBJECTIVE: To assess actual and perceived diabetes knowledge among school nurses. DESIGN: Cross-sectional studies. SETTINGS: Seventeen primary care facilities in Warsaw that employed school nurses. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and thirty school nurses. METHODS: With the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ), we assessed actual diabetes knowledge. With the Self-Assessed Diabetes Knowledge (SADK), we assessed perceived diabetes knowledge. Both the DKQ and SADK assessed seven domains of diabetes knowledge: general diabetes knowledge; insulin and glucagon; insulin pumps; diabetes complications; nutrition; physical activity, stress, and comorbidities; and glycemia measurements. We related DKQ and SADK scores to each other and to sociodemographic and work-related factors. RESULTS: The rate of correct responses in the DKQ was 46.7%, with the lowest rate regarding knowledge of insulin pumps (36.5%), nutrition (37.4%), and insulin and glucagon (37.9%). Actual and perceived diabetes knowledge were moderately positively correlated (rho = 0.18, p =.009). In six of the seven knowledge domains examined, school nurses perceived their diabetes knowledge better compared with their actual knowledge. DKQ scores were higher in nurses with higher education (p = .024), those who had relatives or friends with diabetes (p = .032), and those who had prior diabetes training (p = .050). Interestingly, DKQ scores were higher among nurses with fewer years of experience (rho = - 0.18, p = .011). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for additional diabetes training among nursing students and practicing nurses to provide safe and effective care for children with type 1 diabetes.

Theater of the Oppressed and bullying: nursing performance in school adolescent health.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the effects of an intervention based on the Theater of the Oppressed in reducing school bullying. METHOD: a quasi-experimental study with 232 first-year high school students from two public schools in the city of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. An intervention was performed with the Theater of the Oppressed, a theatrical methodology created by Augusto Boal and inspired by Paulo Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed", in which one school composed the intervention group, and another school, the comparison group. Both groups were assessed for involvement in bullying situations before and after intervention. For data analysis, Poisson Regression models with random effect were used. RESULTS: intervention group presented a significant decrease in direct victimization (physical and verbal aggression). CONCLUSION: the Theater of the Oppressed represents an important strategy in reducing bullying victimization among school adolescents.

Asthma management in school: parents' and school personnel perspectives.

Objective: Effective asthma management at school can help students with asthma stay healthy, learn better and participate fully during their school day. This study sought to understand school-based asthma care from the perspective of parents and school personnel to improve asthma care at school. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hartford, CT. School personnel from 59 schools and 322 parents/guardians were invited to participate. Four cross-sectional surveys using Likert-type scales assessed parental and school personnel satisfaction, confidence in managing asthma, policy awareness, management of asthma during physical activity, and perceived gaps surrounding school-based asthma care. Results: 263/322 (82%) eligible parents of children with asthma (mean age 8.5 ± 4.3, 56% Hispanic, 30% African American) completed surveys. Thirty six school nurses (62%), 131 teachers (8%), 14 coaches (14%), and 17 school principals (29%) participated. 90% of parents were satisfied with asthma management in school. School nurses were more aware of asthma policies than teachers (74% vs. 24%, p < 0.001). 34% of school nurses, 30% of teachers and 36% of coaches were unaware of asthma-related absences. 14% of physical education teachers/coaches reported no asthma training. Conclusion: In this convenience sample of parents and school personnel, parents reported overall satisfaction regarding the asthma care their children receive at school, yet a number of gaps pertaining to school-based asthma care were identified. Increased asthma training and enhanced communication among school personnel is needed to address these gaps. National guidelines and resources are readily available to improve asthma care at school.

School nurses' self-assessed cultural competence when encountering children of foreign origin: A cross-sectional study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between school nurses' self-assessed cultural competence in health visits with children of foreign origin and demographic variables, by using a cross-sectional design. A Web-based questionnaire assessing cultural competence and demographic variables was distributed to a nationally representative sample (n = 816) of school nurses in Sweden. Data were analyzed using regression analysis. School nurses assessed themselves as culturally aware and moderately culturally competent, but not as culturally knowledgeable, culturally skilled, or comfortable in cultural encounters. Cultural competence was related to education in cultural diversity, how often nurses encounter children of foreign origin, and nurses' country of origin. In total, these variables explained 23.6% of the variation in school nurses' cultural competence. Because school nurses regard themselves as moderately culturally competent, a foundation for promoting children's health on equal terms in school health care exists. However, education in cultural diversity combined with other additional strategies is needed to further strengthen school nurses' cultural knowledge, skills, and comfort level in encounters with children of foreign origin.

The Impact of School Nurses in Kentucky Public High Schools.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school nurse presence and graduation rates, absenteeism, and American College Test (ACT) scores. A state-wide survey of all public high schools was undertaken (participation rate of 99.1%). Survey data obtained from individual high schools provided information on the employment status of school nurses. In addition to nurse presence determined by the survey, open-access electronic databases were used to determine graduation rates, absenteeism, ACT scores, money spent per pupil, gender, race-ethnicity proportion, and incarceration data. Study findings showed a possible relationship between students attending schools with a full-time nurse and significantly higher graduation rates, lower absenteeism, and higher ACT scores. The study results suggest that school nurses may contribute not just to health outcomes but to improved academic and economic outcomes as well. Of course, future work is needed to confirm these assertions.

School Nurse Advocacy for Student Health, Safety, and School Attendance: Impact of an Educational Activity.

School nurses are expected to advocate for policies and procedures that support student health, safety, and school attendance. An educational activity to improve school nurse advocacy was developed and implemented based on advocacy literature, self-efficacy theory, and continuing education guidelines. A quantitative, repeated measure descriptive project design was used to compare school nurses' advocacy measures before and following an educational activity and 6 weeks after the activity. Immediately after the education, there were significant increases in advocacy knowledge (p < .001), confidence (p < .001), and recalled behaviors (p < .01) for a convenient sample of 51 Massachusetts school nurses. There were no significant differences across pre-, post-, and 6-week survey responses (n = 6); however, advocacy outcomes from immediately after the education were maintained at 6 weeks. More effective school nurse advocacy may improve youth population health, increase safety for students at school, and improve school attendance.

Access to a school health nurse and adolescent health needs in the universal school health service in Finland.

Universal school health services are expected to offer similar, needs-based services to all students across schools, service providers and students' socio-economic statuses and health needs. This study investigates access to school health nurses in Finland. The objectives were to study the differences in access to school health nurse between service providers, schools, students' characteristics and school health nurse resources. Access was examined through a nationwide School Health Promotion study, which is a self-reporting, voluntary and anonymous survey for 8th and 9th graders (15 to 16-year old, N = 71865). The ethical committee of the National Institute for Health and Welfare has approved procedure for the School Health Promotion study. Data on school health nurse resources and service providers were obtained from the national database (534 schools; 144 service providers). Multilevel logistic regression was used. Of the pupils, 15% of girls and 11% of boys reported difficult access to a school health nurse. The number of adolescents who reported difficult access ranged between service providers (0%-41%) and schools (0%-75%). Students with lower socio-economic background, poorer well-being at school, lack of support for studying and greater health needs reported difficult access more often. School health nurse resources were associated with difficult access only among boys, when resources were under the national recommendations. These findings raise concern about equality and unmet health needs in school health services.

The Need for School Nursing in Spain: A Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Teachers are not trained or feel prepared for urgent action. Nevertheless, the presence of children with health problems is relevant. We identified vital health risk problems and complications among students, as well as the related training and perception of teachers. Methods: An explanatory sequential design was employed. The study sample consisted of a cross-sectional study of an intentional nonprobabilistic sample of 3246 teachers in the quantitative phase, and a total of 16 semistructured interviews were conducted in its qualitative phase. Results: 56.6% (1837) of teachers show high concern about facing such situations and only 0.6% (19) feel appropriately trained. For 81.8% (2556), the existence of school nursing would be quite relevant. The presence of nursing professionals in schools could lead to an improvement in the quality of life of both the students and teachers. Conclusions: There is a significant percentage of children with diseases that often require specific care and there is a high probability that teachers, throughout their professional lives, have to deal with situations of vital urgency. The presence of professionals in educational centres seems to be a relevant option. These data suggest that it is necessary for nurses to establish a pilot programme for the incorporation of professional nurses in educational centres to determine its implications, benefits in health prevention and promotion issues, as well as costs.

National School Health Data Set: Every Student Counts! Building Capacity for Data Collection.

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has launched the National School Health Data Set: Every Student Counts! Building on the success of previous school health data collection, this article describes the steps that the Georgia Association of School Nurses takes to promote the collection of data to support the health of Georgia's school-age children. Building a team, engaging stakeholders, mapping a plan of action, and developing the message are described as ways to build the capacity for data collection. Other states and NASN state affiliates may learn from the ideas presented here.

Barriers to the Administration of Epinephrine in Schools.

BACKGROUND: Anaphylaxis is a serious and growing concern in the school setting as the prevalence of food allergies and food-induced severe allergic reactions continues to increase. METHODS: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted regarding anaphylactic events that occurred during the 2014-2015 school year. Eligible schools were enrolled in the EPIPEN4SCHOOLS® program (Mylan Specialty L.P., Canonsburg, PA), which provides free epinephrine auto-injectors to qualifying US schools. Participating schools completed a 29-item survey on anaphylactic event occurrence and treatment, epinephrine stock, school policies regarding anaphylaxis, school staff training, and school nursing coverage. RESULTS: Responses were provided by 12,275 schools. Epinephrine was administered on school property for 63.7% of reported anaphylactic events (1272/1998). In 38.5% (235/610) of events for which epinephrine was not used, antihistamines were cited as the reason. Only 59.4% of schools cited epinephrine as their standard first-line therapy for anaphylaxis. School nurses were most likely to be trained in anaphylaxis recognition and permitted to administer epinephrine; however, just 53.6% of schools had a full-time nurse on staff. CONCLUSIONS: Process-related barriers to the appropriate use of epinephrine go beyond access to medication. Widespread staff training and review of school policies are needed to ensure that anaphylaxis is appropriately managed in schools.

Public School Nursing Practice in the United States.

School nursing practice has changed dramatically over the past 20 years, yet few nationally representative investigations describing the school nursing workforce have been conducted. The National School Nurse Workforce Study describes the demographic and school nursing practice patterns among self-reported public school nurses and the number and full-time equivalent (FTE) positions of all school nurses in the United States. Using a random sample stratified by public/private, region, school level, and urban/rural status from two large national data sets, we report on weighted survey responses of 1,062 public schools. Additional questions were administered to estimate the school nurse population and FTEs. Findings reported illustrate differences by strata in public school nurse demographics, practice patterns, and nursing activities and tasks. We estimate approximately 132,300 self-identified practicing public and private school nurses and 95,800 FTEs of school nurses in the United States. Research, policy, and school nursing practice implications are discussed.

A Survey of School Nurse Emergency Preparedness 2014-2015.

Well-prepared school nurses are more likely to handle emergencies properly. Thus, assessing crisis management preparedness is important. In August 2014, a questionnaire was sent to 275 nurses in a large Texas school system to collect data about nurse and school characteristics, emergency frequency and management, and equipment availability. Completed surveys (201, 73%) were analyzed. Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate comparisons among nurses' confidence levels, school characteristics, emergencies, and medical emergency response plans (MERP). Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between characteristics and nurses reporting less confidence. Most respondents were experienced nurses. Shortness of breath was the most common event faced. Odds of less confidence were significantly higher among nurses with <5 years' experience, working at elementary schools, schools without a MERP or where it was not practiced, or caring for <10 schoolchildren weekly. Overall, recommended emergency management guidelines were met.

Medication Management in Schools: 2015 Survey Results.

The increasing prevalence of chronic conditions in children, for both common and rare conditions, over the past 30 years, and the increase in the number and range of medications used to manage these conditions, has contributed to the need to address medication management in schools. The purpose of this article is to present the key findings from a national survey on medication administration in schools. A nonexperimental cross-sectional design was used in this descriptive study. An online survey was sent to school nurses across the country. Responses from a total of 6,298 school nurses were used in the analysis. Results of the survey related to prescription and nonprescription medications, medication storage, student's carrying their medications, delegation of medication administration, documentation, and medication errors are discussed. The article concludes that many different medications are administered during the school day. School nurses must advocate for proper policies and procedures to guard the safety of students.

Analyzing Who, When, and Where: Data for Better Targeting of Resources for School-Based Asthma Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Rates of uncontrolled asthma vary by demographics, space, and time. This article uses data on ambulance-treated asthma attacks in children to analyze these variations so that school districts can improve their asthma management interventions. METHODS: Incidence rates of 1826 ambulance-treated asthma attacks for children aged 5-18 years were calculated for school zones for elementary, middle, and high schools in the Houston (Texas) Independent School District (HISD). Zones with rates in the upper quartile were identified as the highest rate zones and were compared with other school zones in the district by demographics, location, and timing of attacks. RESULTS: The ambulance-treated asthma rate was respectively 5, 3, and 2 times greater in the highest rate school zones compared with all other school zones for those school levels. Ambulance-treated asthma attacks in the high-rate school zones occurred most at midday and in the evening and high-rate zones were often geographically contiguous. Schools in the high-rate zones had a higher percent of socioeconomically disadvantaged students and were more often without a school nurse. CONCLUSION: Spatial and temporal analysis of ambulance data can be valuable tools for schools to focus policy and program interventions for the students in need of improved asthma management.

School Nurse Workload.

The purpose of this scoping review was to survey the most recent (5 years) acute care, community health, and mental health nursing workload literature to understand themes and research avenues that may be applicable to school nursing workload research. The search for empirical and nonempirical literature was conducted using search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL, and Medline. Twenty-nine empirical studies and nine nonempirical articles were selected for inclusion. Themes that emerged consistent with school nurse practice include patient classification systems, environmental factors, assistive personnel, missed nursing care, and nurse satisfaction. School nursing is a public health discipline and population studies are an inherent research priority but may overlook workload variables at the clinical level. School nurses need a consistent method of population assessment, as well as evaluation of appropriate use of assistive personnel and school environment factors. Assessment of tasks not directly related to student care and professional development must also be considered in total workload.