Stock Inhalers: A Qualitative Data Analysis of Illinois Health Policy Trials and Triumphs.

BACKGROUND: Asthma reliever medication access is critical, especially in schools. Policies that "stock" reliever inhalers in schools provide failsafe medication access. This research aims to understand barriers and facilitators to Illinois stock inhaler policy implementation. METHODS: We conducted 18 semi-structured interviews in 2021-2022 with key school-based and non-school-based partners (school administrators, nurses, governmental agencies, and advocacy leaders). Through Atlas.ti, code frequencies compared (Fisher's exact test), and a thematic analysis performed. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: facilitators, barriers, program rationale, and process considerations. The common facilitators were "Finding a provider," having a "Champion," and "Funding". Barriers included "Not enough school nurses," "Pharmacy refusal to fill prescriptions," and "Feeling overwhelmed." All were supportive of the rationale for stock inhalers. Non-school-based informants (p < .01) were more likely to mention medication donations, while school staff reported having enough nurses as a facilitator (p < .01). School staff reported concerns about children with asthma not having their medication significantly more than other partners (p = .02). IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Our analysis revealed that school partners recognize the value of stock inhalers. Barrier mitigation to support the funding, prescription access and processing, and training are essential to success of stock inhaler programming. Multilevel collaborative efforts through coalitions could be a potential solution.

School-Based Suicide Prevention Efforts: The Impact of School Nurse Exclusivity on Moral Distress.

School nurses are well-positioned to assess, identify, and refer children and adolescents who are at risk of suicide. This multiple-case study examined the personal, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence the role of the school nurse in youth suicide prevention and intervention. Purposive sampling was used to recruit two school nurses who were identified as unique cases. Data from interviews, surveys, and documents generated a cross-case analysis. Findings indicate that school-level exclusive practices, such as a lack of communication and collaboration, greatly influence the role and reach of school nurses. Further, dilemmas arising from environmental barriers hinder school nurse capacity to promote student safety and affect moral distress levels. Leveraging data to demonstrate the pivotal role of school nurses to support mental health equity and reduce disparities in youth suicide is crucial to developing inclusive and responsive suicide prevention programs.

A Qualitative Study of School Nurses' Experience of Secondary Trauma.

This qualitative descriptive study explored school nurses' experiences of exposure to reports of trauma from those in their care. Online interviews of school nurses practicing in NJ, USA, were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The study found that school nurses were exposed to reports of others' trauma to varying degrees, with those serving in urban settings reporting more stories of exposure than those in suburban settings. Reports included numerous, layered traumas at the community and individual levels, including students' poverty-related adversity and psychological distress. Qualitative content analysis revealed four categories: Health Office as Safe Haven, Challenges Working Within the School Model, Things That We Hear: Reports of Trauma, and The Ripple Effect of Trauma. School-based challenges included a lack of collaboration, misunderstanding of the school nurse's role, and workload issues such as competing demands and limited time and resources. School nurses reported focusing on the individual's immediate needs and processing the experience afterward. They acknowledged they can only do so much, and shared stories of coping and resilience. Additional education, resources, and support in addressing student trauma can enhance the provision of school nursing services and support the well-being of school nurses, students, and staff. Further research is warranted with a larger and more diverse sample of school nurses, including attention to school nurse wellness and resilience strategies.

An Exploration of the Day to Day Professional Experiences of School Nurses Globally: A Narrative Review.

To explore school nurses' roles globally through their own perceptions of what they do and how they do it and to compare the realities for the role its representation in professional literature. A comprehensive narrative literature review, using ENTREQ guidelines, with "qualitizing" of the quantitative literature, and athematic analysis was carried out. Findings were reviewed in relation toestablished theory. CINAHL, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Embase were systematically searched from 2000-2021. Included studies focused on school nurses'perceptions of their own practice. Five themes: direct care, health promotion, collaboration,support from school and health authorities and promoting the school nurses'role were found. These themes were closely aligned to the National Associationfor School Nurses' framework for 21st century practice. However, the schoolnurses signposted areas where they need support in carrying out their job tothe highest standard. School nurses are important to support thehealth needs of students while at school. They also, particularly in areas likethe United Arab Emirates where resources are being invested in the role, have a unique role to play in health promotion, leading to improved health literacy,as positive health behaviors tend to be learned young. However, worldwide, thepotential for the school nursing role needs to be recognized and supported by healthand education providers, by families and within the schools for its fullpotential to be achieved.

School Nurses' Perceived Role and Capacity to Support School Behavioral Health Programs in DC Public and Public Charter Schools.

School nurses (SNs) practicing in DC public and public charter schools were surveyed to assess their perceived role and self-reported preparation to provide behavioral health prevention, early identification, and treatment services in schools. A total of 154 SNs completed a questionnaire about their role in the delivery of behavioral health services and supports. SNs reported they are primarily involved in the identification and referral of students to other school behavioral health professionals. Respondents also reported a lack of training in behavioral health and a desire for more information on related programs and services. This study offers recommendations for educating future SNs and highlights how the DC School Health Services Program utilized study findings to build capacity for SNs employed in practice. This study can help tailor educational opportunities for SNs to maximize their role in school behavioral healthcare process flows and ultimately improve outcomes for students and families.

Language Barriers in School Health: Addressing Health Equity in the U.S. Educational System.

Federal law requires school health leaders to ensure meaningful access to language resources to promote optimal health and education outcomes. This paper aims to inform all stakeholders, including decision-makers, about the importance of developing language access plans and policies. Multiple sources and legal guidelines provide a comprehensive overview of the issue. Including an examination of current practices and challenges that school nurses encounter, specifically regarding language resources, guidance is offered to elucidate meaningful language access policies that ensure equitable access to school health services. Supporting meaningful language access includes providing school nurses with qualified interpretation and translation services to care for those who do not speak, read, or write in English or have limitations with the English language. Additionally, local and state agencies may implement language access services requirements and enforce compliance with a language access plan to meet federal funding requirements.

Evaluation of the Cancer Awareness Measure in Adolescents in Turkiye: A Methodological Study.

Purpose: Cancer awareness can help reduce the associated morbidity and mortality. There is no scale for the assessment of general cancer awareness in Turkiye. This study aimed to evaluate the cultural relevance and psychometric properties of the cancer awareness measure (CAM) for use in adolescents in the Turkish population. Methods: This methodological study included 400 students attending seven high schools in western Turkiye, recruited by convenience sampling. The CAM was translated into Turkish and assessed for content validity by expert panel opinion and content validity index (CVI). The Turkish CAM was administered online, and its reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients, item-total and item-subscale correlation coefficients, and test-retest analysis. Results: The Turkish CAM had excellent content validity (scale CVI = 0.99). Cronbach's alpha for the entire scale was 0.72, and item-subscale correlation coefficients were 0.33-.75 (p < 0.001). Test-retest reliability was good, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.83 for the entire scale (p < 0.001). The students' mean score on the Turkish CAM was 45.60 ± 7.23 (on a scale of 11-77), indicating moderate cancer awareness. Conclusion: The Turkish CAM is a valid and reliable measure that can be used to assess cancer awareness in adolescents in Turkiye. Interventional studies should be performed to measure and increase cancer awareness and promote cancer prevention among young people.

Adolescent boys' experiences of mental health and school health services - an interview study from Norway.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems among adolescents is a global challenge. During the transition to adolescence, physiological, psychological, and social changes occur, leading to increased vulnerability. Thus, adolescent boys are less likely to seek help for mental health problems, which makes them an undetected group. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of adolescent boys' experiences of mental health and school health service. METHODS: An inductive, qualitative design was chosen using three focus group interviews and three individual interviews. The study included 18 adolescent boys in 7th grade, in a school located in a medium-sized municipality in Norway. The interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) were followed in this study. RESULTS: The overall theme "barriers towards seeking help", and three categories- navigating stigma and privacy concerns; perceptions of self-responsibility; and lacking knowledge of mental health problems and help-seeking-described the adolescent boys experiences. The awareness and willingness to seek help were present, but there are barriers preventing the adolescent boys from acting on that willingness. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of knowledge and a non-permissive culture for mental health problems among adolescents contributes to decreased help-seeking behaviour among adolescent boys. The school health service is the most related health service for adolescents and should focus on being available and strengthening empowerment and mental health literacy through the development and implementation of interventions to promote mental health.

School nurses and menstrual communication: Destigmatizing the stigma among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to understand how school nurses, often the first line of defense for menstruating adolescents, use communication to assist adolescents in destigmatizing menstruation. DESIGN: I conducted semi-structured narrative interviews with nine nurses employed in a large school district in Northeast Indiana. METHODS: Interviews were coded, categorized, and used a phronetic iterative approach. RESULTS: Analysis determines that nurses assist menstruating students using steps toward accepting menstruation and suggesting ways to avoid menstrual stigmatization. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that school nurses use positive language to assist students in handling their menstruation problems, develop allyships with parents and other teachers, and stress menstrual education. This study highlights the need for more funding for menstrual products and additional school nurses.

Effects of school nurse-led health education to reduce malnutrition among primary school children in Bangladesh: Cluster nonrandomized controlled trial.

Background: Malnutrition is a major health concern among children especially in low and middle-income countries. However, there are limited studies on school health in Bangladesh. This study aimed to reduce malnutrition among primary school children in Bangladesh by increasing awareness and knowledge through school nurse-led health education. Methods and Materials: A prospective, open-label, parallel-group (1:1), cluster nonrandomized controlled trial on primary school children conducted in rural Bangladesh. The study lasted 13 months between September 2021 and September 2022. Four schools were selected and assigned to the intervention and control groups (CGs). Next, school nurses provided evidence-based health education to the children in the intervention group (IG) for 9 months to improve awareness and knowledge of malnutrition. Data were collected at baseline, midline, and endline. Results: Overall, 604 children were enrolled at the baseline; among them, 455 (CG, n = 220; IG, n = 235) completed the study. Changes in the malnutrition rate-the primary outcome-were not significant (P = 0.225). However, after adjusting the endline data with baseline and sociodemographic data, the children's body mass index improved significantly in the IG than in the CG (P < 0.05). Changes in eating behavior, and awareness and knowledge of malnutrition-the secondary outcomes-significantly differed between the groups (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The school nurse-led health education program significantly improved primary school children's awareness and knowledge of malnutrition. This study revealed the effectiveness of school nurses in reducing malnutrition among children, which may decrease future morbidity and mortality rates in children.

Moving the Needle: A Qualitative Exploration of the School Nurses' Experience with Virginia's Human Papillomavirus Mandate.

In all US localities, students provide proof of compliance with vaccination requirements to attend school. Despite benefits, vaccine legislation remains contentious. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is recommended for adolescents and prevents cancer, but its inclusion in school immunization requirements is challenged. Virginia was the first state to mandate HPV vaccination. HPV is the only required vaccine in VA that allows caregivers to elect out. School nurses are trusted members of communities and enforce vaccine compliance. This study aims to understand Virginia school nurses' practice in implementing the HPV vaccine mandate through the exploration of their subjective experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis using the socioecological model guided data analysis. Factors that influence nursing practice were identified at all socioecological model levels The data from this study is intended to provide an understanding of school nursing practice so that interventions to improve HPV vaccination rates can be developed.

School Health Services' Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Interorganizational Collaboration Regarding Students With Mental Illness: A Scoping Review.

School health services (SHSs) and school nurses play a crucial role in identifying and supporting students with mental illness. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) can facilitate interorganizational collaboration in this context. Due to the limited research in this area, a scoping review was conducted to explore SHSs' use of ICT in interorganization collaboration regarding students with mental illness. Six articles were reviewed, revealing three key themes: "types of ICT employed by SHSs in interorganizational collaboration," "constellation of SHSs in interorganizational collaboration," and "opportunities and challenges for SHSs using ICT in interorganizational collaboration." Notably, two of the six articles highlighted the absence of school nurses in interorganizational collaboration. Even though ICT plays a crucial role in interorganizational collaboration, no comprehensive solution was found. This scoping review confirms that there are challenges with operability and regulations that govern the exchange of private information between organizations.

The Role of the School Nurse in Addressing Climate-Associated Illnesses: Vector-Borne Diseases.

The ecosystems of planet Earth have been subjected to significant changes in climate because of human activities in the last several hundred years. As winters become milder and springs begin earlier each year, many of the most common vectors, including mosquitoes and ticks, have more time to reproduce and are expanding their natural habitats. The purpose of this article is to increase awareness of how mosquitos and ticks impact the health of school-age children. This is the sixth and final article in a series of articles meant to educate school nurses about poor health outcomes related to changes in climate and to provide them with the tools they need to safeguard the well-being of children.

Listening to School Nurses' Voices: A Mixed Methods Study on the Continued Impact of COVID-19 on School Nursing Practice.

School closures in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic precipitated losses of critical student resources as physical, mental, emotional, and social needs escalated. Identifying the challenges, strategies, and changes in school nurse (SN) practice in Massachusetts during this pandemic is fundamental to understanding how to manage future anticipated pandemics while protecting children, communities, and SNs. The purpose of this mixed-methods descriptive study in the second year of the global pandemic was to (a) listen to SN voices through a novel online survey including the prompts of challenges, strategies, and practice changes and (b) describe the SN experience of COVID-19 response in Massachusetts schools, including identification of intent to leave school nursing. Responses were analyzed using descriptive qualitative analysis (n = 73). The prompts each elicited subthemes that coalesced to a cohesive theme: Finding one's way required the support of others to pave untraversed roads.

Data Submission: HOW the Power of One Creates the Power of Many.

This article is the third and final article in a series exploring the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of data collection and data utilization. The final step, the HOW of data submission, provides discussion and guidance in contributing your data to the collective voice, including submitting data from the school, district, state, and national levels. Submitting individual school nursing data enriches the bigger story and increases the awareness and meaningfulness of school health data, the role of the school nurse as an integral member of the school community, and the connections of student health and academic outcomes. This article will also explore how to submit your school health data and the opportunities to submit it to district, state, or national levels, including to the National School Health Data Set: Every Student Counts! (ESC!).

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.

State School Nurse Consultants Issue RN Action Agendas.

The National Association of State School Nurse Consultants (NASSNC) recently issued two action agendas for school nurses. The first action agenda promotes school nurses using their credentials in all communications, documenting their expertise and asserting their legal authority to practice professional nursing. The focus is on the baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse (RN) being the entry level preparation for school nursing. The second action agenda suggests school nurses can increase school administrator support by explaining their specialty practice and offers several marketing strategies. School nurses are invited to access the RN Action Agendas at the NASSNC website link provided.

Current and Future Treatment of Food Allergies.

Food allergy prevalence is rapidly growing among school-age children in the United States, posing a significant health concern in school settings. This article aims to provide an overview of the current state of food allergy treatment options, emergency food allergy care plans, and using epinephrine autoinjectors. In addition, it explores potential future treatment options, including immunotherapy and novel therapeutic approaches. This article emphasizes the crucial role of school nurses in recognizing the treatment options currently available to students and their families, as well as fostering a safe environment for students with food allergies.

Implementation of a Childcare-Based Obesity Prevention Program for Vulnerable Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for School Nurses.

COVID-19 brought significant changes to the role of school nurses, necessitating the development of remote health education programs. However, there is a lack of evidence and pedagogical lessons for digitally transforming education for socially vulnerable children. This qualitative study analyzes the health educational needs and barriers faced by children and service providers in a childcare-based obesity prevention program during the pandemic in South Korea. Through a thematic content analysis, four core themes emerged: (a) heightened concerns about obesity and the pandemic's impact on facilities, (b) unexpected positive outcomes of the program, (c) digital readiness gaps, and (d) insufficient program satisfaction (better than nothing). When designing a digital-based health education program for vulnerable children, assessing individual readiness and facility suitability is crucial. Additionally, school nurses should incorporate hybrid pedagogy, integrating technology-mediated activities. By leveraging technology effectively and considering individual and environmental factors, educators can provide comprehensive and accessible health education.

Expert school nurses' experiences of reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information about expert school nurses' experiences regarding the reopening of schools in the school setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the views and experiences of reopening schools among expert school nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with five focus groups of 24 school nurses. A grounded theory methodology was used to analyze emergent concepts, categories, and themes. DISCUSSION: We identified five themes related to the experiences of expert school nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: unprepared response system, fighting alone, centering the response system, redefining roles, and together against. CONCLUSION: Despite the high workload of school nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the expert school nurses led to clarification and expansion of the role of the school nurse role, and highlighted the relationships among school staff who were essential participants of the school health team during the pandemic. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: It is imperative to shift the perception that school nurses are health professionals who play key managerial roles with collaboration within and beyond the school.