Using texts to increase access to school nurses.

Although young people find school nurses approachable and caring, too few access their services. A text messaging service was set up in two secondary schools to raise awareness of the school nurse and encourage teenagers to make contact for health advice and support. Pupils were involved in developing promotional materials. The majority of text contact was for sexual health and relationship issues, with 44 out of the 202 text messages leading to face-to-face contact with the nurse.

Importancia del rol de la enfermera escolar. En los centros educativos de las islas canarias / Importance of the school nurse´s role in the canary islands schools

Hoy en día hay cada vez más niños con patologías o condiciones físicas crónicas que asisten con regularidad a los centros escolares. Con este estudio se pretende identificar la importancia que los directores escolares atribuyen a la enfermera escolar. Se ha decidido realizar un estudio descriptivo transversal. Así, se ha enviado por e-mail un cuestionario de 20 preguntas a 635 centros educativos, recibiendo 209 cumplimentados. Un 65,6% de los niños de los centros ha necesitado la administración de medicamentos. En un 59,3% de los centros, el profesorado ha atendido en alguna ocasión algún problema de salud (agudo o crónico). El 98,1% de los centros escolares conoce los problemas de salud de los alumnos que tiene a su cargo. El problema de salud más frecuente en los estudiantes de dichos centros fue las alergias alimentarias, seguidas del asma, la diabetes y la epilepsia. Un 67% de los directores escolares conoce la Guía de atención a emergencias sanitarias en los centros educativos(AU)

Today there are more and more children with chronic diseases or physical conditions that regularly attend schools. This study aims to identify the importance of school centers´ directors attribute to the school nurse. It has been decided to make a cross-sectional study. So, it has been to sent by e-mail a questionnaire of 20 questions to 635 schools, receiving 209 completed. 65.6% of children in schools have required drugs administration. In 59.3% of schools, teachers have attended at one time any health problems (acute or chronic) of children. 98.1% of schools know the health problems of the students who is in charge. The most common health problem among children in schools were food allergies, followed by asthma, diabetes and epilepsy. 67% of school centers´ directors know the guide attention to health emergencies in schools(AU)

Implementing pulse oximetry in the school health office: the time is now.

Pulse oximetry can be a useful tool for professional school nurses who daily assess students with a variety of health issues and injuries. Pulse oximeters are now smaller and more affordable and, therefore, an option for school districts to purchase. Before implementing this new tool into their practice, school nurses must have an understanding of how pulse oximeters work and how they measure the oxygen saturation of arterial hemoglobin. A review of the literature will guide a nurse in developing clinical guidelines for practice and facilitating competency in using a pulse oximeter with the ultimate goal of improving student health assessments.

Outcomes of an elementary school-based vision screening program in North Carolina.

School nurses can play a key role in the detection of significant refractive error. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a statewide school nurse vision screening program by evaluating the outcomes of screening among first, third, and fifth graders in 10 schools in North Carolina during the 2009-2010 school year. Of the 2,726 children who were screened, 7.7% (n = 209) were abnormal, of which 89% (n = 186) were placed into a comprehensive database for follow-up. No documentation of any follow-up was available for 35% (n = 65) of these children. Of the 106 with complete eye examination data available, 54.7% (n = 58) had myopia, 22.6% (n = 24) had hyperopia, 11.3% (n = 12) had astigmatism, 1.9% (n = 2) had anisometropia, and 9.4% (n = 10) were normal. Even with incomplete follow-up, this screening activity led to identification of 3 cases for every 100 children screened, underscoring the importance of high-quality school-based vision screening programs.

The development and evaluation of a measure assessing school nurses' perceived barriers to addressing pediatric obesity.

School nurses represent an important resource for addressing pediatric obesity and weight-related health. However, school nurses perceive numerous barriers that prevent them from addressing the weight-related health of students. The current study developed and tested a new, comprehensive measure of nurses' perceptions of 10 types of barriers to addressing pediatric weight in a nationally representative sample of 214 school nurses. The measure was developed in the context of Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory and includes subscales assessing nurses' perceptions of skills-based, job-related, and societal barriers. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) provided evidence for the validity of the measure, including the three barrier subscales. In addition, the subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistencies. Results indicate that school nurses perceive barriers to addressing weight-related health on multiple ecological levels, which may inform intervention or continuing education efforts. Future pediatric weight programs that involve school nurses might consider using the measure to assess nurses' perceptions of barriers.

The children's computerized physical activity reporter: children as partners in the design and usability evaluation of an application for self-reporting physical activity.

The objectives of this three-phased study were to design and evaluate the usability of a computerized questionnaire, The Children's Computerized Physical Activity Reporter, designed with and for middle school children's self-report of physical activity. Study design was qualitative, descriptive, and collaborative, framed in a usability engineering model, with 22 participating children (grades 6-8; mean age, 12.5 years; range, 11-15 years) of three ethnic backgrounds. In Phase 1, children's understanding of physical activity and needs for reporting were determined, which were then translated in Phase 2 to the design features and content of the questionnaire; content validity, readability, and algorithm reliability were completed. Phase 3 involved children's evaluation of the questionnaire's usability (ease of use, efficiency, and aesthetics). The children all liked the questionnaire but identified several usability issues within instructions and reports. Working collaboratively with children was highly effective in ascertaining their understanding of physical activity and their self-reporting needs. Thus, the questionnaire's design was created from children's understanding of physical activity and their needs for recalling activities. The development of the questionnaire and its usability evaluation contribute to understanding children's physical activity and to the importance of designing for usability. Additional research is needed to ascertain reliability and validity of data derived from its use and to explore its usefulness in clinical or research venues.

Recommended minimal emergency equipment and resources for schools: national consensus group report.

Providing an environment that is responsive to emergency health needs of students is essential to creating a safe setting for children in schools. The question of what minimal essential emergency equipment and resources should be available in schools brings with it many and varied opinions, issues, and concerns. Through funding from the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC), the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) was charged with the task of convening a consensus group to formulate a recommended list of minimal essential emergency equipment and resources that should be present in all schools. This article provides an overview of the issues surrounding minimal emergency equipment needs for schools, presents recommended minimal emergency equipment and resources, and recommendations for further actions.