U.S. School Nursing Job Analysis

2020 ◽  
pp. 105984052093007
Author(s):  
Brenna L. Morse ◽  
Lori Anderson ◽  
Laurie G. Combe ◽  
Sandi Delack ◽  
Lynnette Ondeck ◽  
...  

The complexity and demands of the school nurse role have changed greatly over time. Our aims included determining tasks and knowledge relevant to modern school nursing in the United States, identifying continuing education needs of school nurses, and describing anticipated changes to the professional role. A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional web-based survey of 750 school nurses was performed. The study team evaluated calculations of mean importance and frequency for school nursing task and knowledge statements. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze open-ended responses. School nurses rated most tasks and knowledge as relevant to practice, underscoring the great depth and breadth of education and training school nurses need to meet the demands of students today. The results of this secondary analysis may be leveraged to accurately describe the school nurse role, advocate for nursing services, and support school nurses as they strive to better the health of school communities.

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-210
Author(s):  
Martha Dewey Bergren ◽  
Erin D. Maughan ◽  
Rachel VanDenBrink ◽  
Betty (Elizabeth) Foster ◽  
Lynne Carveth

Hospitals and healthcare systems have nursing informaticists who contribute to quality patient care and safety by managing data and facilitating the use of technology. Schools typically do not employ nurses specifically in positions labeled as nursing informaticists, though the role is critical in the schools. This article highlights the subspecialty of nursing informatics within the school nurse role. Three school nurses will share their use of nursing informatics skills to optimize student health.


Author(s):  
Catherine Grano ◽  
Eileen Gavin ◽  
Robin Cogan

School nurses play a critical role as public health nurses and are guiding school communities through a global pandemic unlike anything seen in the past 100 years. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and worldwide shutdown, remote education became a necessity. In this article, three New Jersey school nurses share reflections about the COVID-19 pandemic. We illustrate the roles included in the National Association of School Nurses Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice, to describe school nurse contributions to address the COVID-19 community spread via contact tracing and care coordination. We describe school nurse advocacy through promotion of legislative inclusion in the state of New Jersey and efforts to mirror vaccine confidence. Our conclusion offers action steps to increase the presence of school nurses in key areas and build a more robust public health infrastructure.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayumi A. Willgerodt ◽  
Douglas M. Brock ◽  
Erin D. Maughan

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.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105984052110129
Author(s):  
Krista Schroeder ◽  
Ally Young ◽  
Gail Adman ◽  
Ann Marie Ashmeade ◽  
Estherlyn Bonas ◽  
...  

This study assessed associations between school nurse workload and student health and academic outcomes. We hypothesized that lower school nurse workload would be associated with better student outcomes, with associations being greater for members of groups who experience health disparities. Our methods entailed secondary analysis of data for New York City school students in kindergarten through 12th grade during 2015–2016 ( N = 1,080,923), using multilevel multivariate regression as the analytic approach. Results demonstrated lower school nurse workload was associated with better outcomes for student participation in asthma education but not chronic absenteeism, early dismissals, health office visits, immunization compliance, academic achievement, or overweight/obesity. Our findings suggest school nurses may influence proximal outcomes, such as participation in disease-related education, more easily than downstream outcomes, such as absenteeism or obesity. While contrary to our hypotheses, results align with the fact that school nurses deliver community-based, population health–focused care that is inherently complex, multilevel, and directly impacted by social determinants of health. Future research should explore school nurses’ perspectives on what factors influence their workload and how they can best impact student outcomes.


2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Borgmeyer ◽  
Patricia Jamerson ◽  
Patricia Gyr ◽  
Nina Westhus ◽  
Emily Glynn

Asthma is the most common chronic disorder in American schoolchildren, and school nurses play a valuable role in its management. A study was conducted in which school nurses were asked to describe their role in caring for students with asthma and their use of Asthma Action Plans (AAPs). The nurses indicated that they frequently provided direct care and education. They were comfortable with providing care to students with asthma and familiar with AAPs. Having an AAP increased their confidence in managing students with asthma. This emphasizes the need for continued education regarding the AAP and the development of policies that direct care and encourage use of an AAP at school.


2022 ◽  
pp. 105984052110681
Author(s):  
Ashwini R. Hoskote ◽  
Emily Croce ◽  
Karen E. Johnson

School nurses are crucial to addressing adolescent mental health, yet evidence concerning their evolving role has not been synthesized to understand interventions across levels of practice (i.e., individual, community, systems). We conducted an integrative review of school nurse roles in mental health in the U.S. related to depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress. Only 18 articles were identified, published from 1970 to 2019, and primarily described school nurses practicing interventions at the individual level, yet it was unclear whether they were always evidence-based. Although mental health concerns have increased over the years, the dearth of rigorous studies made it difficult to determine the impact of school nurse interventions on student mental health outcomes and school nurses continue to feel unprepared and under supported in this area. More research is needed to establish best practices and systems to support school nursing practice in addressing mental health at all levels of practice.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 515-526
Author(s):  
Alison McCluskey ◽  
Garth Kendall ◽  
Sharyn Burns

Background Nurses play a significant role in promoting health in schools; however, they are often poorly resourced to do so. Aims The aim of the study was to identify the perceptions of students, parents and teachers regarding the resources school nurses require in order to practise effectively in the secondary school environment in Perth, Western Australia. Methods One-on-one interviews were conducted with parents, teachers, nurses, school principals and school counsellors. Focus groups were conducted at three schools with students in years 10, 11 and 12, parents and teachers. Interviews and focus group data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results It was acknowledged that nurses in all schools were under-resourced, with large student numbers contributing to high workloads. The importance of privacy during a visit to the school nurse was highlighted by students. All stakeholders discussed the advantages of nurses completing extra qualifications, in addition to an undergraduate degree. Appropriate support and supervision were also highlighted. Conclusions School nurses need to thoroughly document and describe the work that they do and collaborate within the school community to advocate for increased resources. There is a great need for further research regarding the school nurse role involving the whole school community, and most importantly the students.


2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimiko Tanaka ◽  
Larry Davidson ◽  
Thomas J Craig

Background: While the neighborhood community literature well documents a link between participation in supportive and effective community groups or activities and empowerment, there is as yet little empirical evidence of this relationship in the context of community mental health programs. Aim: The primary purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between sense of community belonging and empowerment among members of mental health clubhouses. Methods: A secondary analysis using a hierarchical regression model was conducted on cross-sectional structured interview data collected through a self-report questionnaire from 102 clubhouse members from six clubhouses in the United States and Finland. Results: The results indicated that members’ sense of clubhouse community belonging positively contributes to their empowerment. Conclusion: Fostering sense of community belonging appears to be a valid approach to catalyze empowerment. Study limitations and future research agendas were discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-149
Author(s):  
Rima D. Apple

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the evolution of school nursing in the USA in the early decades of the twentieth century, highlighting the linkages between schools and public health and the challenges nurses faced. Design/methodology/approach This historical essay examines the discussions about school nursing and school nurses’ descriptions of their work. Findings In the Progressive period, though the responsibilities of school nurse were never clearly defined, nurses quickly became accepted, respected members of the school, with few objecting to their practices. Nonetheless, nurses consistently faced financial complications that limited, and continue to limit, their effectiveness in schools and communities. Originality/value Few histories of school health have documented the critical role nurses have played and their important, although contested, position today. This paper points to the obstacles restricting the development of dynamic school nurse programs today.


2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Neighbors ◽  
Kathleen Barta

The components of a professional development model designed to empower school nurses to become leaders in school health services is described. The model was implemented during a 3-day professional development institute that included clinical and leadership components, especially coalition building, with two follow-up sessions in the fall and spring. Coalition building is an important tool to enhance the influence of the school nurse in improving the health of individuals, families, and communities. School nurses and nursing educators with expertise in the specialty of school nursing could replicate this model in their own regions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document