School nurse administrators increasingly express concerns over the availability of substitute school nurses with return to in-person learning after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While ...healthcare staffing concerns and shortages are not unique to the school setting, the increasing health acuity of the student population, delegation principles, and staffing models complicate the issue. Traditional methods of covering absences may no longer suffice. In this article, five school nurse administrators share strategies, comparing pre-pandemic to current day facilitation of providing coverage for the absences of their healthcare staff.
School nurses are central to the health of children with diabetes (DM). In two states, a novel telementoring program, Diabetes in School Health (DiSH), was designed to support DM education for school ...nurses. Aims were to increase school nurse knowledge & comfort with routine DM care, and to build a network for sharing experiences & challenges with DM care. Sessions include brief didactic presentations followed by practical discussion and sharing of scenarios to collaborate and learn strategies to improve DM care. Recruitment of school nurses was via email. DiSH sessions started in Jan 2020 (WI) & Apr 2021 (WA) and are ongoing. This study reviewed the first 3 years of data from 25 DiSH-WI & 16 DiSH-WA sessions. Session attendance: mean 58 WI & 108 WA school health personnel, mostly nurses. Qualitative data included highlights from sessions’ didactics and discussions. In both WI and WA, recurrent themes included importance of communication, building relationships, and meeting students where they are. Table 1 reports challenges shared and lessons learned. Regional differences include applying regulations governing care in school. DiSH, a novel format for DM education of school nurses, provides a platform for locally relevant discussion of complex yet practical themes, which can be difficult to address in traditional educational modules. Dissemination of DiSH programs to other states is underway.
Disclosure
A.J.Pollock: None. W.N.Beaton: None. B.A.Burgess: None. K.B.Eitel: None. S.Logel: None. L.J.Ondeck: None. E.Sundberg: None.
School nurse and COVID‐19 response McIntosh, Constance E.; Brelage, Pamela K.; Thomas, Cynthia M. ...
Psychology in the schools,
20/May , Volume:
60, Issue:
5
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The role of the school nurse should not be understated when addressing the Covid‐19 pandemic and its effects on children and families. Knowledge surrounding this virus is rapidly changing and quick ...adaptation within the school system is required. In addition to the provision of direct care and education to students, school nurse responsibilities include the development and implementation of new policies; consideration of social and emotional well‐being; and effective communication with students, families, teachers, administrators, and community stakeholders. This article addresses current evidence related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic and the evolving role of the school nurse. A case study incorporates tips and suggestions for school nurses who will deliver professional care during this COVID‐19 crisis.
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.
IntroductionDuring the Covid pandemic we saw a significant fall in attendances of under 18s. At this time access to online services were increased but due to safeguarding concerns this service is not ...available to under 16s. A case review study was undertaken as part of a collaborative project with school nurses to address potential unmet need.MethodsWe reviewed the case notes of all under 16s attending between September 2022 and January 2023, and attendances of under 18s and uptake of online screening for the same four-month period for the past 5 years. Data was collected on the reason for attendance, screening tests taken and whether any safeguarding concerns were identified.ResultsThe data for attendances and online screening are shown in figure 1.During the data collection period, 18 under 16s attended the service, of whom 17 were female. Ages ranged between 13 and 15 years with two thirds being 15 years old. The commonest reason for attendance was for contraceptive advice (56%), and 53% had screening for infection, while some girls attended due to menorrhagia. Sexual assault was the primary reason for attendance in 18%, and safeguarding concerns were also raised in 18% of cases (only one of which attended due to assault). There were no diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Abstract P108 Figure 1Discussion The numbers of under 18s attending the service fell dramatically during the Covid pandemic and was not compensated for by an increase in online screening and while numbers have risen, they remain below pre-pandemic levels. The numbers of attendances in under 16s dipped slightly but remained more stable over this time. Our data demonstrates low levels of STI screening in this group which could potentially be met by increasing access to screening via school nurses who would also provide safeguarding support.
This article describes how one very large, diverse school district developed a Student Acuity Tool for School Nurse Assignment and used a logic model to successfully advocate for additional school ...nurse positions. The logic model included three student outcomes that were evaluated: provide medications and procedures safely and accurately, increase the number of students with a medical home, and increase the number of students with chronic illness that receive case management. Pairing a staffing formula with an evaluation plan that focuses on student outcomes and the priorities of the school district provides a strong case that school nurses are essential and that they contribute to student success.
Rationale With an increased number of students attending school with food allergies, there is increased risk of severe allergic reaction to a diagnosed or undiagnosed food allergen. Conclusions With ...an increased number of students attending school with food allergies, there is increased risk of severe allergic reaction to a diagnosed or undiagnosed food allergen.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) adolescents are more likely to report suicidality and worse mental health than their heterosexual peers. We conducted a systematic ...review to examine the relationship between positive school climate and suicidality and mental health among LGBTQ adolescents. We searched the literature using PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Six studies met inclusion criteria, and all had low to moderate risks of bias. Results indicate that LGBTQ students in schools with more positive school climates were at lower risk of suicidality and reported fewer depressive symptoms compared to students in less positive school climates. Being at the forefront of health in schools, school nurses have the opportunity to advocate for changes in school environments that promote positive mental health for all youth, including LGBTQ adolescents.
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