Journal of School Nursing最新文献

Asthma morbidity disproportionately impacts children from low-income and racial/ethnic minority communities. School-supervised asthma therapy improves asthma outcomes for up to 15 months for underrepresented minority children, but little is known about whether these benefits are sustained over time. We examined the frequency of emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions for 83 children enrolled in Asthma Link, a school nurse-supervised asthma therapy program serving predominantly underrepresented minority children. We compared outcomes between the year preceding enrollment and years one-four post-enrollment. Compared with the year prior to enrollment, asthma-related ED visits decreased by 67.9% at one year, 59.5% at two years, 70.2% at three years, and 50% at four years post-enrollment (all p-values< 0.005). There were also significant declines in mean numbers of total ED visits, asthma-related hospital admissions, and total hospital admissions. Our results indicate that school nurse-supervised asthma therapy could potentially mitigate racial/ethnic and socioeconomic inequities in childhood asthma.

School meals play a vital role in supporting student health. Access to school meals was disrupted during COVID-19-related school closures, impacting student nutritional intake and household food insecurity. Data from the National School COVID-19 Prevention Study Survey and school staff focus groups were used to examine challenges to school meal provision in K-12 public schools. Data were analyzed using R and MAXQDA. Survey data indicated that most schools served breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria or classroom during the 2021-2022 school year. City schools were less likely to experience challenges with receiving the foods and supplies needed for school meal programs. Qualitative data revealed that school meal participation increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, however schools encountered challenges when implementing the program including staff shortages and supply chain issues. Findings from this study can help strengthen the K-12 school meal system to equitably serve students in future public health emergencies.

School nurses and pediatric nurses play vital roles in providing healthcare for children and adolescents in educational and healthcare settings. School nurses operate within educational institutions, serving as caregivers and facilitating communication between the school, families, and the healthcare system. These professionals closely collaborate with pediatric nurses. The primary objective of this study was to examine the state of school nursing in Spain. The research comprised 27 nurses, including 18 school nurses and 9 pediatric nurses, chosen through theoretical sampling. These nurses participated in in-depth interviews as part of the data collection process. Grounded theory, following Charmaz's process, was employed for data analysis. The findings underscore the nurses' call for their mandated presence and regulation in all Spanish educational institutions to address contemporary health challenges and ensure inclusive education.

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.

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.

In 2021, the National Association of School Nurses published an updated position statement affirming the unique position of school nurses to support the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) students who are faced with a variety of health disparities rooted in experiences of stigma, discrimination, and bias. The 5-year cluster randomized controlled trial "Reducing LGBTQ+ Adolescent Suicide" leveraged school nurses as leaders to facilitate the uptake of six evidence-informed, LGBTQ-supportive practices in New Mexico high schools. We analyzed 5 years of interview data from 24 school nurses in 13 intervention schools to examine what factors impacted their ability to serve as an effective leader for this initiative. Several factors including job characteristics, leadership and organizational skills, relationships and reputation, and personal commitments emerged from analysis. Contextual factors, such as working in urban or rural school, and the size of the school also influenced nurses' leadership.

Youth mental health and access to mental health resources are ongoing concerns for many students, families, and school personnel. Schools are trusted entities with the potential to disseminate accurate information. However, little is known about how school districts utilize the opportunity to connect students to trustworthy online mental health crisis resources. The objective of this study was to determine whether school districts are using technology to connect students to mental health resources. Using a stratified random sample of Texas public school districts, we assessed the presence and accessibility of mental health resources through district websites. Only 20.3% of district websites had mental health crisis resources present. Further evaluation revealed that districts are not fully utilizing technology to promote online mental health crisis resources. School nurses can play a key role in expanding access to mental health crisis resources by developing and promoting such websites.