Development of a nursing data set for school nursing.

Abstract

School nurses need to clearly identify how they promote the health and educational achievement of children. School nurses contribute to student health by providing health assessment and nursing interventions, advocating for healthy living, and contributing to prevention of illness and disease management. A Nursing Data Set for School Nursing can identify those data elements that are needed to prove that school nurses have a positive effect on children, families, and the community. The purpose of this project was to develop a Nursing Data Set for School Nursing that would describe and validate school nursing practice. Building on the Nursing Minimum Data Set developed by Werley, Devine, and Zorn, a Nursing Data Set for School Nursing was developed with guidance from experts in the field of school nursing. A Nursing Data Set for School Nursing has the potential to assist school nurses in documentation and validation of their nursing practice. It can validate the complexity of the role of the school nurse, the resources needed, and the effect school nurses have on improving the health and educational outcomes of students.