Abstract
ABSTRACTNursing students typically do not undertake clinical training in school settings. However, they are well placed to have a role in providing health screening and education in schools or community health venues under supervision of qualified nurses. This study provides a description and outcomes of a vision and hearing screening programme delivered by university nursing students working out of a student-led clinic situated in an underserved, largely Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in regional Australia. Screening and follow-up data collected from 741 elementary school children indicated some important population patterns and trends, with nearly 30% having identified problems. Anecdotal evidence suggested children who gained treatment had improved school performance. Challenges to follow-up and confounding variables are discussed and a suggestion for future research is offered.
Highlights
There is considerable debate about the effectiveness of screening in schools
The only significant difference found was the proportion of children from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) backgrounds between the two schools
This study confirmed that eye and ear mass screening successfully identified a number of children with varying levels of problems that had not been previously detected
Summary
There is considerable debate about the effectiveness of screening in schools. There is evidence that children with severe hearing loss have significant behavioural problems (Theunissen et al, 2014) and that otitis media with effusion (OTE) or ‘glue ear’ may lead to problems with language development and behaviour (Simpson et al, 2007). There is little high quality evidence in favour of screening for hearing loss or visual impairment, given the difficulties of collecting such data (Mathers, Keyes, & Wright, 2010; Murray, Low, Hollis, Cross, & Davis, 2007; Powell & Hatt, 2009; Powell, Wedner, & Hatt, 2004; Simpson et al, 2007). There will be variability according to the prevalence of hearing problems or visual impairments in a given population, and issues such as poor school attendance will affect the data collected (Sharma, Congdon, Patel, & Gilbert, 2012)
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