School Nurses Research Articles

Elevating competency-based education in baccalaureate nursing: A simulation integration project

Simulation offers a mechanism for scaffolded learning in a safe environment and affords opportunities for students to integrate nursing knowledge, skills, and behaviors into patient care activities. Faculty applied a structured change model and utilized simulation theory and the AACN Essentials framework for competency-based education to integrate simulation across the pre-licensure curriculum at a large school of nursing. A series of clinical learning activities were implemented including one revised scenario, a computer-based simulation adapted from an existing manikin-based activity, and a multi-patient simulation developed by modifying three textbook publisher simulation resources. Students were provided with opportunities to develop competencies across multiple Essentials domains, and congruence between course and simulation objectives was achieved. The purpose of this article is to describe the processes and outcomes of a faculty-driven effort to advance competency-based education in baccalaureate nursing curricula.

Attitudes, Self-Confidence, and Knowledge of Primary Care Professionals towards School Bullying.

Attitudes, practices, and knowledge about bullying were evaluated in a sample of 274 primary care professionals, including general practitioners, pediatricians, community, pediatric and school nurses, and residents of these specialties. This study was based on a mixed method with a parallel convergent design without dominance between phases, data were collected concurrently, and conversion of the results from both phases was carried out during data interpretation. The quantitative phase had a cross-sectional observational design, using The Healthcare Provider's Practices, Attitudes, Self-confidence, and Knowledge Regarding Bullying Questionnaire as an instrument. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed, which showed a positive correlation between higher self-confidence and knowledge scores and a greater predisposition to detect cases. However, although the dimensions of attitudes and knowledge yielded generally high data, low self-confidence was evident in addressing this problem. In addition, a lack of clear guidelines in the workplace was expressed, highlighting the need to create and provide specific resources to intervene in bullying in said context, which could develop an improvement in self-confidence, leading to greater well-being for the educational community regarding bullying.

The mental and behavioral health crisis in youth: Strategic solutions post COVID-19 pandemic: An American Academy of Nursing consensus paper

The COVID-19 pandemic wrought significant negative impacts on youth well-being, particularly among Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, and LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning) youth. The pandemic disrupted connections to family, school, and community, which are essential supports for youth mental health. Lessons learned from the pandemic suggest the role of stress and windows of opportunity to build resiliency. Drawing from a policy dialog on the youth mental health crisis conducted by 4 American Academy of Nursing Expert Panels, we present approaches to the current increase in youth mental health problems. Included is emerging literature on building youth resilience, particularly via re-establishing school and community connections. The role of families, schools, and community support is emphasized, particularly by creating a healing school environment and the pivotal role of school nurses. Recommendations include increased support for families, engaging the school nurse role, and developing school-based innovative programs to build connections and youth wellness.

Practicing With a Framework Mindset: A Closer Look at the Standards of Practice Principle.

School nurses are more likely to support students' health, safety, and readiness to learn if they approach their practice through the lens of the School Nursing Practice Framework™ (the Framework). Practicing with an intentional focus on the Framework principles is called practicing with a Framework mindset. This article is the first in a 5-part series discussing how to be a school nurse who practices with a Framework mindset. In this article, school nurses will discover the basis for updates to the Framework's Standards of Practice principle, differences between the Standards of Practice principle and the authoritative standards of school nursing practice, activities that exemplify the Standards of Practice principle, and how to address a real-world school nursing challenge with a Framework mindset attuned to the Standards of Practice principle.

Teaching global interdependence to health professions students during the Anthropocene epoch: Findings from documentary analysis of an interprofessional education course

Aim(s)To examine the effects of new course material that incorporated the Anthropocene and The Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) 'Climate Effects on Health' framework into an IPE course to enhance students' understanding global interdependence. BackgroundTeaching global interdependence with a suitable framework and relevant content in an introductory Interprofessional Education course in undergraduate programs is challenging when these early learners who do not have significant clinical experience. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt these courses to provide a framework that all students can relate to regardless of previous experience. DesignThe design for this study was qualitative document analysis. MethodThe required introductory IPE course was for students on the programs offered by the College of Health Sciences and the School of Nursing. Students (n = 142) from seven health professions programs, including athletic training (n=9), nursing (n=70), nutrition and dietetics (n=8), occupational therapy (n=15), physical therapy (n=31), radiation therapy (n=2) and magnetic resonance imaging and pre-professional students from other majors (n=5) were enrolled in this IPE course. The study used data derived from the final reflections submitted by the students. The CQI analysis focused on students enrolled in a dedicated interprofessional course related to health professions. ResultsWays interprofessional teams can address global challenges like the Anthropocene, climate-related illnesses and severe weather events were revealed in student responses. Three themes that emerged from the student responses included: public health collaborations, holistic health promotion and policy advocacy. ConclusionIncorporating the concept of Anthropocene and the 'Climate Effects on Health' framework into an IPE course can be a promising approach to shaping students' perception and enhancing their knowledge about global interdependence. By doing so, students can gain a deeper understanding of how human activities have an impact on the climate and ecology of the planet and how severe weather can lead to various health problems.

"We Have Bills to Pay Too": The Juggling Act of Working While Attending a School of Nursing

"We Have Bills to Pay Too": The Juggling Act of Working While Attending a School of Nursing

A Study to Assess the Level of Academic Procrastination among B.Sc. Nursing Students, Royal School of Nursing, the Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati, Assam

A Study to Assess the Level of Academic Procrastination among B.Sc. Nursing Students, Royal School of Nursing, the Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati, Assam

Legal Issues 101: Implications of Attendance, Absenteeism, and Truancy in the School Setting

This article is part of Legal Issues 101, a series of topics addressing some common questions and misconceptions about the law and school health. School nurse job responsibilities differ regarding monitoring student attendance and assisting school administrators with required truancy reporting. However, all school nurses support student attendance with a focus on students being safe, healthy, and ready to learn. In this article, the authors address frequently asked questions on topics surrounding student attendance including excused and unexcused absences, truancy, parent/guardian engagement, and related laws.

The growth and development of a novel distance accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program

Severe nursing shortages threaten the sustainability of US health systems. Rural and underserved communities are disproportionately affected by staffing crises and associated facility closures, as well as health disparities. A major factor contributing to geographic gaps in care is the absence of nursing schools, nursing faculty, and locations for clinical rotations in many rural and underserved areas. Emory School of Nursing is helping to solve for these issues through the Distance Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (DABSN) program. The DABSN is establishing accelerated pipelines of nursing students into practice in locations where nursing education has historically been difficult or impossible to access. This innovative nursing education model allows students to enroll in a top-ranked nursing school while remaining in their home communities. Students complete synchronous didactic coursework with peers in every US time zone while performing clinical rotations in local healthcare facilities. This paper details the growth and development of the DABSN. It describes the challenges and opportunities we have navigated in implementing the program, along with information about its pedagogy, clinical placement practices, and student/faculty characteristics. We share program outcomes and conclude with recommendations for the future.

The effect of educational application in nursing internship clinical training on cognitive and functional skills and students’ satisfaction

BackgroundClinical education plays an essential role in shaping the nursing identity and is one of the central elements in the education of nursing students. Today, with the advancement of novel technologies, utilizing mobile phone-based technologies in the education of medical sciences is inevitable. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of the urology educational application on nursing students’ cognitive-functional criteria and satisfaction during the internship period.MethodsThis experimental educational intervention study was conducted during nursing students’ urology internship course at Shahid Beheshti School of Nursing and Midwifery in Rasht. The data collection tools included a demographic characteristics questionnaire, cognitive skills scale, functional skills scale, and satisfaction scale (Stokes, 2001). The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16, and a significance level was set at 0.05.ResultsOut of 48 studied students, 28 (58.3%) were males. The mean age of the students was 20.34 (SD = 1.51) years. In the application group, the mean of students’ cognitive skills after the intervention significantly increased by 2.33 units (95% CI: 1.73 to 2.9) (t(23) = 7.97, P < 0.001, d = 1.626). By controlling the scores before the intervention, the adjusted mean score of cognitive skills in the application group was 0.56 units (95% CI: -0.16 to 1.28) higher than the traditional group; however, this difference was not statistically significant (F(1, 45) = 2.42, P = 0.127, η2p = 0.051). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean score of students’ functional skills in traditional and application groups (t(46) = 0.63, P = 0.532, d = 0.184). The total mean score of satisfaction with education in the application group was 83.0 (SD: 10.7). According to the values ​​of the quartiles, 75% of the students scored higher than 75.9, 50% scored higher than 83.9, and 25% scored higher than 91.1.ConclusionAccording to the results of this study, students’ scores of functional and cognitive assessment and satisfaction with the application in urology clinical training were reported as favorable. Therefore, it is recommended that mobile phone-based technologies be used in students’ clinical education and internships in combination with the traditional method.

Comparison of the effects of burn assessment mission game with feedback lecture on nursing students’ knowledge and skills in the burn patients’ assessment: a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundLearning of burn patient assessment is very important, but heart-breaking for nursing students. This study aimed to compare the effects of feedback lecture method with a serious game (BAM Game) on nursing students’ knowledge and skills in the assessment of burn patients.MethodIn this randomized controlled clinical trial, 42 nursing students in their 5th semester at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences School of Nursing and Midwifery, were randomly assigned to intervention (BAM game, available for two weeks) and control (feedback lecture method presented in two 90-minute sessions) groups. Two weeks after the intervention, all students were evaluated for their knowledge (using knowledge assessment test) and skills (using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination). Statistical analysis involved independent t-test, Fisher’s exact test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and univariable and multivariable ordinal logistic regression models.ResultsFollowing the intervention, the skill scores were 16.4 (SD 2.2) for the intervention group and 11.8 (SD 3.8) for the control group. Similarly, the knowledge scores were 17.4 (SD 2.2) for the intervention group and 14.7 (SD 2.6) for the control group. Both differences were statistically significant (P < .001). These differences remained significant even after adjusting for various factors such as age, gender, marital status, residence, university entrance exam rank, and annual GPA (P < .05). Furthermore, the BAM game group showed significantly higher skills rank than the feedback lecture group across most stations (eight of ten) (P < .05) in the univariable analysis. Multivariable analysis also revealed a significantly higher skills score across most stations even after adjusting for the mentioned factors (P < .05). These results suggest that the BAM game group had higher skills scores over a range of 1.5 to 3.9 compared to the feedback lecture group.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that nursing students who participated in the BAM game group exhibited superior performance in knowledge acquisition and skill development, compared to those in the control group. These results underscore a significant enhancement in educational outcomes for students involved with the BAM game, confirming its utility as a potent and effective pedagogical instrument within the realm of nursing education.Trial registrationIranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT20220410054483N1, Registration date: 18/04/2022.

Sustainable Academic-Clinical Alliance: A Model to Improve Academic-Practice Partnerships.

Background: National nurse shortages, ongoing nurse faculty retirements, and a dearth of clinical sites make it challenging to prepare advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who are ready to transition into independent provider roles, especially in acute care settings. One of the most effective ways to address these experiential learning challenges is for academic institutions and healthcare systems to form collaborative academic-practice partnerships. However, many partnerships between schools of nursing and healthcare institutions have found numerous challenges, including time to devote to the partnership, funding of ideas, competing initiatives and needs, and sustainability. Objective: The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) set out to expand the traditional academic-clinical partnership approach with a new collaborative model. Methods: Rather than both parties coming to the table with their own goals, the partnership focused on intentional relationship building, transparency, measurable outcomes, and sustainability. This model, further called the Sustainable Academic-Clinical Alliance (SACA), assures that both sides of the partnership benefit. The SACA model was used to create an academic-practice partnership with the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health System in order to increase APRN clinical practice sites and readiness of APRN students to provide care across the continuum in the state of Maryland. Results: Since July 2016, the SACA model has enabled over 40 clinical providers in over 20 different clinical areas to offer 329 different clinical and nonclinical experiences to APRN students from UMSON. At the end of the 5-year alliance, 150 unique UMSON APRN students completed 257 different clinical rotations. Conclusion: The SACA model effectively promotes the development and achievement of sustainable academic-practice partnerships by focusing on (a) intentional relationship building, (b) transparency in goal setting and alliance maintenance, (c) development of outcome measures, and (d) sustainability. Implications for Nursing: The components of the SACA model made sustainability more achievable, which has eluded previous academic-clinical partnerships. This model can serve as a blueprint for other academic and healthcare institutions to establish sustainable academic-practice partnerships.

A higher education institution's response to the NMC Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment

This case study discusses how a higher education institution (HEI) responded to the Nursing and Midwfery Council's implementation of the Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment to support practice partners with their role in teaching and assessing students in clinical placements. In 2023, after consultation with key stakeholders, the HEI designed and implemented a new level 7 module aimed at enhancing clinicians' knowledge of teaching and assessing students in their practice-based learning environments. The module was designed to support clinicians working in a practice supervisor or practice assessor role in specialist community public health nursing, as there is recognition that this role requires advanced skills in decision-making and professional autonomy. The module has now completed its first year of delivery, with four separate cohorts having completed the taught sessions and the summative assessment. The cohorts have been a mix of health visitors, district nurses and school nurses from nationwide seconding NHS Trusts.

Diabetes infantojuvenil, un reto para la enfermería escolar

Introducción: La diabetes infantojuvenil es una enfermedad con una alta incidencia a nivel mundial, que puede generar diversas complicaciones. La presencia de la enfermera escolar ha demostrado una mejora en la salud de los pacientes infantojuveniles con diabetes mellitus. Introduction: Childhood and adolescent diabetes is a disease with a high incidence worldwide, which can generate various complications. The presence of the school nurse has demonstrated an improvement in the health of children and adolescent patients with diabetes mellitus.

Navigating the new NMC Standards for SCPHN School Nursing education

Navigating the new NMC Standards for SCPHN School Nursing education

Reading the signs in health visits-Perspectives of adolescents with migration experiences on encounters with school nurses.

To explore the experiences of health visits within the school health services from the perspective of adolescents with migration experiences. A descriptive qualitative study. Data were collected using focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews with adolescents with migration experiences aged 13-17 years old. Analysis was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis. The results described adolescents reading the signs in the guided interaction between them and the school nurses. Reading the signs illustrated the adolescents' continuous interpretation of the interaction with the school nurse, and their decisions on how to respond throughout the health visit. These interpretations influenced the adolescents' shifting willingness to talk about their health and how they adapted to the space of participation provided by the school nurse. The interpretation also influenced their experiences of health visits as focusing on their health without making them feel singled out. Although individual considerations might be warranted in health visits with adolescents with migration experiences, the results indicate that similarities in intrapersonal communication in various encounters between adolescents and health professionals might be greater than any differences. Healthcare encounters with adolescents with migration experiences might thus need to be conducted with an awareness that adolescents read the signs in the guided interaction and that similarities in this interaction are greater than any differences.

A Virtual Interprofessional Death Café to Increase Comfort With End-Of-Life Conversations

The Death Café model has been adopted in lay and professional communities world-wide to foster agenda-free discussion about death. To address the discomfort discussing death common among healthcare trainees and professionals, the authors coordinated a virtual, interprofessional Death Café within an academic medical community. Students and faculty affiliated with Schools of Nursing, Medicine, and Public Health at a United States academic center were invited by email to participate in a virtual Death Café. Participants were asked to complete an anonymous postevent survey about their level of comfort discussing death. Forty-six of 69 Death Café attendees completed the survey. About 77.8% agreed that this event positively impacted their perspective on end-of-life discussion and 80% reported feeling more comfortable talking about death and dying after the event. These preliminary findings suggest this virtual Death Café model provides a feasible, acceptable platform to increase comfort discussing death among healthcare trainees and professionals.

Effect of Educational Program about Premarital Counseling for Nursing School Students

Effect of Educational Program about Premarital Counseling for Nursing School Students

Exploring the perceptions of nursing internship students and their faculty mentors regarding the complexities and hindrances associated with implementing the nursing process within the clinical setting: An in-depth qualitative investigation

BackgroundUtilizing the nursing process within clinical settings serves to enhance the scientific stature of the nursing field. Nonetheless, various research findings suggest that nursing internship students encounter difficulties when it comes to implementing the nursing process and may lack the necessary proficiency. ObjectivesThe aim of this investigation is to identify the perceptions of nursing internship students and their faculty mentors regarding the complexities and hindrances associated with implementing the nursing process within the clinical setting. DesignA qualitative content analysis. ParticipantsNursing internship students and their faculty mentors from the Isfahan School of Nursing and Midwifery. MethodsIn this study, individual interviews were conducted with 13 participants. The data for this study were gathered through these semi-structured interviews and subsequently analyzed using the Granheim and Lundman method. To ensure the validity and reliability of the data, the evaluative criteria of Lincoln and Guba were employed. ResultsThe obstacles unveiled in this study can be categorized into three primary domains, each with its own subcategories: 1-Student role ambiguity (1-1 Lack of practical autonomy; 1–2 Insufficient proficiency in the nursing process; 1–3 Motivational deficiency). 2- Organizational Challenges (2-1 Shortage of nursing staff; 2-2 Suboptimal interpersonal dynamics); And 3- Gradual Erosion of the Nursing Process. ConclusionRecognizing the paramount importance of the nursing process in enhancing patient care quality is universally accepted. Therefore, it is imperative to systematically identify and tackle the challenges associated with its application. This study highlights that these challenges stem from various factors, including the multifaceted roles assumed by nursing students, organizational shortcomings within healthcare institutions, and the neglect or erosion of the nursing process in specific clinical settings. Addressing these issues is crucial for ensuring the effective utilization of the nursing process within the nursing profession and for optimizing patient care outcomes.

Safe Administration of Medication in School: Policy Statement.

Many youth with acute and chronic health conditions require medication to be administered during the school day. This policy statement offers guidance to school physicians, community prescribers, school nurses, other school health professionals, and groups providing oversight to school health activities and ensures patient safety and equity lenses are applied to administration of medications during school and for school-related activities. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports a robust collaborative model that allows all those involved in student health, including the student and family, to communicate, participate in effective medication management, inform delegated medication responsibilities, and promote safe medication storage and administration. School medication administration protocols are developed to help prevent medication administration errors specific to potential risks in the school setting and are responsive to the maturing students' evolving understanding of their health needs, growing autonomy, and responsibility. All protocols involving school nurses, unlicensed assistive personnel, and prescribers must be consistent with state and federal regulations on scope of practice, student privacy laws, and professional nursing organization guidelines. Consistent policies and messaging on safety of the patient and the entire school community enable school health teams to ensure equitable treatment of students prescribed therapeutic agents newly regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, over-the-counter medications, or products that are currently not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration.