School Nurses Research Articles

Working Conditions and Well-Being of School Nurses in Spain: Impact on Job Satisfaction and Professional Quality of Life

Background: School nurses play a crucial role in promoting student health, addressing issues such as substance use, mental health, physical health, violence, and sexual health. However, their job satisfaction has been understudied, particularly in relation to the challenges they face. Objective: This study evaluates the job satisfaction and professional quality of life among school nurses and nurses working in educational settings in Spain. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted (November 2023–February 2024) with 553 nurses from various regions of Spain, using the Font-Roja job satisfaction and CPV-35 professional quality of life questionnaires. Results: Our results showed significant differences in job satisfaction between nurses in healthcare and educational settings, influenced by factors such as workload and institutional support. Most participants (97.5% women, median age ~40 years) had less than 5 years of experience. The lack of a dedicated nurse in half of the schools highlights disparities in service provision. Discussion: This study emphasizes the need for supportive policies and work environments to improve the well-being and job satisfaction of nurses in school settings.

Pediatric Primary Care Physicians’ Perceptions of, and Processes for, Pediatric Blood Pressure Screening, Follow-Up, and Hypertension Management

Background/Objectives: Pediatric hypertension is an important and impactful condition. The 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guidelines provide recommendations for identifying and managing this condition within primary care. However, the perspectives and self-described practices of physicians are largely absent in the current evidence base. We aim to fill this gap through our qualitative investigation of physicians’ perceptions and practices related to the screening, follow-up, and management of primary pediatric hypertension. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with pediatric and family medicine physicians from the largest healthcare system in central Massachusetts. The interviews explored physicians’ perceptions, and practices related specifically to pediatric blood pressure screening, follow-up for high blood pressures, and management of primary hypertension. We used rapid qualitative analysis to synthesize data into the resulting themes. Results: Eleven interviews were conducted. Resulting themes included: (1) physicians are generally concerned about pediatric hypertension and familiar with guidelines, but other concerns often take precedence, (2) blood pressure screening occurs mainly during yearly well visits, (3) physicians do not trust high blood pressure readings, (4) follow-up after high blood pressure readings varies, and (5) primary care physicians typically refer to specialists for hypertension management. Conclusions: This study expands current literature by providing salient context to the state of pediatric blood pressure screening, follow-up, and primary hypertension management after the 2017 guidelines among primary care physicians affiliated with an academic medical center. Our findings related to physicians’ trust in electronic health record flags and the utility of follow-up by school nurses warrant further investigation.

Career Growth as a Mediator Between Scope of Practice, Importance of Practice and Emergency Nursing Competency Among School Nurses.

School nurses are sometimes the sole healthcare professionals in schools, highlighting their significant role in delivering emergency care and the vital necessity of their competence in emergency nursing care. The scope of practice and ongoing professional development are hypothesized to play significant roles in enhancing these competencies. Investigate the direct and indirect effects of the scope of current practice and the importance of training on the emergency nursing care competency of school nurses, with career growth serving as a potential mediator. A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenient sample of 219 school nurses. Data were collected using the career growth of nurses' scale, the emergency nursing care competency scale for school nurses and the scope of school nursing practice tool. Mediation analysis was used to explore the direct and indirect effects of studied variables. Mediation analysis indicated that the scope of current practice had a significant direct effect on career growth (β = 0.179) and emergency nursing care competency (β = 0.389). The importance of practice also had significant direct effects on career growth (β = 0.164) and emergency nursing care competency (β = 0.220). Additionally, career growth significantly mediated the relationship between both the scope of current practice (β = 0.110) and the importance of practice (β = 0.120) with emergency nursing care competency. The findings emphasis the critical role of career growth as a mediator between the scope and importance of practice and emergency nursing care competency among school nurses. Expanding the scope of practice and emphasising the importance of professional activities can enhance career growth and improve emergency nursing care competencies. Nurses scope of practice and clear career advancement through mentorship, advanced certifications, further education and enforcing policies mandating regular emergency care is crucial. Establishing a regulatory framework to define and expand the scope of practice for school nurses is also important. No patient or public contribution.

Game On! Improving Learning Engagement Among Massachusetts School Nurses Through Gamification.

Health care professionals must understand the laws and regulations that guide their practice. Training can often be dense and tedious, resulting in less than optimal levels of learner interest and engagement. Gamification provides a unique opportunity to improve the learning experience, promote ease of use, and sustain gained learner knowledge. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2025;56(2):50-52.].

A qualitative study exploring the feasibility and acceptability of computerised adaptive testing to assess and monitor children and young people’s mental health in primary care settings in the UK

BackgroundThe increasing prevalence of mental health disorders among adolescents highlights the importance of early identification and intervention. Artemis-A is a web-based application of computerised adaptive testing (CAT), originally developed for...

Perceptions on the Implementation of a School Nursing Pilot Programme in the Canary Islands

Perceptions on the Implementation of a School Nursing Pilot Programme in the Canary Islands

Language Difficulties and Challenges Faced by Students in Understanding the English Curriculum at PNS LUMHS

The English language is spoken all over the world nowadays. It is issued in various socio-economic settings such as tourism, travelling, business, commerce, communication, teaching, learning, international diplomacy, science and technology. Objectives: To describe the challenges that students experience because of the curriculum in English. To investigate how these challenges are overcome by students in their academic years, and to explore which strategies are used by students to overcome challenges faced because of the curriculum in English. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Peoples Nursing School, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Science, Jamshoro, to evaluate language difficulties and challenges faced by students in understanding the English curriculum at Peoples Nursing School, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Science. Results: According to this study, nearly 41% of students face difficulties when communicating in English. 41% of students have difficulty in grammar. The major problem faced by participants is that 57% of students feel shy, and because of that students don’t communicate well in English. 53% of participants don’t speak English or read in English because of shyness and 51% of participants haven’t enough confidence to read in English in front of people. Conclusions: It was concluded that participants have major problems in English speaking because of again lack of confidence, shyness, lack of vocabulary, lack of fluency, and sentence-making problems.

The Benefits of Intentional Nurse Rounds in Schools.

Nurse rounds have long been an established practice in clinical settings, resulting in improved patient care through accurate assessment, evaluation, and communication. This practice has also been shown to create seamless patient-centered care among the medical team, the patient, and their family members. While nurse rounds are an important component of clinical care, school nurses have not adopted this practice. Rather, school nurses utilize the School Nurse Practice Framework. This Framework guides school nurses in promoting student health and academic success in a safe school environment. While the Framework provides guidance in how school nurses can achieve successful care coordination by prioritizing relationship building and professional practice, the incorporation of school nursing rounds complements the Framework principles and provides proactive student support and elevates school nursing practice and visibility. When school nurses approach nursing rounds intentionally, data showed that health office visits decreased, relationships improved among students and teachers, and the school nurse became a visible and important part of the school community. This article highlights how nurse rounds were integrated into one school setting and reports on the benefits associated with this practice.

Students’ perceptions of assessment feedback in an undergraduate nursing and midwifery subject: a mixed-methods study

Background: In an undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing course, students enrol in an evidence-based Practice (EBP) subject. Three scaffolded tasks assess students’ ability to find, summarise and synthesise professional literature. For each assessment task, students are provided feedback that informs subsequent assessments. It is unclear how students use the feedback, and what elements of feedback are perceived as being most useful. Aim: This study aimed to examine nursing students’ perspectives of receiving feedback from scaffolded assessments and how feedback received influenced the development of the final assessment task. Design: A mixed-methods approach was used with a cross-sectional survey and online qualitative interviews. Setting: This research was conducted at Deakin University, School of Nursing and Midwifery in Melbourne, Australia. Participants: One hundred forty-eight students (17.4%, n = 851) participated in the cross-sectional survey. Seven students participated in the online qualitative interviews. Methods: Students enrolled in the EBP subject in Trimester, 2023 were invited to participate in a survey where they rated their experience of assessment feedback using a Likert scale. Students were also invited to participate in an online qualitative interview that further explored their perceptions. Results: Assessment exemplars were highly beneficial to understanding the assessment task (87.8% agree/strongly agree, n = 107). Responding to feedback was challenging (38.5%, n = 47). Qualitative themes identified were engagement with assessments, appropriateness of feedback, and use of scaffolded feedback. Conclusions: This study highlights that scaffolded feedback is valuable for student learning. Feedback in each rubric criterion helps with the alignment of learning outcomes. Resources that support students in how to respond to feedback are important.

Undesignated Glucagon in Schools for the Treatment of Diabetes-Related Hypoglycemia: A 2025 Update.

Hypoglycemia will occur on school grounds in students with diabetes who are receiving glucose-lowering drugs. Hypoglycemia may be severe, in which a student is unconscious or comatose. Fast-acting carbohydrates remain the first line of treatment for nonsevere hypoglycemia but preparedness with emergency injectable or intranasal glucagon is ideal. Students may not have their own glucagon devices, so unassigned or undesignated glucagon for use with any student in which glucagon is part of their hypoglycemia treatment plan is critical. Several states have laws permitting undesignated glucagon in schools, and school nurses residing in states without such laws could strongly advocate their state legislators to enact similar laws to ensure students in the nurses' care have access to this lifesaving treatment.

The Mediating Role of Teachers' Self-Efficacy in the Relationship Between Their Attitudes Toward School Bullying and Their Handling of Bullying Situations: A Study From Jordan.

Previous literature indicates that even when teachers hold antibullying attitudes, they may fail to intervene, suggesting that self-efficacy is essential for successful intervention. This study explored the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between attitudes toward bullying and intervention efforts among teachers. A cross-sectional, mediational design was used with a convenience sample of 567 Jordanian teachers teaching students aged 12 to 17. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that included the Bullying Attitude Questionnaire-Modified, Teachers' Self-Efficacy Regarding Bullying Scale, and the Handling Bullying Questionnaire. Mediation analysis with PROCESS Macro v4.2 revealed a nonsignificant total effect between teachers' attitudes and their interventions, but self-efficacy fully mediated this relationship. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing teachers' self-efficacy to ensure that antibullying attitudes translate to active intervention. School nurses can support this by helping teachers reflect on their attitudes, boosting their self-efficacy, and developing effective intervention strategies.

Jigsaw technique: Will it help Gen Z nursing students?

This research focuses on Generation Z (Gen Z) students, specifically those in nursing colleges. Gen Z individuals display unique characteristics in terms of thinking, personality, lifestyle, and learning preferences compared to preceding generations, necessitating adaptations in teaching methodologies within nursing schools. This study explores the effectiveness of the Jigsaw Technique (JST) in engaging first-year undergraduate nursing students in learning process. Four topics (modules): Cardiovascular system (Module 1), Respiratory system (Module 2), Endocrine system (Module 3) and Central nervous system (Module 4) were selected. Module 1 and 2 were taught by JST to Group I (Jigsaw group) and by conventional didactic lectures to Group II (Lecture group). The groups alternated teaching methods for the remaining modules. Scores in pre, post and retention tests were higher in Group I than in Group II. The results were statistically highly significant (p=0.000) for modules 1,2 and 4 and not significant (p=0.411) for module 3. Analysis of student feedback revealed that 63% of students liked JST. 71% responded that this is an interesting way of learning the topic, helped them in improving their communication skills and improved interaction with their peers. 77% found that JST helped them understand the topic easily. 69% want this technique should be used for teaching other physiological concepts and for other undergraduate subjects as well. The study concludes that using and integrating this student-centric teaching method into Gen Z nursing education holds promise for building a foundation of robust knowledge and developing essential personality skills crucial for future nursing professionals.

Knowledge and attitudes of school nurses in caring for sexual and gender minority youth: A national survey.

School nurses (SNs) can play important roles in the health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, yet little is known about their knowledge and attitudes toward this population. To understand SNs' knowledge and attitudes in caring for SGM youth across the United States. We designed and disseminated the School Nurses and LGBTQ Youth online survey in May 2023 to U.S. SNs. Eight items addressed knowledge of SGM youth health needs and disparities; 11 addressed attitudes toward SGM youth. Overall, 1,189 SNs completed the survey (response rate 59.5%). Regression models revealed that liberal political affiliation and more past-year professional development were most strongly associated with higher knowledge and attitudesscores. This national sample of SNs reported moderate levels of knowledge and positive attitudes toward caring for SGM youth. Thefindings have important implications for developing SN-tailored interventions to improve care and health outcomes for SGM students.

Role of School Nurses in the Health and Education of Children

This JAMA Forum discusses the reasons for investing in school nurses, identifies challenges in supporting school health programs, and provides recommendations for investing in school nursing as a key strategy for improving children’s health, equity, and well-being.

Breathing Easy: A Qualitative Analysis of School Nurse and Administrator Perspectives on Stock Inhalers and School-Based Asthma Management.

Stock inhalers are unassigned rescue inhalers available for students who experience asthma symptoms at school. This study sought to understand school nurse and administrator perspectives on school-based asthma management and stock inhaler policy implementation. Twenty-three semistructured interviews were conducted with professionals from five high asthma burdened counties in varied geographic settings. Thematic analysis revealed three themes. "School-Based Asthma Management" revealed concerns about management methods of asthma and respiratory emergencies, and incident tracking. "Access to a Supportive Asthma School Environment" emphasized growth opportunities for family education, staff training, and resource access. "Stock Inhaler Programming" described how stock inhalers ensure consistent asthma medication access with easy integration into existing emergency protocols. With proper adoption and dissemination, stock inhaler programming has the capacity to enhance school-based asthma management and emergency responsiveness in schools across the country. This study highlights how health policy implementation and its integration into practice can transform school health.

Bridging Gaps: Creating a Digital Toolkit to Support Pregnant and Parenting Youth.

Despite declines in teen pregnancy, pregnant teens remain at risk for poor health and educational outcomes due to a lack of care coordination and access to resources. The purpose of this project was to develop and launch a care coordination toolkit to provide resources to pregnant and parenting youth (PPY) at a large urban school district. School personnel were trained on the use of the toolkit and completed pre- and posttraining surveys to evaluate changes in knowledge and confidence. Youth were given immediate access to resources via posters with a trackable, yet anonymous, Quick Response (QR) code piloted in 10 schools. Thirty-three staff participated. Knowledge increased by 66.1% posttraining. Confidence improved by 46.9%. In one month, the trackable QR code was scanned 37 times. This evidence-based practice project is in alignment with NASN's School Nursing Practice Framework and harnesses the expertise of nurses to protect the health of PPY.

Modeling in Nursing: A Handbook Template for Professional Identity in Schools of Nursing.

The Professional Identity in Nursing Initiative began in 2018 to explore how concepts and language regarding professional identity formation could positively affect nursing education, practice, and regulation. In 2023, faculty from two nursing schools used the International Society for Professional Identity in Nursing (ISPIN) definitions and domains to incorporate professional identity in nursing language in a template for a nursing student handbook. Faculty evaluated the professional identity in nursing model and replaced the framework for professionalism in the school of nursing's handbook. The revised handbook has become an easy-to-understand roadmap for faculty and provides clarity for students. Faculty reported positive feedback after integrating the framework into the handbook and throughout the nursing curriculum. This template can serve as a practical tool for schools of nursing to promote concepts of professional identity in nursing in their handbooks and throughout the nursing curriculum. [J Nurs Educ. 2025;64(X):XXX-XXX.].

Oral health promotion: a qualitative study to explore perspectives of kindergarten nurses at Qatar

BackgroundThe oral health of preschool children remains a concern globally. Kindergarten and school nurses can improve oral health by reducing the incidence of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) among children. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of kindergarten nurses about a proposed oral health promotion program to be implemented in primary health centres and kindergartens.MethodsThe qualitative research used in-depth interviews of 12 kindergarten nurses who were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data analysis software was used (NVivo9 MANUF). Four major themes emerged and were analysed to explore contextual patterns within the data.ResultsThe major themes included participants acknowledged the high prevalence of caries in children and identified several causes within the local context, including parental practices, poor dietary habits, the impact of cultural lack of oral health knowledge and limitations in the healthcare system. However, the study results’ themes also revealed complex barriers and enablers regarding the implementation of the program highlighting interpersonal, structural, systemic, and social elements.ConclusionKindergarten nurses maintained an affirmative attitude towards oral health promotion programs and were enthusiastic about initiating and supporting these programs. This qualitative study brought out critical socio-biological-cultural factors that influence the oral health promotion of preschool children.

Prevalence of Chronic Diseases, Allergies and Food Intolerance in Schoolchildren in a Network of Educational Centers with School Nurses in Spain.

The prevalence of chronic diseases, including allergies, is increasing in schoolchildren, making school nurses essential in managing students' health. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic conditions in schoolchildren within a network of Spanish educational centers with school nurses. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2023, covering 25,951 students from these centers. Schoolchildren and educational center data were collected from the school health records to document health information and nursing activities. Mean age of students was 10.11 years (50.20% female). A total of 9.45% had chronic disorders, including disorders of the respiratory (4.14%), neurological (2.94%), digestive (2.28%), musculoskeletal (1.25%), and cardiovascular (1.14%) systems. A total of 12.5% had allergies (6.10% food allergies), and 2.81% had food intolerances. Identifying and recording these diseases are key responsibilities of the school nurse, supporting improved care quality and informing policies to ensure school nurse availability and enhanced health management protocols for students.

COVID Lessons Learned: From Response to Recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on all school staff. As a consequence of their role as frontline responders, school nurses experienced significant trauma and moral injury. The Washington State School Nurse Corps debriefed the pandemic response to plan for future disasters. In the process, they discovered that much of the literature reflects the school nurse's role in the early phase of disaster response. There is little attention given to recovery processes and few current sources could be found on the role of nursing in debriefing. School nurses could benefit from and play an important role in supporting recovery, particularly debriefing, for their school communities.