Association Between School District Policies That Address Chronic Health Conditions of Students and Professional Development for School Nurses on Such Policies

Abstract

Supportive school policies and well-prepared school nurses can best address the needs of students with chronic health conditions. We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine whether districts with policies requiring that schools provide health services to students with chronic health conditions were more likely to provide funding for professional development (PD) or offer PD to school nurses on those health services than districts without such policies. Compared to districts without certain requirements for health services related to chronic health conditions, districts with those requirements were more likely to provide PD on related topics (for all comparisons, p ≤ 0.001). For some topics, however, regardless of district requirements, PD was fairly low and suggests the need for increases in the rates at which districts provide PD to support school nurses who deliver services to students with chronic health conditions.

Trends in Asthma‐Related School Health Policies and Practices in the US States *

“…The study findings suggest further improvement is needed in educating students, their parents and families, and school staff about asthma, considering that across states, a median of 54.3% of schools increased students' knowledge on asthma, a median 22.1% of schools increased parents' and family's knowledge on asthma, and a median 18.4% of LHETs received professional development on asthma. CDC has publicly available tools which can help students, families, and schools learn more about asthma and how to control it 24,25 …”

“…Those steps are crucial in reducing school absenteeism, increasing academic success, and promoting and maintaining the health and well‐being of students, including those with asthma 10‐13 . School districts with a policy requiring schools to provide health services to address chronic health conditions of students also are more likely to provide funding for or offer professional development on health services 25 . Having a school nurse on‐site and easy access to a school‐based health center for consultation could improve health services offered at schools.…”

“…Having a school nurse on‐site and easy access to a school‐based health center for consultation could improve health services offered at schools. Such services might include identification or school‐based management of health conditions, tracking, case management, and referrals for chronic health conditions, such as asthma or diabetes 25,26 …”

School nurses' perceptions regarding barriers and facilitators in caring for children with chronic diseases in school settings: A mixed studies review

“…Robust and evidence‐based school health policies provide the basis for delivering optimal school health services. For students with chronic diseases, district requirements for schools could induce professional development for school nurses to practice such policies (Jones, Brener, & Bergren, 2015). The NASN of the US stressed that school nurses should provide leadership as advocates for policy development, education promotion, and system improvement (National Association of School Nurses, 2016).…”

Creating District Readiness for Implementing Evidence-Based School-Centered Asthma Programs

“…In return for participating in this asthma practice improvement PDU, the school nurse is rewarded with a flat dollar salary increase (< $800). Previous work by Jones, Brener, and Bergren (2015) highlights that professional development for school nurses is fairly low and recommends increased provision and finds that, overall, schools providing professional development create more supportive environments for caring for students with chronic illnesses.…”