School‐Based Youth Health Nurses: Roles, Responsibilities, Challenges, and Rewards

Abstract

A case study and focus-group discussions were conducted with 10 youth health nurses (nurses) employed in the recently introduced School-Based Youth Health Nurse Program (SBYHNP) to identify their roles, responsibilities, and professional development needs. Major roles are support, referral, health promotion, and marketing. Clients include high school students, teachers, and parents; the majority of whom are female and aged 13-16 years. Health issues addressed during individual consultations are predominantly psychosocial but also include medical, sexual health and sexuality issues, health surveillance, and risk-taking behaviors. Nurses also provide clients with health information and promote enhanced personal skill development during these consultations. Health promotion strategies undertaken by nurses were predominantly health education and health information displays. Nurses reported marketing their role and function within the school to be an essential and often difficult aspect of their role. Professional development through the SBYHNP was excellent; however, there was concern relating to the availability of future educational opportunities. The SBYHNP provides nurses with a new, challenging, autonomous role within the school environment and the opportunity to expand their role to incorporate all aspects of the health-promoting schools' framework.

Cross-sectional research of school principals‘ view on placement of school nurses in Slovenian schools

“…Stopnjo zanesljivosti smo testirali na petih trditvah, ki merijo strinjanje glede sodelovanja (Cronbach alfa 0,802). Predlogi izvajanja nalog šolske medicinske sestre (17,18,21,7,22,10) S trinajstimi trditvami smo ugotavljali potrebe po izvajanju nalog, ki jih v tujini izvaja medicinska sestra na šoli. Do trditev so se anketiranci opredeljevali s 5-stopenjsko lestvico potrebe.…”

Middle School Teachers' Intentions to Refer Eating Disorder Students for Professional Counseling

“…Traditionally these issues, including eating disorders, were primarily handled by the school counselors, school psychologists, school nurses or administration. However, today the classroom teachers are being recruited to handle these types of issues and expected to refer students for counseling (Barnes et al, 2004).…”

“…Traditionally, eating disorders were primarily handled by the school nurses, school counselors, school psychologists or school administrators. However, today the classroom teachers are expected to refer students for counseling (Barnes et al, 2004) yet they may not believe it is their responsibility. The participation in this current study was voluntary; however, a few teachers believed they needed to express themselves in writing by commenting that it was not part of their responsibility to refer students.…”

“…They are perfectly positioned and have great potential to help with these efforts in all grade levels of education (Yager & O'Dea, 2005). One particularly significant time to intercede is preadolescence since this is a period where young people become more "at-risk" for physical, psychological, behavioral and academic problems (Barnes, Courtney, Pratt, Walsh, & Prom, 2004;Calabrese, Hummel, & San Martin, 2007;Shahid, 2003;Wisenhunt, 2002).…”

“…Research studies suggest that teachers can play a meaningful role for students dealing with EDs (Barnes et al, 2004) even before symptoms become evident (Kates, Rohwer, & Londre, 2002;Smolak et al, 2001;St. Leger & Nutbeam, 2000;Wisenhunt, 2002).…”