School Nurses and Children With Diabetes: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

background Managing diabetes in children is complex. The aims of this descriptive study were to describe the care provided to children with diabetes by school nurses using case management, to identify differences in care on the basis of the workload of the nurse and the age of the child, to explore the role of the nurse in responding to emergencies, and to describe the relationship between case management and quality of life. methods School nurses completed an expanded health assessment. Individualized goals were established and interventions were provided on the basis of a protocol. Quantitative and qualitative data for children enrolled during the 2009-2010 academic year were analyzed. results Eighty-six children were enrolled. The most common goals were related to establishing a safe school environment. Interventions varied depending on the workload of the nurse and the age of the child. Nurses assigned to 1-2 schools provided more intervention days (mean, 40.3 days) than did nurses assigned to 3-4 schools (mean, 24.4 days) (P < .05), particularly in the area of direct care. A total of 25 students experienced an emergency at school that initiated a cascade of events involving the parent (in 100% of cases), the teacher (in 96%), management of hyperglycemia (in 100%), and/or management of hypoglycemia (in 96%). For teens, case management improved quality of life, particularly the ability to communicate with health professionals. limitations The sample was small, and there was no comparison group. conclusions School nurses are effective in using case management to enhance the health and well-being of children with diabetes. This study should be replicated with a larger sample, a comparison group, and the inclusion of clinical outcomes.

The Relationships Among School Nurse to Student Ratios, Self-Efficacy, and Glycemic Control in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes

“…Despite the rise in numbers of youth with T1D, research on school nursing and measurable diabetes outcomes in adolescents is scarce. Research on school nursing and students with T1D has focused on parental perspectives of safety and satisfaction in the school setting (Driscoll et al, 2015; Skelley et al, 2013), school nurse perspectives regarding diabetes management (Thorstensson, Fröden, Vikström, & Andersson, 2016; Wang & Volker, 2013), and case management (Engelke, Swanson, Guttu, Warren & Lovern, 2011; Peery, Engelke, & Swanson, 2012).…”

Effect of Covid-19 quarantine on diabetes Care in Children

“…Many studies have shown that school nurses can have a significant impact on improving diabetes care in children [1,[16][17][18]. When schools closed due to the quarantine, disadvantaged children were affected the most, due to lack of health care from school nurses and other factors [19].…”

“…Type 1 Diabetes is a chronic illness that requires constant attention and monitoring. Parents and school nurses play a critical role in helping these children maintain control of their diabetes [1]. If diabetes control is not regulated during the childhood years, then these children are at risk of developing complications later in life [2].…”

Implementation of School Diabetes Care in the United States: A Scoping Review

“…Facilitators to forming a responsible and efficient school diabetes management team included competent school nurses, engaged parents of students with diabetes, responsible teachers, well-informed school leaders, adequate resources and professional support, and frequent and timely communication among stakeholders. More specifically, for school nurses, facilitators to the successful fulfillment of their responsibilities included adequate work experience (Bachman & Hsueh, 2008;Bobo et al, 2011;Darby, 2006;Engelke et al, 2011;Fisher, 2006;Izquierdo et al, 2009;Lineberry et al, 2018;March et al, 2020;Schwartz et al, 2010;, high confidence in performing care tasks (Berget et al, 2019;Fisher, 2006;Perfect & Jaramillo, 2012;Smith et al, 2012), higher education level (Bachman & Hsueh, 2008;Lineberry et al, 2018;March et al, 2020) reasonable workload (Engelke et al, 2011), sound decisions about assigning care tasks to nonmedical school personnel (Nimsgern & Camponeschi, 2005), differentiated care for younger and older students with diabetes (Nabors et al, 2005), and a close connection to the students' physicians (Radjenovic & Wallace, 2001). For parents of students with diabetes, regular school visits and educating classmates about diabetes were essential (Joshi et al, 2008).…”