School Nursing Practice Today: Implications for the Future

This study explored job satisfaction and changes needed to help boost levels of job satisfaction. Self-reported job satisfaction data were collected from 71 school nurses employed in elementary, middle, and high school settings via interactive focus groups. The subjects participated in a 30- to 45-minute focus group session that was audiotaped and transcribed by the principal investigator. Beliefs about job satisfaction were identified and classified into exclusive categories or themes. While the majority of school nurses expressed contentment with their jobs, certain factors that would increase job satisfaction, such as salary and control issues, were discussed. Overall, 83% of school nurses in this study were satisfied in their present positions; however, issues of coping and role strain were identified as major contributors to low morale. Only 17% of the school nurses voiced job dissatisfaction, primarily attributed to low salaries and lack of trust and support from administration. As school nurses face a diverse community with complex needs, adaptation is needed for job satisfaction to be maintained. For this to occur, school nurses must take the initiative to educate administrators, parents, and communities about their role in the school setting.

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Study of School Nurse Job Satisfaction

Junious¹,

Johnson

Peters

et al. 2004

“…School nurses deal with critical health and social issues every day because of family dynamics, public health infrastructure, communicable diseases, the changing structure of the health care system, and new morbidities. In the last few years, there has been an increase in expectations within the educational system to provide nursing services to students with a wide variety of health care needs (Guilday, 2000). School nurses provide an increasingly broad array of services for students, staff, and families in promoting educational and health care outcomes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

School Nurses’ Perceptions of Empowerment and Autonomy

DeSisto¹,

DeSisto

2004

The purpose of this study was to explore Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in Organizations, using school nurses and to answer the research question of whether there is a relationship between empowerment and autonomy in school nurses. This study found a positive relationship between the nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy. The school nurses surveyed perceived themselves to have a high degree of autonomy and a moderate degree of empowerment, and they reported that their access to informal power structures was higher than their access to formal power structures in their school systems. School nurses can benefit by understanding factors that can increase their empowerment in the workplace. They need to understand the organizational structure of their workplace to increase their effectiveness and job satisfaction.

“…Additionally, the availability of school nursing services enhances the general well-being of children and often provides many children with their only regular source of health care (Fryer, Igoe, & Miyoshi, 1997). Guilday (2000) agrees that the school nurse is often the only health care provider with whom some children have regular contact.…”

Section: Review Of the Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

A Mentoring Program for New School Nurses

Houghton

2003

Until recent years, school nursing practice consisted mainly of screenings and first aid. However, the changing health, social, and emotional needs of children in the school setting have brought about an expansion of school nursing services. Now school nurses must not only perform routine first aid and screenings, but they must also carry out independent health assessments, monitor various medications, counsel students from troubled homes, collaborate with their educational partners, and complete numerous reports. Historically, school nurses began their careers with little specialized education or orientation. However, with the increased demands in school nursing, it is important to guide, advise, and mentor new school nurses so they can reach a level of competency and confidence more quickly. In this descriptive study, new school nurses were asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with the School Nurse-Mentoring Program. The findings of this study indicate that a mentoring program for new school nurses results in increased career satisfaction, a higher level of competency, and health benefits for the students being served.