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3 School Health Nursing - Field in Nursing
3 School Health Nursing - Field in Nursing
3 School Health Nursing - Field in Nursing
MAIN CAMPUS
College of Nursing and Midwifery www.bpsu.edu.ph
bpsucnm_2007@yahoo.com
City of Balanga, 2100 Bataan
2016@gmail.com
Fundamentals of
Nursing Practice
(NRCM0103)
Manuscript
School nurses wear many hats in the school setting. They provide care for minor
illnesses and injuries; give or supervise health care for children with special health care
needs; monitor health screenings; advocate for students; participate in multidisciplinary
teams; and counsel students, families, and school staff.
An important role for nurses in all settings is health education. In nursing education
programs, much emphasis is given in the classroom and in the clinical practice setting about
the importance of patients or clients understanding their health care requisites in order to
restore, maintain, or promote health. This information enables them to make informed
decisions, cope more effectively with temporary or long-term alterations in health, and to
assume greater personal responsibility for their health. Most nurses are quite comfortable
delivering information to patients/clients and families on the individual level. One on
one teaching, also known as patient teaching, usually focuses on the specific information
needed by an individual at this particular time. It can be customized to the individual’s
situation and his or her level of understanding, validated during the interaction, and questions
answered during the teaching session. This type of teaching is done by nurses in all
settings, including school nurses in the school health office. From a cost-effectiveness
perspective, individual patient teaching is a time-consuming and expensive nursing
intervention. A more cost-effective method of health education is to target large groups
interested in specific topics such as nutrition and weight loss, groups at risk for certain
conditions such as sexually transmitted diseases, or groups who have a need for specific
information such as hand washing or oral hygiene.
• The practice of school nursing began in the United States on October 1, 1902, when
Lina Rogers, the first school nurse, was hired to reduce absenteeism by intervening with
students and families regarding healthcare needs related to communicable diseases. After
one month of successful nursing interventions in the New York City schools, she led the
implementation of evidence-based nursing care across the city (Struthers, 1917). Since
that time, school nurses continue to provide communicable disease management, but their
role has expanded and is increasingly diverse.
• A student’s health is directly related to his or her ability to learn. Children with
unmet health needs have a difficult time engaging in the educational process. The school
nurse supports student success by providing health care through assessment, intervention,
and follow-up for all children within the school setting. The school nurse addresses: the
physical, mental, emotional, and social health needs of students and supports their
achievement in the learning process.
• Students who are medically fragile or who deal with chronic health issues are coming to
school in increasing numbers and with increasingly complex medical problems that
require complicated treatments commonly provided by the school nurse. Chronic
conditions such as asthma, anaphylaxis, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, epilepsy, obesity, and
mental health concerns may affect the student’s ability to be in school and ready to learn.
• The National Survey of Children with Special Healthcare Needs has determined that
11.2 million U.S. children are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or
emotional conditions. These students may require health related services in schools (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, 2013).
• School nurses address the social determinants of health, such as income, housing,
transportation, employment, access to health insurance, and environmental health. Social
determinants are identified to be the cause of 80% of health concerns. In the United
States, nearly one quarter of children attending school live in households below the
federal poverty level (United States Census Bureau, 2014). Children from lower income
families have a more difficult time accessing medical treatment for chronic diseases
TO PRESENT
Although some of the steps in preparing teaching for individuals are the same as
preparing an educational program for a group, there are a number of factors that must be
considered when delivering health education to a group. Many baccalaureate nursing
education programs emphasize health education in community health nursing and have
content on the process of developing, implementing, and evaluating educational
programs. Practicum students in community settings, including schools, often develop and
implement health education programs as part of their clinical experience. School nurses need
to continually develop their skills as health educators in the school setting. This not only
includes information about topics of interest that are appropriate for the school-age
population, but also encompasses the skills needed in doing a needs assessment, writing
objectives, developing programs, selecting strategies used in delivering programs, and
devising measurement tools needed to determine the outcomes or effectiveness of health
education.
❖ But what is being a school nurse exactly? Although you have already met this term in your lessons
during your nursing student years, if you were not able to set foot in a school clinic as a school
nurse, you will not know the entire roles and responsibilities of a school nurse. Basically, what you
will most likely believe about school nursing is that it is a kind of nursing job that requires you to
stay inside a school clinic and wait until a student arrives and requests you to apply dressing to his
wound or asks you for a medicine to relieve his tummy aches.
Exactly. But, school nursing is not only limited to performing basic first aid management
and administering over the counter medications to students. It generally involves a wide range of
assignment.
Once health problems are documented and interpreted, a school nurse develops nursing plan and
provides appropriate management according to the client’s condition. A school nurse may administer over
the counter drugs for minor ailments and provide specific interventions according to the client’s health
needs. For serious illnesses and injuries that are beyond a school nurse’s scope, clients are referred to
other community health resources for further management.
A school nurse provides up-to-date health information to clients by doing classroom to classroom
visitations every week. Information regarding the importance and proper tooth brushing, benefits of good
nutrition and hygiene, and maintenance of a clean and healthy environment that is conducive for learning
are few information a school nurse may impart to the students as well as to the school personnel.
A school nurse should also act as a health specialist by encouraging the clients to prevent
communicable and infectious diseases. He or she is expected to assist certain programs such as
immunization programs, early detection, and reporting of transmissible diseases.
A school nurse is also tasked to assist activities that he or she conducts such as dental extraction,
medical examinations, local government health monitoring, food safety inspection, deworming programs,
feeding programs and many other health-related activities.
Duties:
• The school nurse is responsible to look after the health of the children and the staff of the school
• They have to tend to them if they injure themselves of fall ill
• They have to administer them simple medication but if the problems is serious they have to call
the paramedics
• They have to do regular health checks on all the students
• They have to report to the class teacher and parents if any student has taken ill
• They have to know about which student has what allergies and should know what to do in case of
a reaction
• They have to watch students closely for signs of injuries or abuse as this is quite common
• They have to keep updates on students suffering from major illnesses and are receiving treatment
• The school nurses have to make a chain of communication with the teachers and parents if any
child is unwell and requires special attention
• They have to have reports on students who regularly fall ill or injure themselves
As a school nurse, you will be helping to care for sick children and teenagers, and this job
can be just as rewarding as any other type of nursing profession. You never know what you might
come across in a school setting, and there will be times when students will really need your help.
You will also likely be involved in educating children or teenagers on health. If you enjoy
both practicing nursing and teaching about health, becoming a school nurse could be a great option for
you.
If your dream is to work with children or young adults, being a school nurse could be a great
choice for you. Also, if you have children of your own, your hours will be closely aligned with your
schedules and this will be extremely helpful in taking care of your family.
Many school nurses have reported that they feel less stress working in a school compared to
other nursing environments. They enjoy their own office, as well as having the weekends, holidays and
summers off. On top of that, they also get snow days. Nurses who work in hospitals cannot always take
the day off when the weather is bad.
Cons
There are also certain aspects of being a school nurse that are not as appealing. If you are not
comfortable handling bodily fluids such as vomit, you might want to look into a different route of
nursing.
Typically, people don’t go into the field of nursing for the money. However, if you are concerned
about making the most money you can as a nurse, school nurses make a lower salary when compared to
other types of nurses. Based on national surveys, school nurses make an average salary of P20, 000, staff
nurses make an average of P25, 000 annually and travel nurses can make more than P40, 000 per year.
The salary of a school nurse can also vary depending on the school’s budget. This is not
always comforting, as school budgets are frequently changing, and at times they are cut. All nurses have
very major, even life-depending responsibilities. School nurses often have to oversee the health of the
whole school, sometimes on their own, along with all of the other tasks they perform. Before accepting a
job as a school nurse, be sure to inquire if you are the only nurse at the school and what additional
responsibilities you will have.
QUALIFICATIONS / REQUIREMENTS
School nurses are registered nurses (RNs). Beyond this basic requirement, every state has different
education and certification standards, so it’s important to learn your state’s requirements before choosing
a school nursing program.
❖ To become a school nurse, you will need to acquire these skills and meet these requirements:
• You will need to develop advanced skills, including the ability to practice independently,
supervise others and delegate care in a community setting.
• You will need either a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) or a master’s degree (MSN). Some
states require a bachelor’s degree and others require a master’s degree, so you’ll need to research
the requirement in your state.
• You may be required to achieve certification as an RN as well as teacher certification.
• You may also pursue an interdisciplinary education to earn a Master’s Degree in Education,
Public Health or Counseling.
AVERAGE SALARY
The average salary for a school nurse is ₱13,954 per month in Philippines.
OTHERS
- How many hours do school nurses’ work?
➢ A school nurse typically works fewer than eight hours a day, a time frame that
corresponds to the length of the school day. That typically means a routine
Monday through Friday workweek, with time off over summers and other school
breaks.
But just like other types of nursing, school nurses aren’t exempt from the
occasional unusual case. In this varied nursing setting, only one thing is a
guarantee: “Every day is different from the one before.”
Nurses at any school should expect to spend plenty of time interacting with
students, both one-on-one with patients and in larger groups as they provide
screening or education. They also collaborate with other adults in the school
system, as well as parents, to ensure that students remain healthy.
School nurses also enjoy more predictable work hours than their hospital
counterparts, who may be called upon to work 12-hour shifts and odd hours like
overnights, weekends or holidays. A school nurse’s work hours will roughly
follow the school’s schedule.
To optimize student health, safety, and learning, the DepEd should mobilize its
school nurse workforce and harness them as health care providers who are
essential members of the leadership team from the district, regional, and to the
national levels. It can utilize their expertise in assessment, planning,
implementation, and evaluation, because our school nurses can provide valuable
insights on school campus emergency management such as prevention/mitigation,
preparedness, response, and recovery. We believe our school nurses play an
essential role in keeping our children healthy, safe, and ready to learn.
TRUE OR FALSE
3. The role of our school nurses, which is in greater quantity, is of vital importance.
4. School Nurses administer simple medication to students and also t if the problems
are serious.
5. National Board for Certification of School Nurses sets the professional standard for
School Nursing.
Answer Key
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. FALSE
4. FALSE
5. TRUE
Scores of Respondents to 5 Item Activity