Instant messaging: The way to improve access for young people to their school nurse

Children and young people require ease of access to their school nurse. Alongside this, school nurses are charged with the need to work smarter, being cost-effective and timely in response. School nursing teams across the country provide access through text messaging, however, there is presently no access provided to young people to have a consultation as a web-based chat facility. Using digital media, Doncaster school nurses have worked closely with young people to redesign and launch a totally interactive web- based clinic facility. This allows for improved access, reduction in travel costs and consultations to take place outside of the traditional times for accessing school nurses. This paper discusses a pilot project around the establishment of an e-clinic connecting young people and school nurses. It outlines the journey towards providing this innovative service in an attempt to provide cost-effective, timely services while reducing the barriers for service users.

School nurses take lead on FGM

Female genital mutilation is now recognised as an important public health issue in the UK, requiring action from nurses and midwives. School nurses in particular are being enlisted to identify and support girls at risk of FGM, and help teachers have the confidence to intervene. Every nurse needs to know how to support women living with the consequences of FGM.

Communicating With School Nurses About Sexual Orientation and Sexual Health: Perspectives of Teen Young Men Who Have Sex With Men

Black and Latino young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are at disproportionate risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. This study informs school-centered strategies for connecting YMSM to health services by describing their willingness, perceived safety, and experiences in talking to school staff about sexual health. Cross-sectional data were collected from Black and Latino YMSM aged 13-19 through web-based questionnaires (N = 415) and interviews (N = 32). School nurses were the staff members youth most often reported willingness to talk to about HIV testing (37.8%), STD testing (37.1%), or condoms (37.3%), but least often reported as safe to talk to about attraction to other guys (11.4%). Interviews revealed youth reluctance to talk with school staff including nurses when uncertain of staff members' perceptions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) people or perceiving staff to lack knowledge of LGBTQ issues, communities, or resources. Nurses may need additional training to effectively reach Black and Latino YMSM.

Enhancing the Capacity of School Nurses to Reduce Excessive Anxiety in Children: Development of the CALM Intervention

PROBLEM

Excessive anxiety is among the most common psychiatric problems facing youth. Because anxious youth tend to have somatic complaints, many seek help from the school nurse. Thus, school nurses are in an ideal position to provide early intervention. This study addresses this problem and describes the plans to develop and test a new intervention (Child Anxiety Learning Modules; CALM), delivered by school nurses, to reduce child anxiety and improve academic functioning.

METHODS

An iterative development process including consultation with an expert panel, two open trials, and a pilot randomized controlled study comparing CALM to usual care is proposed. Feedback will be solicited from all participants during each phase and data on outcome measures will be provided by children, parents, teachers, and independent evaluators.

FINDINGS

Data will be collected on intervention satisfaction and feasibility. Primary outcomes that include child anxiety symptoms, classroom behavior, and school performance (e.g., attendance, grades, standardized test scores) will be collected at pre- and post-interventions and at a 3-month follow-up evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric anxiety is a common problem that school nurses frequently encounter. Consequently, they are well positioned to play a key role in enhancing access to behavioral health interventions to reduce anxiety and may therefore make a significant positive public health impact.

School Nurse Matters

Devised by the Bexley and Greenwich school nursing team in London, this app is aimed at secondary school pupils. Easy to download and simple to navigate, with appealing colours and graphics, themes can be changed via the settings button.

The Power of Influence: School Nurse Stories

School nurses have influence, and this influence is ignited with school nurse stories. School nurses must tell school staff, leaders, families, and students what they do to help students access their education. School boards, city councils, and legislators need to know the knowledge, skills, and judgment school nurses use daily. NASN understands that school nurses benefit from a "how to" kit and has developed tools to empower school nurses in advocating for their important role in supporting the health and learning of students. This article provides an overview this newly developed electronic toolkit while at the same time reinforcing the power of influence when sharing your stories.

Correlates of cyberbullying and how school nurses can respond

Cyberbullying is one of many online risks that affect an increasing number of children and teenagers. This form of abuse often occurs under the radar of adults as it usually takes place outside of school and away from adult supervision. Moreover, bystanders and victims are often reluctant to report what they have experienced. School nurses might be among the first to witness the real-life consequences of this virtual behavior, as involvement in cyberbullying is often correlated with psychological and behavioral problems. For this reason, school nurses should know how to recognize the warning signs so that they can respond and intervene appropriately. This article provides a discussion of what cyberbullying is and a summary of research on factors associated with cyberbullying, in terms of both victimization and perpetration. It also provides school nurses with evidence-based strategies for responding effectively.

Best Practice at Your Fingertips: The WISHeS School Nurse Procedure Website

School nurses are responsible for providing and supervising school nursing services for children with complex health concerns. Given that school nurses frequently practice in isolation and may have limited access to clinical practice changes, they can benefit from up-to-date, evidence-based resources. Additionally, the resources must account for the fact that the nursing procedures will be performed in the unique setting of a school building and, in many cases, will be performed by school personnel who have limited formal education in health care. This article provides an overview of a newly developed, easy to use, online school nursing procedures website for school nurses and other school personnel.

Preventing neonaticide by early detection and intervention in student pregnancy

Pregnant students are the population group most likely to commit neonaticide, murder of an infant younger than 24 hours old. Denial by the student, lack of early pregnancy detection, and poor social support contribute to this disorder. As the health care professionals with whom the student has the most contact, school nurses are in an excellent position to prevent neonaticide through provision of health education, early detection of pregnancy, and intervention with students and their families to assist them in making healthy choices.

Substance abuse prevention: the role of the school nurse across the continuum of care

As a health care provider, health educator, and school/family/community liaison, the school nurse is in a unique position to act as a change agent for youth substance abuse prevention. This article discusses the roles of the school nurse as they apply to the prevention of substance abuse among school-age children, across a continuum of care model first introduced by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1994. Through careful assessment, identification of substance abuse risk factors, and promoting the enhancement of protective factors of students, both in and out of the school setting, the school nurse can play a vital role in the prevention of substance abuse. Existing tools, including the IOM Mental Health Intervention Spectrum Model, can be easily adapted to nursing practice and may prove helpful in assisting school nurses in the evaluation and implementation of effective prevention interventions in the school setting.

Implementation of a stock epinephrine protocol

The Nevada State Legislature recently mandated that all schools in Nevada have stock epinephrine available. Clark County School District is the fifth largest school district in the nation. This article describes the process utilized by a school nurse task force to implement a mandated stock epinephrine program in the Clark County School District during the 2013-2014 school year.

A school-based suicide risk assessment strategy

While school nurses are often uniquely positioned to conduct suicide risk assessments, many school nurses feel poorly equipped to undertake this venture. This article outlines a plan to put a suicide risk assessment strategy in place.

Double jeopardy. Addressing diabetes and eating disorders among adolescents in the school setting

Eating disorders are more common in youth with diabetes, especially females, and not only interfere with diabetes management but can increase the risk for diabetes-related complications. School nurses may be the first to recognize eating disorders among students with diabetes. They are an integral part of a multidisciplinary team, connecting students and families to both health care and community resources, ensuring that mental, physical, and social needs are addressed.

Look closer ... I am not "just shy": recognizing social anxiety disorder: a case study

Early recognition, assessment, and treatment of social anxiety disorder are criteria to prevent persistent functional impairment in educational and occupational settings and in relationships. Individuals who avoid social settings due to the fear of embarrassment miss out on activities, learning opportunities, and interactions with others. Those who work with children in schools or health care settings are in an ideal position to help those who often don't have a voice. The 2013 updated NICE guideline, Social Anxiety Disorder: Recognition, Assessment and Treatment, has been critically reviewed and applied to a case study. The guideline is intended to provide evidence-based best practice advice for providers on how to recognize, complete assessments of and treat social anxiety disorder.

Identifying students at risk for mental health problems

Almost one-quarter of school-age children in the United States meet criteria for serious mental illness. School nurses can identify children at risk or suffering from undetected mental illness through observation, consultation with teachers and parents, interview techniques, and simple written tools. Valid and reliable tools that are in the public domain and can be accessed via the Internet are included. Referral to mental health providers within the school system or community is necessary for students at risk.

Managing concussion in the school setting

Concussion is a significant injury that can occur in physical education, during recreational activities, and during sports. School nurses should be included as an integral member of the concussion management team and assist with education, evaluation, and management of a concussed student. Recent and updated sport-related concussion management recommendations from the National Athletic Trainers' Association Research and Education Foundation as published in the March 2014 Journal of Athletic Training are reviewed to provide an understanding of best practices for concussion management in the school setting.

Does school scoliosis screening make the grade?

School nurses have provided routine health screenings of school-age children for decades. During the 1970s, recommendations for school scoliosis screening, which were based upon poor access to health care, led state boards of education to mandate that school nurses screen for scoliosis. The history of mandated scoliosis screening in U.S. schools is reviewed, and current school nurse practices for scoliosis screening are presented. Elevated referral rates for repeat scoliosis examination following school scoliosis screenings have led to questions of efficacy. Further controversy exists regarding school nurses screening for scoliosis due to a lack of evidence indicating a decreased need for scoliosis surgery. This article contains evidence-based recommendations for discontinuing school scoliosis screening to help school nurses refocus their efforts on complex health needs and preventive health issues more likely to impact the majority of their students.

Demystifying pediculosis: school nurses taking the lead

The treatment of Pediculosis capitis, or head lice, is fraught with misinformation, myths, and mismanagement. Common myths include the need to exclude children from school, the need to remove all visible nits ("no-nit" policies), the need for massive environmental cleaning, that head lice live for long periods of time, and that schools are a common location for lice transmission. Head lice are a common childhood nuisance, causing embarrassment and emotional trauma in both children and families. This article explores and challenges the commonly held beliefs about the identification, management, and treatment of Pediculosis by presenting current recommended evidence-based practice. It also challenges pediatric nurses, and school nurses in particular, in alignment with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Position Statement on Pediculosis Management in the School Setting, to act as change agents for reasonable and effective school policies and practices.

Nutrition issues for youth with diabetes

For both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, eating healthy is key to blood glucose management. To that end, the school nurse must have a basic understanding of nutrition recommendations for children with diabetes. This article describes basic nutrition guidelines as well as action steps for school nurses to assist children in following their meal plan at school and to support children when diabetes-related emergencies arise.