Back to School: Parental Concerns of Children with Hematological and Oncological Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected the educational system. Historically, children with hematological and oncological conditions have experienced academic challenges. A retrospective chart review was conducted. Charts reviewed included children with oncology or hematology conditions, whose parents expressed educational concerns and were referred to an educational liaison in the Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation Division. The parental concerns for 102 children (M age = 10.03 ± 4.7; 59.8% male; 43.1% Latinx/Hispanic) during the first half of the 2021 to 2022 academic year were extracted. Overall, all parents reported at least one concern with the average reporting 2.24 ± 1.34 (range of 1-6 concerns). The most common general concerns regarded: Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or special education evaluations; 504 accommodations; home instruction; school enrollment. Almost half of the parents had additional concerns they specifically attributed to COVID-19. Children with hematological and oncological conditions were experiencing various needs at this time, which likely have continued implications. It is important for educators, school psychologists, and health care providers to remain cognizant of the educational needs of medically vulnerable populations. Children with hematological and oncological conditions benefit from regular evaluation of their needs, as well as proactive forms of intervention.

Videoconference based training on diabetes technology for school nurses and staff: Pilot study

PURPOSE

Children with diabetes spend a significant portion of time at school and in school-related activities and rely on school nurses for diabetes management support. Diabetes technologies are rapidly evolving, and there are no standardized competencies or training programs for school personnel providing diabetes care.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A virtual diabetes education program was provided to school nurses and staff in 3 Florida school districts. Program feasibility was measured by attendance; acceptability was measured with a usability survey; and efficacy was measured by participants' improvements in scores on pre- and post-training knowledge assessments. Descriptive statistics were generated and improvements in knowledge were evaluated via t-test. P-values <0.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS

Pilot survey data (n = 91) revealed high demand for diabetes technology and basic management education among school nurses and staff. Eighty-eight school personnel from 64 schools attended the training, with 67 participants completing the demographic survey and at least one of the pre- and post-training assessments. Post-test scores demonstrated mean + 10.6% absolute improvement on the diabetes technology subscale, +11.5% on the basic management subscale, and + 10.9% on the ketone management subscale, all p < 0.001. Fifty-three participants completed the usability survey with 92% reporting they benefitted from training.

CONCLUSIONS

Virtual training is feasible and acceptable for delivering diabetes technology education to large numbers of school personnel. Study results demonstrate improved diabetes knowledge.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Establishing a standardized training program on diabetes technology for school personnel can optimize diabetes care in the school setting.

Assessment and Treatment of Adolescents With Chronic Medical Conditions

Chronic medical conditions persist for one year or more, require ongoing medical intervention, and impair functioning. Approximately 10-30% of youth are diagnosed with a chronic medical condition. Youth with chronic medical conditions are at heightened risk for psychiatric comorbidity and negative health outcomes across the lifespan. Managing a chronic medical condition becomes particularly difficult during the adolescent developmental period, which is marked by changes in biological, psychological, social, and cognitive development. Assessment and intervention with adolescents is often challenging, as this is a period of transition and risk. Given increasing rates of chronic medical conditions, health service psychologists are likely to encounter youth with medical conditions in their clinical practice. In this paper, an overview of chronic medical conditions and adolescent development is provided and fundamental assessment and treatment components, including multicultural considerations, are explored.

Primary school classmate characteristics and school nursing predicting graduation from high school

OBJECTIVES

To examine how primary school context variables, such as total students in the school, students with disability, and aspects of school nurse workload, predict later educational outcomes of high school attendance, being on-track to graduate, and graduation.

METHODS

This secondary analysis of 3,782 student records from 2008 to 2018 was conducted using United States public-school district data.

RESULTS

Classmate attendance in fifth-grade predicted being on-track to graduate (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.42 [95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27, 1.60]) and graduation (AOR = 1.14 [95% CI = 1.03, 1.26]). School nurse workload aspects affected being on-track to graduate: (low-income students per school nurse [AOR = 0.77 [95% CI = 0.70, 0.85]; total students per school nurse [AOR = 1.3 [1.18, 1.44]) and graduation (low-income students per school nurse [AOR = 0.82 [95% CI = 0.75, 0.90]; total students per school nurse [AOR = 1.4 [1.26, 1.57]).

CONCLUSION

Characteristics of the school population such as classmate attendance and students with limited resources per school nurse are areas for future interventions as they affect student educational outcomes and lifelong health.

Improving School Experiences for Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is one of the most common metabolic diseases in children worldwide and the incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is growing. T1D is complicated to manage and adolescents with diabetes face unique, age-specific challenges. The purpose of this article is to discuss ways in which schools can create a positive environment and improve the experiences and outcomes for adolescents with T1D.

METHODS

The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PubMed databases were searched and yielded a total of 27 articles that were used in this integrative literature review.

RESULTS

Common concerns identified by students with T1D and their parents included a lack of full-time school nurses, lack of teacher knowledge of diabetes, lack of access to diabetes tools, lack of freedom to perform diabetes self-care, lack of nutritional information in cafeterias, and lack of communication between parents and school personnel. Students who are unable to attend school on a daily basis may not be able to achieve their academic potential.

CONCLUSIONS

Implications for school health including specifics for school nurses, teachers, students, and school environment were identified.