A School Nurse's Experience With Supraventricular Tachycardia

Students visit school health offices with a variety of complaints, and while some may be minor, others may be more pressing. The challenge for the school nurse is being able to differentiate between the two. This article features a case study of a fourth-grade elementary student who presented to the school nurse with a sudden onset of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a rapid cardiac arrhythmia that originates above the ventricles in the heart. The student's complaint was a "racing heart," and it was her first time experiencing a cardiac episode. It was also the school nurse's first time encountering this chief complaint. The article will describe the student's presentation to the health office, will discuss the school nurse's assessments along with SVT management techniques, and will conclude with the student's outcome and a sample individualized healthcare plan.

Wellness Perception of South Korean Elementary School Students during the COVID-19 Endemic

This study aimed to analyze health management awareness among South Korean elementary school students in COVID-19 endemic areas.

METHODS

Using convenience sampling, 675 South Korean elementary school students (age 11-12 years old) were selected as participants in July 2023. Data for the study were collected via online and offline surveys between July and August 2023. The collected data were subjected to frequency, reliability, and multicollinearity analyses, independent sample t-tests, and importance-performance analysis (IPA).

RESULTS

The findings indicated the following: (1) There was no significant difference in health management performance between male and female children. (2) Children who had not experienced COVID-19 infection, had a higher level of "hygiene management" performance. (3) Among children who did not wear masks during physical activity, "mental health management" and "physical activity management" performance were higher, while "hygiene management" performance was lower. (4) The IPA matrix analysis revealed that, compared to the COVID-19 pandemic period, "physical activity management", "dietary habit management", and "sleep management" still required improvement, while "hygiene management" and "disease management" appeared to have decreased due to the relaxation of epidemic control efforts.

CONCLUSION

As per the study's findings, schools, local communities, and families should make efforts to develop and implement preventive and individualized health management programs that consider the individual characteristics of their children.

An Analysis of Health Perceptions and Performance in Elementary Students in Korea during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, social distancing guidelines changed lifestyles, including increased sedentary time, physical inactivity, and disrupted sleep patterns among children. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the health awareness (mental health, disease, physical activity, sleep, eating habit, and hygiene health management) of elementary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and use the importance-performance analysis (IPA) technique to identify gender differences in health perceptions. We collected data on 1006 students, which was analyzed using frequency analysis, reliability testing, independent sample t-tests, and importance-performance analysis (IPA). A median importance value of 0.163 and a median performance value of 4.048 were selected as cross points to distribute the IPA matrix into four quadrants. The highest performance was given for wearing a mask and sanitary practice; the IPA matrix indicated that the sense of belonging, happiness, trust, and movement activity were located in quadrant I. Children's regular physical activity and level of physical activity were low, especially that of girls. Children's sleep management was poor. Their physical activity and sleep-related factors must be improved under the facilitation of the national government, public education institutions, and families.