Adolescence is a period of emotional and developmental vulnerability in which mental illness can be first detected. This is also a time in which adolescents are introduced to social media and may experience the direct and indirect criticism that accompanies it. School nurses are providers that may be the first to detect signs and symptoms of adolescent mental illness inside and outside of the classroom. In order to decrease the risk of social media’s harmful effects, school nurses should consider providing adequate education to school and community members on the signs and symptoms of adolescent mental illness and self-harm. Providing timely health guidance to teenagers by assisting in dealing with negative emotions in positive ways may also decrease the risk of this harmful effect. As technology expands, social media is becoming more easily accessible for younger individuals, creating a heightened need for the role of a school nurse. The purpose of this article is to review current knowledge regarding social media and mental health and provide practical suggestions for school nurses to ameliorate the negative impact of social media on student well-being.
Vaccine hesitance is a public health issue that school nurses often address in practice. It has become even more prevalent during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Vaccine compliance among schoolchildren is essential to the health of an entire community, given that many pediatric illnesses are vaccine-preventable. School nurses are involved in the promotion of vaccines in a school district, as they provide health education to students and families and are responsible for vaccine surveillance. Promoting vaccine compliance as a matter of public health can be challenging for school nurses, especially if a community holds strong beliefs regarding the necessity of pediatric vaccines. This article reviews the history of vaccine mandates, addresses challenges associated with vaccine compliance, and provides interventions school nurses can use when providing care to students and families regarding vaccine hesitancy. In following the nursing process, a school nurse is able to identify students missing vaccine(s) and evaluate for hesitancy, before implementing interventions that provide education to students and families. Several cost-efficient and accessible interventions can facilitate effective education and promote vaccine compliance. School nurses can forge trusting relationships and engage in compassionate dialogue to support vaccine compliance in the school.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.