Conceptions of school-based youth health nursing

Abstract

The aim of this research is to explore the meaning of the experience of school-based youth health nursing in Queensland, Australia. The research follows a qualitative approach and is based on in-depth interviews. The dominant experience is negative because participants feel they have to battle to gain respect and survive in the school environment. The small, positive experience of school-based youth health nursing is related to student consultations. Student consultations are a ‘golden egg’ because participants gain a sense of reward from making a difference to student wellbeing. This paper proposes operational recommendations including those related to health promotion and professional development and strategic recommendations regarding this model of school nursing. The authors conclude, first, that this ‘golden egg’ should be promoted to ensure all school nurses reap the rewards, second, that this model of school nursing is not the most effective model.

Nurses and Teachers: Partnerships for Green Health Promotion

“…SBYHN have not adopted contemporary health promotion practices or addressed health promotion policy reform and collaborative partnerships in schools. SBYHN have not advanced the fundamental concepts of health promotion and have not moved toward green health promotion . This leads us to ask: What can be done to foster collaborative partnerships between health and education for green health promotion in schools ?…”

School based youth health nurses and a true health promotion approach: The Ottawa what?

“…One participant holds a qualifi cation in health promotion. Further details about the participants' qualifications and experience can be found in Sendall (2009) and Sendall, Fleming, and Lidstone (2011).…”

Sustaining secondary school nursing practice in Australia: A qualitative study

“…Poor understanding of the school nurse's role (Newell et al, 2003;Rice et al, 2005;Merrel et al, 2007;Buckley et al, 2009;Smith & Firmin, 2009), and a lack of understanding of professional responsibilities and legal requirements of nursing professionals (Newell et al, 2003;Rice et al, 2005;Broussard, 2007;Smith & Firmin, 2009;Sendall et al, 2011), are the most commonly identified challenges discussed in school nursing literature internationally.…”

“…Role strain has frequently been attributed to a lack of understanding of school nurses' legal and professional responsibilities by school authorities and parents (Barnes et al, 2004a;Buckley et al, 2009;Sendall, 2009;Smith & Firmin, 2009). The perception of a lack of role clarity persists primarily due to a fundamental misunderstanding of the meaning of the concepts used to describe the role, rather than a failure to clearly define the role.…”

“…School nurses engage in a diverse range of activities, responding to local need, regulation, and organizational directives (Downie et al, 2002;Barnes et al, 2004a;Buckley et al, 2009;Smith & Firmin, 2009;Haddad et al, 2010;Sendall et al, 2011). Some school nurses provide primary care services, such as screening, monitoring chronic conditions, and clinical care for subacute minor conditions and first aid (Downie et al, 2002;Buckley et al, 2009;Mitchell & Ellis, 2011), while others focus on healthpromotion activities (Barnes et al, 2004a;Department of Human Services, 2006b;St John, 2007;Buckley et al, 2009;Reutersward & Lagerstrom, 2010).…”