School nurses’ and teachers’ perceptions of pain in young immigrants living in Norway

Abstract

Purpose The number of adolescents experiencing pain is increasing. Pain has a major impact on several areas of daily living, such as function at school and school absenteeism, loss of appetite and socializing. One out of ten pupils in Norwegian schools is immigrants, and surveys have shown that immigrants suffer from poor health more often than the general population. The purpose of this study was to explore how school nurses and teachers experience pain in young immigrants in the school setting. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design using focus group interviews was chosen for data collection. A total of 11 focus groups (17 school nurses and 25 teachers) consisting of school nurses and teachers in junior high schools (age: 13-16 years) in Southern Norway were conducted. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Findings School nurses and teachers experienced communication of pain with young immigrants as characterized by cultural differences and language problems. Immigrants waiting for residency permits experienced pain more often than others. They also experienced that young immigrants often were absent from school and used pain as an excuse for not participating in classes, but this was not the case at the special school for immigrants. During Ramadan, they experienced that immigrant pupils had an increase of pain, especially headaches. Originality/value Culture affects the assessment and management of pain and different strategies may assist school nurses and teachers in their encounter with young immigrants with pain. There is a need for education in cultural competence among teachers and school nurses.

Experiences of a non-clinical set of adolescents and young adults living with persistent pain: a qualitative metasynthesis

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] Such pain can lead to significant interference in daily functioning and daily life, and is associated with poor sleep, stress, impaired school/college functioning and absenteeism. [7][8][9][10] Studies also show that more female than male AYAs report pain; moreover, living with pain affects female AYAs more negatively. 4 11 12 Further, pain problems can negatively influence a young person's quality of life and health.…”

Barriers to Equality and Cultural Responsiveness in Three Urban Norwegian Primary Schools: A Critical Lens for School Staff Perceptions

“…However, researchers have described how school staff have formed negative and stereotyped perceptions about working with groups of students who possess different abilities (Johannessen et al, 2020;Rosnes & Rossland, 2018). Matthiesen (2017) has stated that school staff perceive it as unfavorable when school practices differ from the practices that students' parents use to raise their children.…”