Experiential Learning to Engage Millennial Learners in an Undergraduate Nursing Research Course.

Baccalaureate-prepared nurses are expected to participate in evidence-based practice by identifying clinical questions, critiquing evidence, and integrating theory into practice. This presents a challenge for faculty to facilitate a research course in a way that is valued by nursing students and will ultimately prepare them to successfully enter the workforce. This article describes an innovative strategy to engage millennial learners in an undergraduate research course by implementing a two-part evidence-based practice project.

Demonstrating the Relationship Between School Nurse Workload and Student Outcomes.

This article describes how one very large, diverse school district developed a Student Acuity Tool for School Nurse Assignment and used a logic model to successfully advocate for additional school nurse positions. The logic model included three student outcomes that were evaluated: provide medications and procedures safely and accurately, increase the number of students with a medical home, and increase the number of students with chronic illness that receive case management. Pairing a staffing formula with an evaluation plan that focuses on student outcomes and the priorities of the school district provides a strong case that school nurses are essential and that they contribute to student success.

Factors Related to School Nurse Workload.

Recognizing the need for a school nurse workload model based on more than the number of students in a caseload, the National Association of School Nurses issued recommendations related to measuring school nurse workload. Next, a workforce acuity task force (WATF) was charged with identifying the steps needed to further the recommendations. As a first step, the WATF focused on identifying existing literature and practices related to school nurse workload.

Seizing the Moment: Experiences of School Nurses Caring for Students With Overweight and Obesity.

School nurses are well positioned to assess, intervene, and evaluate efforts to positively impact students who are overweight or obese. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore the experiences of school nurses providing care to children living with overweight and obesity. Data were collected through face-to-face, tape-recorded, in-depth, open-ended interviews with 10 school nurses from rural areas of North Carolina working with minority and low-income children in the public school setting.

Moral Distress Among School Nurses.

School nurses are well positioned to provide care to a diverse population of school-age children, but their role and work environment can present a variety of moral dilemmas leading to moral distress. The purpose of this study is to identify the moral distress level that exists in school nurses and to describe its relationship to common moral dilemmas and school nurse characteristics. Data were collected through face-to-face attendance at school nurse meetings in North Carolina where 307 school nurses participated in the survey.

Health Literacy: Perceptions and Experiences of Pediatric Nephrology Interprofessional Team Members.

Health literacy is an important factor in health care quality. This study examined health literacy perception and health literacy experience of a convenience sample of pediatric nephrology interprofessional team members. Results indicated that the majority of pediatric nephrology interprofessional team members understand the need for health literacy and want to learn about health literacy, but have limited experience with health literacy.

Process and outcomes of school nurse case management for students with asthma.

There have been many studies that have examined the impact of school-based asthma programs on students with asthma. However, most studies do not provide adequate elaboration on the components of the program. Therefore, replication of these programs is difficult.

School nurse evaluations: making the process meaningful and motivational.

The professional standards of school nursing practice provide a framework to help school nurses focus on their unique mission of promoting health and academic achievement for all students. Without the standards, the nurse's role can become task oriented and limited in scope. By using an evaluation tool that reflects the standards, nurses not only become aware and begin to understand the standards; they also become directly accountable for meeting them.

School nurses and children with diabetes: a descriptive study.

Background: Managing diabetes in children is complex. The aims of this descriptive study were to describe the care provided to children with diabetes by school nurses using case management, to identify differences in care on the basis of the workload of the nurse and the age of the child, to explore the role of the nurse in responding to emergencies, and to describe the relationship between case management and quality of life.

Methods: School nurses completed an expanded health assessment.

Parent and teacher perceptions of the impact of school nurse interventions on children's self-management of diabetes.

Diabetes is a common chronic illness among school-age children. The school nurse collaborates with the student, parents, and teachers to help the child manage their diabetes effectively. Very little is known about the relationship between school nurse interventions and parent/teacher perceptions of the child's self-management.

The association of BMI and Braden total score on the occurrence of pressure ulcers.

Purpose: We compared pressure ulcer (PU) prevalence patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, and Braden Scale scores of 16 or more to patients with lower BMI.

Methods: A cross-sectional study by using existing data was conducted combining patient skin status with BMI. Subjects underwent skin assessment for evidence of skin breakdown by nurses trained in PU assessment.

Defining, delivering, and documenting the outcomes of case management by school nurses.

Case management is a component of school nurse practice that provides an opportunity to demonstrate the contribution that school nurses make to the health and academic success of children, particularly children with chronic health conditions. However, case management programs vary in their mission and scope, leading to confusion about what it means to be a case manager. Many programs acknowledge the difficulty in tracking outcomes and sustaining results.

Relationships of new nurses' perceptions and measured performance-based clinical competence.

Background: This study examined the relationship between new nurses' performance-based measurements and perceptions of clinical competence.

Methods: Descriptive correlational designs were used to examine the relationships. Performance-based clinical competence was measured by the Performance Based Development System developed by Del Bueno (1990), and perceived competence was measured by specific items on the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey (1999).

School nurse case management for children with chronic illness: health, academic, and quality of life outcomes.

More children with chronic illnesses are attending school, and some of them struggle academically because of issues related to their health. School-based case management has been suggested as one strategy to improve the academic success of these children. This study tracked the academic, health, and quality of life outcomes for 114 children with asthma, diabetes, severe allergies, seizures, or sickle-cell anemia in 5 different school districts who were provided case management by school nurses.

New graduate nurse transitioning: necessary or nice?

This study investigated the influence of personal factors, orientation, continuing education, and staffing shortage on the satisfaction, intent to leave their job, and intent to leave the profession of a random sample of new graduate nurses from varied facilities and geographic locations. It further examined the influence of personal factors and orientation on turnover rates among new graduate nurses. The findings indicate that orientation programs are essential to the retention and satisfaction of new graduate nurses.

Collaborative strategies to enhance research and evidence-based practice.

Whether the goal is to generate new knowledge through basic research or to effectively use existing knowledge in evidence-based clinical practice, collaborative exchange between service and academia is essential. The authors describe 2 successful strategies that have been mutually beneficial to a clinical agency and a school of nursing in fostering research and evidence-based practice. These strategies can be used by other institutions as they strive to meet standards for excellence in academia and service.

Prevalence of elevated body mass index and blood pressure in a rural school-aged population: implications for school nurses.

The growing prevalence of overweight in students and adolescents has become a matter of national concern and is linked to a rise in chronic health conditions in students who previously had low prevalence rates, such as cardiovascular disease. This study examined the relationships between age, ethnicity, race, body mass index (BMI), and elevated blood pressure (BP) in a rural school age population. Data are reported for 1121 students in grades K-11.

The integrative clinical preceptor model: a new method for teaching undergraduate community health nursing.

The Integrative Clinical Preceptor Model was designed to provide a framework for undergraduate clinical education in community health nursing. The model is based on reciprocal collaboration between students, preceptors, and faculty. Implementation of the model has resulted in individualized, population-focused experiences for students based on the principles of service-learning, empowered preceptors who are able to increase their scope of service, and increased productivity for the faculty in research and scholarship.

Does the school nurse-to-student ratio make a difference?

Public schools must provide an appropriate education for students with complex health needs. Chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes, social morbidities, injuries, and conditions that limit learning such as poor vision commonly affect school-aged children. School nurses often assume a leadership role in providing services for these children.