January  2006

 

School Nurses and Mental Health Needs in Schools

In the report, School Mental Health Services in the United States, 2002–2003 (see the November Article of the Month), data about the role school nurses have in the provision of mental health services and supports in schools was presented. Following are some findings:

·          The most common types of school mental health providers were school counselors followed by nurses, school psychologists, and social workers. School nurses spent approximately a third of their time providing mental health services. (p. 2)

·          It is notable that such a large proportion of schools reported that nurses were providing mental health services, and that over one third of their time was devoted to mental health service provision. The data indicate that nurses were considered by the majority of schools to be mental health providers. Nurses, as well as counselors, are likely to have very high caseloads and may provide services that are more informal in nature than traditional counseling. The findings also suggest that if nurses are, in fact, planning a key mental health role in schools, more work should be done to better understand the training and support needs of this type of staff. (p. 34)

·          More research is needed into the mental health functions specific to nursing in the school setting, the time nurses spend on providing mental health services and coordinating medication management with outside providers, and their training needs.

 

Therefore, January’s Article of the Month is devoted to School Nurses. Following are some resources on the web school nurses might find useful in addressing the mental health needs of children in schools:

 

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The Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA (http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/) has numerous resources for school nurses. A few are listed below:

 

Mental Health in Schools: New Roles for School Nurses

(http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/Nurses/unit1.pdf

A 316-page continuing education guide to help school nurses better understand their roles in addressing barriers to learning in schools. Of particular interest might be Chapter 2: Mental Health Services and Instruction: What a School Nurse Can Do beginning on page 75.

 

Students and Psychotropic Medication: The School's Role http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/psymeds/med1.pdf

While this publication does not address school nurses specifically, school nurses can better understand what their role might be in within the broader role of the school in dealing with psychotropic medications.

 

Responding to a Crisis at School: A Resource Aid

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/crisis/crisis.pdf

Again, this publication does not address school nurses in its totality. However, on page 14, it does spell out a specific role for school nurses.

 

What Is a Learning Supports Resource Team?

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/resource%20coord%20team.pdf

This fact sheet describes briefly the make-up and role of a Learning Supports Resource Team in addressing barriers to learning. School nurses play a role on this team.

 

Net Exchange Response: “I am looking for research that links school nurse interventions with academic success for students.”

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/netresponse.asp?tag=231

Gives a brief response to the inquiry with additional resources.

 

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The National Association of School Nurses (http://www.nasn.org) has an abundance of helpful information. Some links follow:

 

ISSUE BRIEF - School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: Mental Health and Mental Illness

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=276

 

ISSUE BRIEF – School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: School Violence

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=283

 

ISSUE BRIEF – School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: Peer Bullying

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=266

 

ISSUE BRIEF – School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: Substance Use and Abuse

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=282

 

ISSUE BRIEF – School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: School Nursing Services in Alternative Education Programs

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=263

 

ISSUE BRIEF – School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: Eating Disorders

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=269

 

ISSUE BRIEF – School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: The Role of the School Nurse in Supporting Adolescent Parents

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=262

 

ISSUE BRIEF – School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=280

 

POSITION STATEMENT – Mental Health of Students

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=231

 

POSITION STATEMENT – Role of the School Nurse in Violence Prevention

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=254

 

POSITION STATEMENT – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=247

 

POSITION STATEMENT – The Role of the School Nurse in Supporting Adolescent Parents

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=196

 

POSITION STATEMENT – Medication Administration in the School Setting

http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=230

 

ISSUE BRIEF – School Health Nursing Services Role in Health Care: School Nurses and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

 http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=274

 

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SchoolNurse.com (http://www.schoolnurse.com/) has two publications that would be of interest to school nurses that occasionally provides information on mental health issues:

 

School Nurse-Zine

http://www.schoolnurse.com/ezine.html

A free short weekly e-mail newsletter covering a single topic of current interest to school nurses.

 

School Health Alert

http://www.schoolnurse.com/publicationssha.html

School Health Alert is a monthly newsletter for school nurses that provides up-to-date information on the medical issues that affect school nurses and their students. $39.00 for 10 monthly issues

 

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Articles about the need for additional school nurses:

 

School Nurses: Providing Intensive Care

http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=Art_1424&issue=dec_05
The National Association of School Nurses estimates that only 40,000 health professionals practice in the nation's schools. And, they are attempting to look after the 54 million children in elementary, middle, and high schools. School nurses report they are dealing with a wide range of chronic illnesses and counseling issues. This includes increases in behavior and learning problems. The situation has raised troubling questions about the care of students in the many schools with no health professional on site. "The school nurse used to be all Band-Aids and iodine," says Michael Venutolo, supervisor of athletics and school nurses for the Jersey City School District. "Now, it's a multitask office. Every one of my nurses is like a mother, father, confessor -- and, in most instances, they're the primary health care provider for the students in our district." 

 

Nurse shortage puts school kids at risk

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-13-school-nurses_x.htm

Article from USA Today, December 14, 2005

 

Every Child Needs a School Nurse

http://www.aft.org/topics/school-nurses/

Part of Hot Topics series of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

 

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School Nurse Perspectives: Thoughts, Tools, Resources and Inspiration for School Nurses by a School Nurse

http://www.homestead.com/snp/

Nothing specific on school mental health, but a fun and informative web site.

 

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If you are aware of additional online resources that are helpful to school nurses in addressing mental health needs in schools, contact Keith Letchworth, School Mental Health Project Director, at letchworthj@ecu.edu.

 

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