Characteristics Associated With School Health Services for the Management of Chronic Health Conditions.
Georgianne F Tiu, Zanie C Leroy, Sarah M Lee and 2 others
PMID 31679439WHAT IT FOUND
Schools with a nurse were 51.5% more likely to provide all four key chronic health services.
Access to a consulting physician was also linked to more services. Schools with majority minority students provided fewer services.
Key findings
01Schools with a school nurse were 51.5% more likely to provide all four services (identification, tracking, case management, referrals) compared to schools without one.
02Schools with access to consult with a school physician were 15.4% more likely to provide all four services compared to schools without one.
03Schools with less than or equal to 50% non-Hispanic White students were 14.7% less likely to provide all four services compared to schools with greater than 50% non-Hispanic White students.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that having a nurse causes better services, only that they are associated. Data was self-reported by school staff, which may introduce bias. Definitions of services like 'case management' may have been interpreted differently by respondents.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 51.5% increase as proof that hiring a nurse directly causes these specific services to appear. The study shows an association, not causation, and other unmeasured factors in well-staffed schools could explain the higher service levels.