School nurses' experiences, concerns, and knowledge of growth disorders in children: development of a monograph

Janet K Williams1, Ann Marie McCarthy, Helga Bragadottir

  • 1College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.

Insights

School nurses

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Nursing Education
  • Growth Disorders

Background:

  • Growth disorders in children can lead to psychosocial and learning challenges.
  • School nurses play a crucial role in managing these health issues.
  • Effective school health programming requires nurses skilled in growth assessment and communication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an educational resource for school nurses on growth disorders.
  • To improve school nurses' knowledge of growth assessment and individualized healthcare plans.
  • To address challenges in school-based healthcare for children with growth disorders.

Main Methods:

  • A monograph and model individualized healthcare plans were created.
  • A study evaluated knowledge among 336 school nurses from the National Association of School Nurses.
  • Knowledge was assessed before and after nurses received the educational materials.

Main Results:

  • Nurses who received the monograph showed significantly higher knowledge.
  • Knowledge of growth assessment and individualized healthcare plans improved.
  • The study identified obstacles to implementing school-based healthcare for growth disorders.

Conclusions:

  • The developed monograph is an effective educational tool for school nurses.
  • Enhanced knowledge can improve care for children with growth disorders in schools.
  • Addressing implementation barriers is essential for effective school health services.

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