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Autonomy in practice: a qualitative study of school nurses' perceptions
1Stanislaus County Office of Education, CA, USA.
Summary
New school nurses often feel isolated and unprepared. Experienced nurses report greater autonomy, highlighting the need for better support systems for novice school nurses during their transition.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Education
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- School nursing presents unique challenges, with nurses often being the sole healthcare professional.
- Transitioning from medical settings to educational environments can be daunting for new school nurses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the perceptions of new and experienced school nurses regarding practice autonomy.
- To identify differences in role perception, comfort, and confidence between novice and experienced school nurses.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study design.
- In-depth interviews with 6 new and 6 experienced school nurses.
Main Results:
- Significant contrasts observed in role perception, comfort, and confidence.
- Experienced nurses reported higher levels of autonomy compared to novices.
- Novice nurses expressed challenges related to their sole professional responsibility and unfamiliar environment.
Conclusions:
- The transition period for new school nurses requires significant support.
- Initiating changes to nurture and support novice school nurses is imperative for the specialty.
- Addressing the autonomy gap can improve retention and practice effectiveness for school nurses.