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A program to educate school nurses about mental health interventions
Janis Hootman1, Gail M Houck, Mary Catherine King
1Department of School Health Services, Multnomah Education Service District, Portland, OR, USA.
Summary
School nurses received training to identify and intervene in child and adolescent mental health issues, promoting early intervention and improving student well-being and school success.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Mental Health
- School Nursing Practice
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Rising rates of mental health issues in children and adolescents impact academic success and behavior.
- Proactive interventions are needed to address student mental health challenges and prevent violence.
- School nurses are key personnel for identifying and supporting students with mental health concerns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To equip school nurses with skills for identifying potential mental health problems in students.
- To provide school nurses with knowledge of appropriate interventions for at-risk youth.
- To foster the development of practice improvement projects for early mental health intervention in schools.
Main Methods:
- An educational program was developed for school nurses focusing on mental health assessment and intervention.
- Expert psychiatric clinical support was integrated for developing student support groups.
- School nurses were tasked with creating and implementing practice improvement projects.
Main Results:
- The program provided school nurses with enhanced capabilities in mental health identification and intervention.
- Projects focused on early intervention for attention disorders, absenteeism, social withdrawal, and depression.
- The initiative aimed to improve school-based mental health support systems.
Conclusions:
- School-based educational programs can effectively enhance nurses' capacity for early mental health intervention.
- Proactive identification and intervention are crucial for addressing student mental health and improving school outcomes.
- Further research on specific practice improvement projects demonstrates the practical application of this training.