Redefining the school nurse role: an organizational perspective

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nursing Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• The health promoting school approach necessitates evolving roles for school nurses.
• Integrating health promotion into school settings requires strategic organizational planning.
• Redefining the school nurse's role is a key component of planned change in schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess organizational readiness for change (ORC) regarding a redefined school nurse role.
• To evaluate the school nurse's potential as a strategic option within health promoting schools.
• To identify factors influencing the adoption of an expanded school nurse role.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire based on the ORC framework was distributed to 122 managers in Quebec local health organizations.
• Data were collected from 90 managers, yielding a 74% response rate.
• The study was conducted in the fall of 2009.

Main Results:

• 90% of participants viewed the proposed school nurse role as beneficial for school health programs and health promotion projects.
• Key barriers identified include a lack of resources and insufficient nursing support.
• Organizational readiness for change was positively associated with perceived program needs.

Conclusions:

• The organizational readiness for change framework requires adaptation for complex health-related settings.
• Enhanced information technology access and computer skills are crucial for the school nurse's expanded role.
• Findings inform health authorities on the strategic value of school nurses in health promotion and highlight the need for further empirical testing of the ORC framework.