School Nurse Workload: Students Are More Than Just Numbers.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Healthcare Administration

Background:

• The caseload ratio model for school nurse staffing lacks robust research evidence.
• Existing practices in school administration and healthcare support a shift in staffing models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To announce and justify the National Association of School Nurses' (NASN) transition to a workload model for school nurse staffing.
• To propose a more comprehensive approach to determining safe school nurse staffing levels.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing research on school nurse staffing models.
• Analysis of school nurse activities and factors influencing student health.
• Comparison of the caseload ratio model with the proposed workload model.

Main Results:

• A significant lack of research-based evidence supports the traditional caseload ratio model.
• The workload model offers a more holistic description of school nurse responsibilities.
• The workload model accounts for student health complexities beyond simple ratios.

Conclusions:

• The caseload ratio model is insufficient for guiding safe school nurse staffing.
• The workload model provides a more accurate and evidence-informed framework for school nurse staffing.
• Adoption of the workload model will enhance the quality and safety of school health services.