Finding the Balance Between Collaboration and Autonomy Among School Nurses in Interactions With Schools

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Educational Administration
• Nursing Education

Background:

• New national guidelines in Norway promote structured collaboration between school services and educational institutions.
• Despite guidelines, research on the characteristics of school-based collaboration remains limited.
• Understanding collaboration dynamics is crucial for effective school health services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore collaboration patterns among principals, teachers, and school nurses in Norway.
• To identify key facilitators and barriers impacting structured collaboration in schools.
• To inform strategies for enhancing school-based health service delivery.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing 46 in-depth interviews.
• Data collected from five Norwegian municipalities between 2018 and 2019.
• Interviews included school principals, teachers, and school nurses.

Main Results:

• School nurses are highly valued by school staff.
• Collaboration varied significantly within and between schools, influenced by factors like personal relationships and office proximity.
• Established personal relationships and regular meetings promoted stronger collaboration.
• Personnel discontinuity, recruitment challenges, and leaves negatively impacted collaborative efforts.

Conclusions:

• While school nurses are integral, collaboration is often informal and inconsistent.
• Facilitators include strong personal ties and consistent communication channels.
• Barriers such as staff turnover and logistical issues require systemic solutions.
• Enhancing structured collaboration is essential for optimizing school health services.