School Nurses' Perceptions, Learning Needs and Developmental Suggestions for Mental Health Promotion: Focus Group...

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• School Nursing
• Mental Health Promotion

Background:

• School nurses play a vital role in promoting adolescent mental health.
• Understanding their experiences and needs in this role is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore school nurses' perceptions, needs, and suggestions for mental health promotion in schools.
• To identify core competencies and resource requirements for effective school-based mental health support.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research design.
• Focus group interviews with 21 school nurses in Southern Finland.
• Inductive content analysis of the collected data.

Main Results:

• School nurses perceive school health care as a low-threshold service and often identify mental health issues first.
• They require enhanced skills in communication, presence, confidentiality, and motivation.
• Nurses reported a lack of resources and highlighted the need for improved stakeholder/parent cooperation and accessible services.

Conclusions:

• School nurses require adequate resources and specific competencies to effectively promote adolescent mental health.
• Developing collaborative strategies and accessible services is crucial for enhancing school mental health care.
• Investing in school nurses' training and resources is essential for their demanding role.