School Nurse Perspectives on Collaboration With Primary Care Providers

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• School Nursing
• Primary Care Integration

Background:

• School nurses are vital but often underutilized in primary care teams.
• Limited collaboration hinders efficient and coordinated pediatric care.
• This study addresses the gap in understanding school nurse-PCP collaboration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize school nurses' perceptions of current and ideal collaboration with primary care providers (PCPs).
• To identify actionable strategies for enhancing school nurse-PCP partnerships.
• To improve the efficiency, quality, and coordination of pediatric healthcare services.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of interviews with 23 school nurses.
• Exploration of structures, processes, and benefits of school nurse-PCP collaboration.
• Identification of key themes in information sharing and relationship building.

Main Results:

• School nurses identified information sharing (laws, data systems, technology) and relationship building (role understanding, professional development, resources) as crucial.
• Perceived benefits of enhanced collaboration extend to children, PCPs, school nurses, and parents.
• Specific needs include integrated data systems and intentional relationship-building efforts.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing school nurse-PCP collaboration requires addressing both information sharing and relationship-building domains.
• Cross-sector solutions, such as integrated systems and intentional relationship building, are essential.
• Needs assessments and action plans can guide local improvements for better pediatric care coordination.