Strengthening School Nursing Through State-Level Infrastructure Supports

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Educational Policy

Background:

• Effective school nursing services are crucial for student health and academic success.
• Equitable, evidence-based school health services require robust state-level infrastructure support.
• Existing assessments may not fully capture the nuances of state-level school nursing infrastructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe two new instruments designed to assess state-level school nursing infrastructure.
• To highlight the utility of the State School Health Infrastructure Measure (SSHIM) and the Health Services Assessment Tool for Schools (HATS).
• To advocate for the use of these tools in planning and prioritizing improvements for school health services.

Main Methods:

• The study focuses on the description and application of two recently developed assessment instruments.
• The State School Health Infrastructure Measure (SSHIM) evaluates state-level infrastructure for school nursing.
• The Health Services Assessment Tool for Schools (HATS) assesses broader school health service infrastructure at the state level.

Main Results:

• The SSHIM and HATS offer comprehensive methods for evaluating state-level supports for school nursing and health services.
• These instruments provide data crucial for identifying gaps and areas for improvement in school health systems.
• The tools facilitate a systematic approach to enhancing the quality and equity of school health services.

Conclusions:

• The SSHIM and HATS are valuable resources for state education and health agencies.
• Utilizing these instruments can lead to more informed planning and resource allocation for school health services.
• These tools support the development of equitable, evidence-based, and high-quality school nursing and health services for the preK-12 population.