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Assessing school nurses' knowledge and comfort in caring for children returning to school after pediatric critical
Julia A Heneghan1, Mallory A Perry2, Cynthia Samuel3
1Pediatric Critical Care, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Insights
Most school nurses lack awareness of post-intensive care syndrome in pediatrics (PICS-p). Improving discharge information and education for school nurses is crucial for supporting children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- School nursing
- Public health
Background:
- Annually, 125,000 school-age children are admitted to U.S. pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
- Children discharged from PICUs are at risk for post-intensive care syndrome in pediatrics (PICS-p).
- School nurses play a vital role in supporting children's recovery but have limited known knowledge of PICS-p.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess school nurses' comfort and knowledge regarding the care of children recovering from PICU stays.
- To identify gaps in discharge information and educational needs for school nurses concerning PICS-p.
Main Methods:
- An online survey was distributed to school nurses across the United States.
- The survey collected data on nurse demographics, patient clinical characteristics, post-PICU information received, and nurses' comfort and knowledge levels.
- Data analyzed included information on discharge summaries, medical provider communication, and awareness of PICS-p.
Main Results:
- 54% of surveyed nurses cared for a child with a prior PICU admission.
- 35% of nurses received no discharge summary, and only 21% communicated with the child's medical provider.
- Less than 5% of nurses were aware of PICS-p, despite most feeling comfortable caring for recovering children.
Conclusions:
- A significant knowledge gap exists among school nurses regarding PICS-p.
- There is a strong interest (91%) among school nurses in learning about PICS-p, its framework, and screening methods.
- Improving discharge processes and providing targeted education on PICS-p is essential for enhancing school nurses' ability to support pediatric recovery.
Background:
Approximately 125,000 school-age children are admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in the United States annually. These children are at risk for post-intensive care syndrome in pediatrics (PICS-p) as they reintegrate into their communities. School nurses are uniquely positioned to care for children recovering from critical illness, yet little is known about their comfort and knowledge in post-PICU care.
Methods:
We conducted an online survey of United States-based school nurses. Surveying school nurse demographics, clinical characteristics of the children they cared for, post-PICU clinical information received, and their comfort and knowledge of caring for children post-PICU.
Results:
Seventy-nine (N = 79) school nurses completed the survey. More than half of nurses (54%) cared for a child who was hospitalized in the PICU during the prior academic year. Over a third (35%) did not receive any discharge summary/written instructions, and only 21% spoke with the child's medical provider before returning to school. While most felt comfortable caring for a recovering child, less than 5% were aware of PICS-p. Most school nurses (91%) expressed interest in learning more about PICS-p, specifically the framework (81%), which includes physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and family impact domains, and screening of at-risk children (53%).
Conclusions:
Most school nurses are unfamiliar with PICS-p. There are opportunities to improve processes to ensure school nurses receive adequate discharge information and education on PICS-p.
Implications For Practice:
Increased awareness regarding PICS-p and its recovery implications may improve school nurses ability to support children upon return to school following PICU hospitalization.
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