School Nurse Well-Being as a Workplace-Embedded Outcome: A Collective Qualitative Case Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Occupational Health
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Work-related stress is well-documented in traditional healthcare, but school nurse well-being is understudied.
• School nurses face unique workplace challenges impacting their psychological health.
• The Neuman Systems Model provides a framework for understanding these complex interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore workplace factors influencing school nurses' psychological well-being.
• To identify conditions that promote or hinder well-being in the school nursing environment.
• To inform interventions supporting school nurse well-being.

Main Methods:

• Collective qualitative case study design.
• Data collected via sociodemographic questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and journaling.
• Analysis guided by the Neuman Systems Model to examine intra-, inter-, and extra-personal factors.

Main Results:

• Psychological well-being is contingent on organizational and relational factors, not solely individual coping.
• Positive factors include team membership, recognition, role clarity, and schedule flexibility.
• Negative factors include exclusion, role ambiguity, and limited authority; positive student relationships offer meaning.

Conclusions:

• Structural workplace interventions are crucial for supporting school nurse well-being.
• Addressing organizational and relational aspects is key to enhancing psychological security.
• Improved school nurse well-being is essential for ensuring safe and effective student care.