Clinical Experience Paper

For this clinical experience I shadowed a school nurse at two separate schools, Watauga High School and Parkway Elementary. The two experiences were unique, and it was interesting to see the nurse adjust her skills to different ages of children. At Watauga High School, the nurse spent most of her morning preparing an education pamphlet on concussions. She explained that the following week she would be presenting this education at the health fairs of various schools in Watauga County. Her education included signs and symptoms, how to treat them, and important facts. In addition, several students visited her to get medications that they take daily for their chronic illness. The school nurse emphasized the importance of staying in class, and continuing …show more content…
The nurse also allowed the knowledgeable diabetic students, to take their own blood sugars, and she simply recorded the reading they obtained on a chart. The most difficult part of the school nurse in my opinion is the paperwork. There is so much, and many schools still do not have electronic filing systems. Much time is spent searching through thick files, and sifting through mounds of paper work to find the needed information. I learned from this experience that the school nurse’s job does not primarily consist of patient or child care, much of it is education and paperwork. I learned that most of the students school nurses see are those with chronic illnesses, who just need to take their medications at different intervals during the school day. I have a new appreciation for all of the time school nurses spend on paper work and performing education for students. I personally found the day to be very boring, I am not an office type of person, and I love spending time with direct patient care. This is not an area I could see myself working in one day, however I have an appreciation for those nurses that do work in the school …show more content…
It was found that although many school nurses were unaware of the wheel, they used interventions that correlated with many categories the wheel covers. One of the key findings of the study found that while school nurses spent a lot of time with education on the individual level with students and staff members, there were few opportunities for them to provide health teaching classes for students, parents and the community. Several potential barriers were identified including the need for the continuous physical presence of the school nurse in office, and the required school curricula not allowing time. In my experience, I personally got to see the collaboration with the school nurse and administrators as she was trying to find time to teach a CPR class. It was evident that there was not much wiggle room in regards to time, and that it was extremely difficult for them to agree upon a time, that was not already being utilized for other school activities. One way the school nurses are trying to help with time limitations, is by setting aside time and creating education to be taught at health fairs. The administration seemed very accepting of the health fairs that the school nurses were implementing during specific school days. This is just one way school nurses are beginning to extend their education to include