School Nurses Share Their Voices, Trauma, and Solutions by Sounding the Alarm on Gun Violence

Abstract

Purpose of Review: The purpose of this review is to discuss the impact of gun violence within schools from the perspective of school nurses. School nurses are first responders whose skills are crucial to ensuring the health and safety of students, staff, and faculty within schools and the surrounding community. Recent Findings: In the USA, fear has long dictated how schools invest their resources in response to gun violence. In the wake of a series of school shootings that began in the 1990s, school safety is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. Although school shootings remain rare events, the response to potential gun violence has been an implementation of active shooter drills in 95% of US schools. School districts are faced with difficult choices that balance the safety concerns of school communities and the plethora of industry vendors who claim they have the most effective method to take action and keep their students safe. Summary: There is a critical need for research that guides the selection of evidence-based safety programs that consider the developmental and the mental health needs of school communities. School nurses are healthcare providers embedded in schools whose expertise and collaboration is critical to the design and implementation of these programs that keep students safe and ready to learn.