School nursing: Contents and perceptions about its relevance in the inclusive schools

Abstract

Introduction: The School Nursing service has existed in many countries around the world for decades. In Spain, the presence of Nursing in schools is isolated and not uniformly regulated. The promotion of health and Health Education plays a key role in students' current health. Objective: To determine experts' degree of consensus on public and child and youth health in terms of aspects related to School Nursing, with the aim of establishing the priority contents that should be developed in the care giving function and in Health Education. Materials and methods: A two-round prospective study with a qualitative approach (the Delphi method), based on a sample of 17 experts. An online baseline questionnaire was prepared, asking for opinions and proposals on School Nursing. The second round included the response percentages and proposals subject to prioritization by means of expert assessment and consensus. Results: Most endorse some type of physical presence of nurses in schools, which would contribute to improving educational inclusion and attention to diversity. Its role in the promotion of health and prevention, early identification of diseases, and attention to mental health is pointed out. Conclusions: The school environment should be taken into account as a new and differentiated operating environment for Nursing. Nursing staff becomes a necessary innovation agent in school health, looking after the entire educational community (students, teachers and family).