U.S. licensed school nurses working in an international setting

Abstract

There are many similarities between school nursing abroad and school nursing in the United States. However, there are also some major differences in school governance, parents, students, school dynamics, and school personnel. This article offers insights from two nurses working overseas in Japan as school nurses, one at a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school in Okinawa and one in an international school in Tokyo. The authors offer an overview comparison of these types of overseas schools in areas such as history; funding and governance; and families. They present student challenges and experiences encountered while providing school nursing overseas. Implications for practice are offered in the context of working with Third Culture Kids, or those students who return to schools in the United States after an international experience that, even if positive, may affect their reintegration into American culture.