Chapter 31 community health nursing:
The nurse in the schools
1. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which of the following
activities are expectations for a school health nurse?
a. Ensuring that children with health problems are accepted by their peers
b. Driving children home if parents can't pick them up
c. Giving emergency care in the school or during school events
d. Giving medications as needed if children are ill - correct answer ✔ANS: C
School nursing responsibilities include making sure that children get the
health care they need, including emergency care in the school; keeping track
of the state-required vaccinations that children have received; carrying out the
required screening of the children based on state law; and ensuring that
children with health problems are able to learn in the classroom. The nurse
cannot convince children to accept other children as peers, although certainly
efforts should be made. HIPAA would not allow individual examples of health
problems to be shared, other than providing group statistics.
2. Which of the following statements best explains why many school nurses
are not able to ensure that all children receive needed health care in the
schools?
a. There is a shortage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses with national school
health nurse certification.
b. Most nurses prefer to be employed in hospitals giving direct care.
c. Most school districts are unable to afford a nurse in every school.
d. School districts and taxpayers see no need for nurses in schools. - correct
answer ✔ANS: C
In Healthy People 2020, objective ECBP-5 states that there should be one
nurse for every 750 children in each school (U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 2010). Most schools have not achieved this objective. In
2006, approximately 40% of the nation's schools met that standard. The new
, objective is that 44.7% of the country's elementary, middle, junior high, and
senior high schools have this many nurses by 2020 (U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 2010). Having fewer nurses in the schools
means that the nurses are expected to perform many different functions. It is
therefore possible that they are unable to provide the amount of
comprehensive care that the students need (Croghan, 2009).
3. A school health nurse is requested by the board of education to assist in
choosing new playground equipment for an elementary school that meets
safety standards. Which of the following best describes the nurse's role in this
scenario?
a. Case manager
b. Consultant
c. Counselor
d. Health educator - correct answer ✔ANS: B
The school nurse is the person best able to provide health information to
school administrators, teachers, and parent-teacher groups. As a consultant,
the school nurse can provide professional information about proposed
changes in the school environment and their effect on the health of the
children. The nurse also can recommend changes in the school's policies or
ask community organizations to help make the children's schools healthier
places.
4. At the annual community health fair, the school health nurse displays a
science booth that examines the hazards of ineffective hand washing. Which
of the following best describes the nurse's role in this scenario?
a. Consultant
b. Community outreach
c. Counselor
d. Researcher - correct answer ✔ANS: B
The nurse in the schools
1. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which of the following
activities are expectations for a school health nurse?
a. Ensuring that children with health problems are accepted by their peers
b. Driving children home if parents can't pick them up
c. Giving emergency care in the school or during school events
d. Giving medications as needed if children are ill - correct answer ✔ANS: C
School nursing responsibilities include making sure that children get the
health care they need, including emergency care in the school; keeping track
of the state-required vaccinations that children have received; carrying out the
required screening of the children based on state law; and ensuring that
children with health problems are able to learn in the classroom. The nurse
cannot convince children to accept other children as peers, although certainly
efforts should be made. HIPAA would not allow individual examples of health
problems to be shared, other than providing group statistics.
2. Which of the following statements best explains why many school nurses
are not able to ensure that all children receive needed health care in the
schools?
a. There is a shortage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses with national school
health nurse certification.
b. Most nurses prefer to be employed in hospitals giving direct care.
c. Most school districts are unable to afford a nurse in every school.
d. School districts and taxpayers see no need for nurses in schools. - correct
answer ✔ANS: C
In Healthy People 2020, objective ECBP-5 states that there should be one
nurse for every 750 children in each school (U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 2010). Most schools have not achieved this objective. In
2006, approximately 40% of the nation's schools met that standard. The new
, objective is that 44.7% of the country's elementary, middle, junior high, and
senior high schools have this many nurses by 2020 (U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 2010). Having fewer nurses in the schools
means that the nurses are expected to perform many different functions. It is
therefore possible that they are unable to provide the amount of
comprehensive care that the students need (Croghan, 2009).
3. A school health nurse is requested by the board of education to assist in
choosing new playground equipment for an elementary school that meets
safety standards. Which of the following best describes the nurse's role in this
scenario?
a. Case manager
b. Consultant
c. Counselor
d. Health educator - correct answer ✔ANS: B
The school nurse is the person best able to provide health information to
school administrators, teachers, and parent-teacher groups. As a consultant,
the school nurse can provide professional information about proposed
changes in the school environment and their effect on the health of the
children. The nurse also can recommend changes in the school's policies or
ask community organizations to help make the children's schools healthier
places.
4. At the annual community health fair, the school health nurse displays a
science booth that examines the hazards of ineffective hand washing. Which
of the following best describes the nurse's role in this scenario?
a. Consultant
b. Community outreach
c. Counselor
d. Researcher - correct answer ✔ANS: B
