Ch. 31: 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
Giving emergency care in the school or during school events
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.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) REF: p. 569
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 Most school districts are unable to afford a nurse in every
school.
,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).
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) REF: p. 569
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 Consultant
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.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) REF: p. 570
, 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 Community outreach
When participating in community outreach, nurses reach out to residents in
the community. One common way this occurs is when nurses are involved in
activities such as community health fairs or festivals in the schools.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) REF: p. 570
5. Which of the following best explains why school nurses are involved in
helping teachers with the task of teaching children how to practice problem
solving, communication, and other life skills?
A. Teacher shortages have required nurses to be increasingly involved in
teaching life skills.
D. Nurses have been enlisted in this role to help reduce risk factors for future
health
problems in schoolchildren - correct answer ✔ANS: D Nurses have been
enlisted in this role to help reduce risk factors for future health problems in
school children.
School health nurses were originally involved in this capacity in 1987 after the
CDC began funding schools for HIV-prevention education programs. This
program was so successful that it was expanded to include programs to teach
children prevention of other chronic illnesses caused in part by risk factors
such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking. The schools are actively
involved in helping the children practice problem solving, communication, and
other life skills so that they can reduce their risk factors for health problems.
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
Giving emergency care in the school or during school events
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.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) REF: p. 569
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 Most school districts are unable to afford a nurse in every
school.
,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).
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) REF: p. 569
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 Consultant
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.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) REF: p. 570
, 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 Community outreach
When participating in community outreach, nurses reach out to residents in
the community. One common way this occurs is when nurses are involved in
activities such as community health fairs or festivals in the schools.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) REF: p. 570
5. Which of the following best explains why school nurses are involved in
helping teachers with the task of teaching children how to practice problem
solving, communication, and other life skills?
A. Teacher shortages have required nurses to be increasingly involved in
teaching life skills.
D. Nurses have been enlisted in this role to help reduce risk factors for future
health
problems in schoolchildren - correct answer ✔ANS: D Nurses have been
enlisted in this role to help reduce risk factors for future health problems in
school children.
School health nurses were originally involved in this capacity in 1987 after the
CDC began funding schools for HIV-prevention education programs. This
program was so successful that it was expanded to include programs to teach
children prevention of other chronic illnesses caused in part by risk factors
such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking. The schools are actively
involved in helping the children practice problem solving, communication, and
other life skills so that they can reduce their risk factors for health problems.
