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Has school nursing progressed since 2018? A systematised review

02 October 2024
Review
02 October 2024
Volume 1 · Issue 2

Abstract

The aim of the study is to identify progress in two key areas of practice in the school nursing profession: sexual and mental health, between 2018 and 2023. A systematised review of published articles was undertaken for the period 2018 to 2023 related to school nursing on the topics of sexual and mental health. The systematised review used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Coding and thematic analysis was undertaken according to Braun and Clarke's guide to thematic analysis. The scope was limited to peer-review publications between 2018 and 2023. CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases were searched. Eight publications met the criteria: six on sexual health, one on mental health, and one hybrid study. The study concludes that there is a paucity of current school nursing literature on the topics of sexual and mental health. Only one study describes a new initiative: use of a text-messaging service. Progress in school nurse innovations has stalled. Erosion of the public health aspects of the school nurse role to fill gaps in service has led to reactive and ineffective practice.

Poverty in the UK is having a serious impact on children's lives. More than one in five people in the UK (22%) were in poverty in 2021/22 – 14.4 million people. Of these, 8.1 million were working-age adults, 4.2 million were children and 2.1 million were pensioners (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2024). This means around two in every 10 adults are in poverty in the UK, with about three in every 10 children being in poverty. The number and proportion of children in poverty rose between 2020/21 and 2021/22 and reflects their position as having the highest poverty rates in the overall population (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2024). There is an urgent need for school nurses to support families. At the same time, school nursing activity appears at an all-time low with the demands of safeguarding consuming much of their time (Sammut et al, 2022).

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School nursing
Progress
Sexual health
Mental health
Systematised review