Health Practices of School Nurses

• Published in: The Journal of school nursing Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 273 - 280
• Main Authors: Petch-Levine, Deborah, Cureton, Virginia Young, Canham, Daryl, Murray, Meg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States SAGE Publications 01.10.2003
• Subjects: Adult; Body Weight; California; Child Health; Conferences (Gatherings); Educational Environment; Exercise; Female; Health Behavior; Health Education; Health Promotion; Health Promotion - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Life Style; Male; Middle Aged; Nurse's Role; Nursing Research; Nutrition; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Questionnaires; Restraints (Vehicle Safety); Safety; School Nurses; School Nursing - statistics & numerical data; Smoking; Substance Abuse; Well Being; California
• ISSN: 1059-8405
• DOI: 10.1177/10598405030190050501

The health practices of school nurses affect our role as advocates and educators to promote the health of youth. This study describes the health practices of a convenience sample of 388 school nurses who attended the business meeting at an annual school nurse conference. A self-administered, 40-item questionnaire identified health practices of school nurses in the following areas: (a) health promoting behaviors, (b) exercise, (c) nutrition, (d) relaxation and well-being, (e) safety, and (f) substance use. The subjects most often avoided tobacco and wore seatbelts. The majority did not maintain their weight or exercise consistently. Statistical relationships were explored among the subscales and background items. These data document the need to design strategies to narrow the gap between actual school nurse health practices and the important health messages being delivered in our schools. (Contains 3 tables.)