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Survey Finds 45% of School Nurses Report Mental Health Conditions

By NASN Inc posted 09-22-2022 14:48

  

In a survey of nearly 8,000 school nurses, almost half (45%) reported symptoms of at least one adverse mental health condition in the two weeks prior to completing the survey in March 2022. The CDC collaborated with NASN and the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants (NASSNC) to distribute the 121-item survey to school nurses in the U.S. (see survey results below)

Overwhelmingly, school nurse respondents from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, tribal nations, and U.S. territories reported work-related stressors such as feeling bullied, threatened or harassed since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Other stressors included experiencing stigma or discrimination and receiving job-related threats.

These survey findings highlight opportunities to improve supportive policies and practices to reduce workplace stressors and increase workplace supports for school nurses. "Throughout the pandemic, headlines from news stories and posts in discussion forums have told a story of the taxing school nurse experience. We have read about the many struggles school nurses have faced in their attempts to keep students, families, and communities safe," says NASN Executive Director Donna Mazyck, MS, RN, NCSN, CAE.

It is time that we address the mental health and wellness of the school nurses
who have so valiantly cared for our nation's school children and staff.

"NASN is grateful for the CDC's efforts to quantify the mental health impact of these workplace stressors and lack of support. School nurses support their students' mental health through the early identification of concerns, therapeutic presence, training students to use coping strategies, and care coordination to ensure students' access to appropriate mental health services. It is time that we address the mental health and wellness of the school nurses who have so valiantly cared for our nation's school children and staff," Mazyck says.


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Thank you for posting this information.  Honestly, until I read these stats, I didn't realize how much stress I was probably feeling.  During the COVID-19 pandemic I:
Left a tenured position for another school district.
Received a threatening email from a parent in that new school district (COVID related)
Realized the nurse in the new schooI l went to was pretty much treated like a second class citizen - because of the way many staff made that clear.  And, I understood why she left.

So now, I have my work cut out for me.  And, that's OK.  I feel as though we are climbing out of the pandemic and there is light on the horizon.  Teaming with another new nurse in this district, I think we can help them to understand the importance of a school nurse, how to better collaborate with the school nurse, how to respect the school nurse's professional contribution, and show them by example how the school nurses collaborate in harmony to bring stability to the Health Office and the nursing position within the district.

In many ways, the educators need educating.  And, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

Thank you again for bringing attention to what I believe, many school nurses really didn't pay attention to. their own feelings.