Measuring Outcomes of School Nursing Services

Considerable information exists about the impact of school health services on student health and academic achievement. Much less information exists about the specific impact of school nursing services. This article reports on a Washington State project that studied documentation of outcomes of school nurse interventions, the scope of the school nurse role, and the infrastructure necessary to report outcomes of school nursing. A literature review about outcomes of school nursing was conducted. Twenty-two leaders in school nurse issues were interviewed. The literature review yielded 15 articles documenting positive outcomes of school nursing. Interview analysis revealed leader ideas about important outcomes of school nurse services and the infrastructure needed to document the impact of school nursing. The existing literature on positive outcomes addresses a limited portion of the school nurse role. Components of infrastructure necessary to document outcomes are delineated. Resources for infrastructure development are discussed.