RUNNING HEAD: Position Paper
A Position Paper by
Jordan Walker, Delphine Hazard, Tina Sexton, and Bethany Moss
On who is more qualified to teach health promotion and illness prevention: Registered school nurses or Physical education teachers?
Miami University, Hamilton, OH, NSG 435
April 20, 2011
Registered nurses are more qualified to teach health promotion and illness prevention practices
than Physical education teachers by virtue of their educational background and experience.
To be discussed are the differences in nursing and physical education academic requirements, educational experiences, and lastly the laws guiding each profession’s practice to explore why registered nurses, particularly school nurses, are more qualified for the task of health promotion and illness prevention in the community than physical education teachers.
When looking at the program requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Miami University, classes that specifically apply to health promotion are Zoo 325 Pathophysiology, MBI 161 Elementary Medical Microbiology, NSG 311 Health Promotion Across the Lifespan, and NSG 365 Introduction to Nursing Research (Miami University, n.d., p.1, 2). NSG 311, as the title implies, specifically teaches health promotion strategies and modes of communication to teach these strategies to clients. As health care is an ever changing field, it is of key importance that the profession who is responsible for health promotion to have a background in research, as new modalities are introduced to promote healthier lifestyles. Finally, Zoo 325 and MBI 161 explore the causes of different diseases. In order to promote healthy lifestyles, it is indeed crucial for the profession to understand what promotes and causes illness as well as what prevents them.
However, when looking at the program requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education at Miami University, only one class was identifiable that directly applied to health promotion, that is, PHS 402 Critical Reflection on Practices in Health and Physical Culture (Miami University, 2005, p.3). Furthermore, when considering what the two disciplines study, it was found that the majority of nursing’s courses are focusing on illness and prevention; whereas in physical education, classes are focused on child development and education as well as motor skill development (Miami University, 2005).
Next, the Ohio state nurse practice act, which outlines the duties of a professional registered nurse in Ohio, is explored. “"Practice of nursing as a registered nurse” means providing to individuals and groups nursing care requiring specialized knowledge, judgment, and skill derived from the principles of biological, physical, behavioral, social, and nursing sciences" (Ohio Revised Code, n.d., p.1). "Such nursing care includes: Identifying patterns of human responses to actual or potential health problems amenable to a nursing regimen; “Nursing regimen may include preventative, restorative, and health-promotion activities"” (Ohio Revised Code, n.d., p.1). In fact, when comparing this document to the equivalent for physical education teachers, the Licensure Code of Professional Conduct for Ohio Educators, no specific mention of a duty to participate in health promotion activities, as the Ohio state nurse practice act urges registered nurses to do was found(State Board of Education, 2008).
In addition, professional registered nurses, particularly school nurses, are more qualified to partake in health promotion activities as many professional organizations have determined that this indeed is a nursing function. First, according to the National Association of School Nurses, the “school nurse promotes health” by “providing health information directly to individual students, groups of students or classes or by providing guidance about the health education curriculum, encouraging comprehensive, sequential, and age appropriate information” (National Association of School Nurses, Inc., 2002, p.2). The authors go on to say that “Other health promotion activities may include health fairs for students, families, or staff, consultation with other school employees such as food service personnel or physical education teachers regarding healthy lifestyles, and staff wellness programs” (National Association of School Nurses, Inc., 2002, p.2).
The National Environmental Education Foundation states that “To address the broad range of environmental health issues, such as outdoor and indoor air quality, water quality, hazardous wastes and toxics, Healthy People 2010 includes several environmental health objectives and highlights the critical role of health care providers in health education and health promotion” (National Environmental Education Foundation, 2009, p.1). Lastly, the “Institute of Medicine recommends the integration of environmental health concepts into all levels of medical and nursing education” thus also contributing to the knowledge of a registered nurse and the ability to identify environmental hazards (National Environmental Education Foundation, 2009, p.1).
In addition, the following proposed policy is recommended to implement school nurses as the qualified professional to teach health promotion and illness prevention.
1.) School nurses will hold annual/bi-annual health screenings.
-Rationale: Nurses should be a part of the shift in health care from problem focused to health promotion and illness prevention which will lead to a healthier population
-The health screenings include:
- Checking for head lice in elementary and middle schools each fall and spring
- Checking for scoliosis
- Vision and hearing screenings once a year
- Identification of learning barriers
2.) A monthly “Health Day” will be implemented for all schools during which there will be a speaker and fun incentives encouraging children to make healthy choices.
-Rationale: Nurses are responsible for providing education and meeting the perceived health needs of the community.
-“Health Day” includes:
- A different nurse each month speaking on a relevant health concern for the targeted developmental age (i.e. dental health, safe-sex methods, healthy relationships, exercise, nutrition, activities within the community, environmental hazards, mental health/stress management techniques, physical/emotional changes in the body, proper hygiene, promotion of no smoking, saying no to drugs, proper hand washing, effective communication skills, peer pressure/bullying, prevention of illness etc). Specific health education can be provided based upon the nurse’s awareness of current research and evidence-based practice as well as the needs within the community.
3.) Nurses are to be solely responsible for the administration of medications and source of medication administration education within the school system.
-Rationale: Nurses have been educated on pathophysiology, epidemiology, drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, and medication administration and calculation. Only nurses are qualified to administer and teach the administration of medications at school.
- Nurses will store and administer medications properly.
- Nurses will make monitor children receiving medications for efficacy of drugs and any possible adverse side effects.
- Nurses will instruct student on disease process and management/interventions and the signs and symptoms to report.
4.) Nurses are not solely responsible for reporting suspected child abuse, but are legally required (according to the Nurse Practice Act) and specially trained to recognize and report.
-Rationale: nurses have received special education on the warning signs of abuse and how to handle these situations.
- Be aware of the warning signs.
- Contact the authorities if signs point to abuse.
- Protect the child from further harm.
- Instruct students on signs/symptoms of abuse (physical, verbal, emotional, sexual) and how to report it.
- Instruct students on healthy relationships
- Instruct on coping mechanisms
5.) Nurses are to provide care to injuries.
-Rationale: school nurses are competent and trained to provide basic care in the case of an injured child.
- Knowing proper body mechanics the nurse will place the child in the correct position.
- Nurse has knowledge of whether cold or hot therapies should be provided.
- Contact parents to inform as well as hospital if needed.
- Proper distraction techniques.
- Instruct students on safety precautions
- Assess for environmental hazards
In conclusion to the above registered nurses are indeed more qualified to teach health promotion
and illness prevention practices than physical education teachers by virtue of their educational
academic requirements, educational experiences, and lastly the laws guiding each profession’s
practice.
References
Miami University (n.d.). BSN: Bachelor of science in nursing (134-135 semester hours). Retrieved March 11, 2011 from http://www.eas.muohio.edu/fileadmin/departments/nsg/downloads/BSN_Curriculum-1209.pdf
Miami University (2005). Physical education: Bachelor of science in education.
National Association of School Nurses. (2010). Healthy children learn better! School nurses make a
difference. Retrieved on February 10, 2011 from
www.nasn.org/portals/0/about/2009%5froom%5ffaq.pdf
National Association of School Nurses, Inc. (2002). School health nursing services role in health care: Role of the school nurse.
National Environmental Education Foundation (2009). Position statement: health professionals and environmental health education.
Ohio Revised Code (n.d.). Chapter 4723: Nurses. Retrieved March 11, 2011 from http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4723