School Nursing and Population Health: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

School nursing is grounded in population health. The school nurse role is often viewed as providing episodic care to individual children, and more recently, highly skilled care to chronically ill and medically fragile children. However, the true value of school nursing is in health promotion and illness prevention. School nurses engage in population health practices such as screening; prevention of communicable disease through hygiene and immunization; prevention of injuries; and promoting health through education. As we enter the 21st Century, school nurses are embracing their roots as change leaders who improve the health of children, families, and communities. This article reviews the past and present of school nursing to offer insight about this role in the context of population health, and concludes with a look to the future.