School Nurses’ Experiences With Health Dialogues: A Swedish Case

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe school nurses’ experiences with health dialogues and elicit their thoughts about how schools can reach the full potential in promoting students’ health literacy and learning. The phenomenological analysis resulted in four themes: (i) A golden opportunity…or not, (ii) Like a double-edged sword, (iii) Able or unable organizations, and (iv) Visions of good conditions for health and learning. School nurses’ experiences revealed that health dialogues are beneficial and can be valuable tools in promoting health and learning when (1) the health dialogues are an important part of the educational assignment, (2) school nurses are valued for fulfilling the educational assignment, and their work conditions are reasonable, (3) the results from the health dialogues and health questionnaires are used systematically to promote health and learning, (4) a “whole-school approach” is used to build enabling relationships among all school staff and students.