The Role of School Health Services in Addressing the Needs of Students with Chronic Health Conditions

In the United States, children and teenagers spend many hours at college. Students with chronic health circumstances (CHCs) may experience reduced academic achievement as they enter adulthood, enhanced disability, fewer work possibilities, and restricted community interactions. School health services, often for learners with restricted access to health care, provide secure and efficient management of CHCs (Leroy, 2016). In handling the daily requirements of learners with chronic health circumstances (CHCs), school health services may play a main role. Although the idea and definition of these health circumstances may differ extensively, CHCs are generally recognized as having potential for functional constraints, including medication dependence, assistive devices, or routine medical care (van der Lee, Mokkink, Grootenhuis, Heymans, & Offringa, 2007 as cited in Leroy, 2016). The college nurse or a designated supplier is often accountable for coordinating and conducting health assessments, as well as planning and implementing individualized health care plans for secure and efficient management of CHCs, often for those with restricted access to health care. These health services are intended to assist access or referral by connecting school employees, students, families, community and health care providers to support student health care in a good and secure classroom setting (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development [ ASCD ] & Disease Control and Prevention Centers [ CDC ], 2014 as cited in Leroy, 2016). Another model that reflects a significant interdisciplinary strategy to offering learners with extensive physical and mental health care is the school-based health center (SBHC). SBHCs typically provide primary care facilities and may include student reproductive, dental and acute care facilities, as well as coordinating with external community suppliers (Brown & Bolen, 2008 as cited in Leroy, 2016). Direct access to school nursing and other health facilities enhanced clinical results and decreased absences among CHC kids. Improvements in clinical symptoms, adherence to medicines, and use of health care were noted through several research when interventions, such as directly observed therapy, access to medicines, and the effective recovery of physician action plans (particularly for asthma), were implemented by school nursing staff (Leroy, 2016). There is a call for an increase in the proportion of elementary, middle and senior high schools with at least 1:750 (HealthyPeople.gov) full-time, registered, school nurse-to-student ratio. Moreover, a policy declaration lately published by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending at least one full-time nurse in each school (Holmes et al., 2016 as cited in Leroy, 2016). In addition to being seen in unique educational environments (McClanahan & Weismuller, 2015 as cited in Leroy, 2016), kids with CHCs and complicated health needs have been incorporated into the general education scheme over the previous several centuries. In the United States, children and teenagers spend many hours at college; therefore, managing CHCs can pose difficulties to school systems, including teachers, clinicians, and employees in regular touch with learners. Early life CHCs can adversely impact the performance of schools — a reciprocal connection between schooling and health can be strengthened, leading to higher disparities in each (Fiscella & Kitzman, 2009 as cited in Leroy, 2016). In many cases, disease-specific instructional programs can provide learners with expertise and abilities to better handle their CHCs, resulting in better results. Typically, the educational programs reviewed in the research focused on understanding developmentally appropriate physiology, prevention of behavioral or environmental variables that may cause symptoms, how drugs function, how learners can prevent worsening symptoms, and when to ask adults for assistance (Leroy, 2016).