‘We’re definitely that link’: the role of school-based primary health care registered nurses in a rural community
Catherine Sanford
A , Emily Saurman A , Sarah Dennis B C and David Lyle A
A Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health, The University of Sydney, PO Box 457, Broken Hill, NSW 2880, Australia.
B Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2141, Australia.
C Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, 1 Campbell Street, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: catherine.sanford@sydney.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 27(2) 76-82 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY20149
Submitted: 22 June 2020 Accepted: 25 September 2020 Published: 23 December 2020
Abstract
Children and adolescents in rural Australia experience poorer health and educational outcomes than those in urban areas. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the role of primary health care registered nurses (RNs) working in the School-Based Primary Health Care Service in Broken Hill, far west New South Wales. The Service integrates health district-employed RNs with school learning and support teams to increase service access and improve health and education outcomes for students. The findings show that RNs used care navigation to reduce barriers to care by addressing healthcare candidacy with students and families. The RNs also linked schools, families and health and social care services, and facilitated intersectoral collaboration to improve the support provided to students experiencing health and developmental issues. Integrating health district-employed RNs with existing student support services is a promising approach to improving the health and education of disadvantaged students. This study provides individual- and system-level explanations of the role of the school-based primary health care RN and can inform the development of similar services elsewhere.
Keywords: adolescent health services, child health services, health services accessibility, integrated health care delivery, school health services.
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