Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
ABSTRACT
Title: The environment as a tool in nursing
- School nurses experiences from using the physical environment in their office supporting schoolchildren
Author: Egnell, Maria
Department: School of Health and Education, University of Skövde
Course: Master Degree project in Nursing, OM854A, 15 ECTs
Supervisor: Thorstensson, Stina
Examiner: Larsson, Margareta
Pages: 28
Keywords: School nurses, environment, health environment, nursing, children
Background: According to research, the physical environment effects children’s well-being. School nurses offer a range of nursing activities promoting health to schoolchildren and to support school performances. The nursing activities occur at school in a psychosocial as well as a physical environment. The school nurses office as a health environment, affects meetings and schoolchildren that occur within it. School nurses take support in the physical environment in their work with schoolchildren. The field has not yet been researched as an important part of nursing at school.
Aim: The aim of this study was to elucidate the school nurses perceptions of using the ward atmosphere at their office, as a tool in nursing.
Method: A qualitative research method was selected for the study. The result emerged through qualitative content analysis. Five school nurses from various schools in Gothenburg were interviewed, using semi structured interviews.
Results: Three major categories and six subcategories emerged during the analysis. Major categories were: offering a health environment for well-being, to be present in the environment for the children and to use the environment for health education.
Conclusion: The school nurses strived to make the office a place for well-being. They also used it for health information, as a sanctuary and as a connection point that considers children’s need for integrity. How the school nurses used the environment depended on who they were as individuals, as the field until now, not has gone through research. Obstacles depended on all those around, with too little knowledge in what school nurses work consist of and also from a complexity in being available to the children.
2015. , p. 29