Public health nurses health promotion work for children with physical disabilities in school
-a qualitative study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7557/14.8093Keywords:
Children with physical disabilities, social inclusion , well-being , school nurse, school health servicesAbstract
School nurses are in a unique position to identify groups of students with special needs and implement health-promoting measures in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore school nurses' experiences in promoting social inclusion and well-being among children with physical disabilities in primary school. A qualitative method with an exploratory and descriptive design was chosen. Individual semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with school nurses in the school health services. The data material was analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in 4 themes: "wearing health glasses," "making everyday life at school as normal as possible," "facilitating social interaction," and "the important parental work." The findings indicate that school nurses, with their health professional expertise, are an important resource in the interdisciplinary work in schools for children with physical disabilities. School nurses emphasize promoting social participation by finding good solutions and measures that contribute to the child being able to participate "at their level" in school activities.
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