Problems And Challenges Of School Health Nursing In Akwa Ibom And Cross River States Of Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This study evaluated the problems and challenges associated with school nursing in
Cross River and Akwa Ibom States of Nigeria in terms of coverage, services rendered,
adequacy of equipments and supplies, and involvement of other relevant professionals in
school health programmes.
Materials and methods: A descriptive design was adopted, and sixty schools were randomly
selected from the two states. In each school, one nurse was conveniently selected to give a total
of sixty respondents from a population of 171 school nurses from both states. Rustia’s school
health promotion model guided the study. Validated questionnaire, interviews and review of
records were the instruments for data collection. Research questions were analyzed using
frequencies and percentages while the Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient Statistics was
used to test the hypotheses determined at a significant level of 0.05.
Results: Results showed low coverage of school health programme in Cross River (3%) and
Akwa Ibom (7.2%) states. The scopes of the practice were limited to treatment of minor
ailments (100%), referral services (81.7%) health education (41.7%) and first aid (16.7%).
Only (18.3%) of the respondents were satisfied with equipments available for school health
programme. Furthermore, health services provided by the nurses were positively and
significantly related to their knowledge of roles (r=.532; df=59; p<0.05) but not on availability
of material resources r=.023; df=59; p>0.05).
Recommendations: It was recommended that school nurses should be well educated on the
roles expected of them.