Abstract
The effect on students from the COVID-19 pandemic, violence related to racism, and loss of customary school routines may cause loss of both school connection and a sense of belonging. School nurses can positively influence student belonging and school connection as they encounter students throughout in-person school and virtual school environments. School nurses build connections with students whom they know and outreach to students whom they identify as vulnerable in the areas of belonging and school connectedness. With a mind-set of the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice and in collaboration with a school team implementing a multitiered system of support, school nurses intentionally outreach and cultural sensitivity to grow positive school climate that benefits students.
Keywords
The recent disruption to all spheres of life brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, violence related to racism, and extended time away from in-person education presents students with adjustments to make in the upcoming school year. Areas of adjustment for students include feeling connected and a sense of belonging in school communities. Students need a sense of belonging and school connectedness—both of which can influence student psychosocial well-being and academic motivation (Allen et al., 2018; Bouchard & Berg, 2017). The more expansive topic of school climate encompasses student feelings of belonging and school connectedness. Improving school climate within multitiered systems of support (MTSS) provides an integrated and systemic approach. MTSS enables a continuum of evidence-based practices delivered in three tiers of support: (1) universal for all students, (2) targeted for groups of students, and (3) for certain individual students (VanLone et al., 2019). School nurses serve a critical role on MTSS teams, including supporting a positive school climate.
With a mind-set of the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice and in collaboration with MTSS team members, school nurses address at least two components of the community/public health key principle: outreach and cultural sensitivity. For the school nurse, outreach pertains to proactively identifying students who are vulnerable and connecting them with information and community services, cultural sensitivity incorporates self-awareness and cultural awareness of practices, health needs, and beliefs of students and families (National Association of School Nurses [NASN], 2020b). School nurses know their school populations and will identify inclusive interventions for the entire school, interventions for specific groups of students, and interventions for selected individual students.
One School Nurse Story
When I worked as a high school nurse, the view from the health room door during transitions between classes provided clues and context for how some students experienced school community. Over a week, I noticed a student who seemed to make himself invisible as he walked along the wall among throngs of students. On the fifth day, I beckoned him to the health room door and asked his name. Over the semester, I learned that he felt disengaged from school because he lacked peer relationships. By the end of the semester, after collaborating with a group of students and me on a tobacco prevention program, I noticed he found two students from the health promotion team with whom he connected. I learned that working together with the students for ongoing health promotion initiatives promoted a sense of belonging and school connectedness (McNeely, 2002). From the students, I learned “a sense of belonging can actually improve the social environment of the school” (Beck & Reilly, 2017, p. 33) when I engaged them as health promoters to their peers.
School nurses, along with other specialized instructional support personnel (e.g., school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, physical, occupational, and art therapists, and more) school administrators, teachers, students and their families, and community agencies can address conditions that interfere with students feeling a sense of belonging and school connectedness. Conditions affecting school connectedness, including “classroom management climate, school size, severity of discipline policies, and rates of participation in extracurricular activities” (McNeely, 2002, p. 146) can be assessed. In addition, schools that support a learning environment that advances diversity, equity, and inclusion can support students connected to school and a sense of belonging (NASN, 2020a). A school leadership team can establish a MTSS framework to organize and implement coordinated and integrated school climate practices.
School nurses can guide health and wellness interventions that cultivate students’ sense of belonging and school connectedness by supporting students with universal, targeted, and individual practices. As health and public health leaders in school communities, school nurses know characteristics of students and families as well as characteristics, policies, and practices in schools and school districts. The Standards of Professional Performance for School Nursing (Standard 8) addresses culturally congruent practice in depth, to include being mindful of the impact of racial/ethnic discrimination on students, advocacy for equity concerning culturally diverse and underrepresented students, and advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the school community (American Nurses Association & NASN, 2017). To foster inclusion, school nurses implement evidence-based practices within school health services for students in their work and in collaboration with school staff and community partners. School nurses know the individual students and groups of students who may feel a lack of connection with the school community. Examples of vulnerabilities that may influence feelings of isolation in individual students or groups of students are listed below. However, this list of vulnerabilities is not exhaustive. School nurses know and can reach students in their communities who may feel disconnected.
Vulnerabilities to Student Belonging and School Connectedness
Trauma
In provision of school health services, school nurses can incorporate school district MTSS to provide trauma-responsive mental health policies and practices in schoolwide mental health promotion initiatives (Hoover, 2019). School nurses can also reach out to students who feel disconnected and share options that may meet their interests (Williams et al., 2018).
Race/Ethnicity
Lacking a sense of belonging may be present in students who are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific American. A history of racist ideas and discrimination may leave some students without school connectedness. Racialized school environments create vulnerabilities to belonging; school leaders can cultivate a sense of belonging with (1) professional development for school leaders to build a culture of belonging and achievement, (2) provision of instructional opportunities supportive of belonging, and (3) inclusion of student voice in policy decisions (Gray et al., 2020).
Highly Mobile Students
School nurses have opportunities to foster school connection and a sense of belonging for students who are highly mobile students. Students may have multiple reasons for moving into and out of schools throughout their school careers. They may experience homelessness, instability in housing, or connected to military families. Schoolwide strategies can make a positive difference for students.
Newcomer Refugee and Undocumented Immigrants
The challenges and stress experienced by students who have come to the United States as undocumented immigrants or refugees can short circuit their sense of belonging. In one initiative, an assets-based school and community library program set forth to give the newly arrived students an opportunity to gather in a safe space where they could develop a sense of belonging together (Rodriguez, 2019). School nurses can recommend such a program for students in their school.
These examples provide a glimpse of the circumstances and vulnerabilities that contribute to school climates that can be challenging to students having a sense of belonging and school connectedness. School nurses, along with school administrators and staff, are part of pursuing intentional opportunities to create a positive school climate that supports students being healthy, safe, and ready to learn.■
Footnotes
Donna is executive director of the National Association of School Nurses. She began her career in school nursing as a high school nurse, then worked as a state school nurse consultant before serving in her current role at NASN.