A Descriptive Study of Differing School Health Delivery Models.

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to identify and describe emerging models of school health services. Participants ( N = 11) provided information regarding their models in semistructured phone interviews. Results identified a variety of funding sources as well as different staffing configurations and supervision. Strengths of the new models included an increase in school nurses and improved communication between schools, public health agencies, and health providers. Challenges for nurses practicing in the new models included not feeling connected to the school and unclear roles of unlicensed assistive personnel. Additional research is recommended to determine the effectiveness of new models. This continued study can provide insight and guidance to schools struggling to meet student health concerns.