Initiative Description: Nurses enrolled children who, based on their assessment, were struggling academically or were having difficulty managing their illness at school. After parental permission was obtained, the nurse gathered baseline data that included demographic information (age, grade level, insurance, school, health care provider), grades, standardized test scores, attendance, and participation in extracurricular activities from the previous school year. The nurse also completed a baseline quality of life assessment on each child. At the end of the school year, measures for the same variables were obtained, and the quality of life instrument was repeated.

Study Results: 18 (60%) of the poorest students improved their grades: 11 (37%) became B/C students, and 7 (23%) became A/B students.

Reference: Engelke, M. K., Guttu, M., Warren, M. B., & Swanson, M. (2008). School Nurse Case Management for Children With Chronic Illness: Health, Academic, and Quality of Life Outcomes. The Journal of School Nursing, 24(4), 205–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840508319929

Level of Evidence: Good