Explain the effect of health care policies, legislation, and legal issues on health care delivery and patient outcomes.

Overview

OverviewCreate a 6–8-slide PowerPoint presentation for a group of school nurses, which addresses the role of the school nurse in managing the unique health concerns of teenagers while adhering to privacy laws.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

· Competency 1: Explain the effect of health care policies, legislation, and legal issues on health care delivery and patient outcomes. 

. Explain the laws that relate to adolescent safety and health privacy in a school setting.

. Explain how the privacy laws affect schools, students, and school nurses.

· Competency 3: Apply professional nursing ethical standards and principles to the decision-making process. 

. Describe health and wellness issues specific to the adolescent population.

. Recommend evidence-based ethical strategies relating to health and wellness privacy communication by the school nurse.

· Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is consistent with expectations of nursing professionals. 

. Write content clearly and logically, with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

. Correctly format citations and references using APA style.

Context

School nurses confront numerous legal issues in their daily work. It is important to know the standards of nursing practice specific to the state of licensure, as well as legal limitations and responsibilities of the school nurse.

Role of the School Nurse

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses that the professional registered school nurse is the leader in the school community to oversee school health policies and programs. The school nurse serves in a pivotal role to provide expertise and oversight for the provision of school health services and promotion of health education. Using clinical knowledge and judgment, the school nurse provides health care to students and staff, performs health screenings, and coordinates referrals to the medical home or private health care provider. The school nurse serves as a liaison between school personnel, family, community and healthcare providers to advocate for health care and a healthy school environment (American Nurses Association & National Association of School Nurses, 2011).

Reference

American Nurses Association & National Association of School Nurses. (2011). Role of the school nurse. Retrieved from http://www.nasn.org/PolicyAdvocacy/PositionPapersandReports/NASNPositionStatementsFullView/tabid/462/smid/824/ArticleID/87/

Questions to consider

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community.

· What is FERPA?

· What is HIPAA?

· How do FERPA and HIPAA affect school health privacy?

· What unique health concerns might young people have that differentiate them from adults?

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Capella Resources

Click the links provided to view the following resources:

· APA Citation: Citing a Journal Article.

· APA Citation: Citing a Book.

· APA Citation: Citing a Website.

· APA Paper Template.

· APA Paper Tutorial.

Capella Multimedia

Click the link provided below to view the following multimedia piece:

· Guidelines for Effective PowerPoint Presentations | Transcript.

Library Resources

The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:

· Selekman, J. (2013). School nursing: A comprehensive text (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.

· Wartenberg, D., & Thompson, W. D. (2010). Privacy versus public health: The impact of current confidentiality rules. American Journal of Public Health, 100(3), 407–412.

· Smith, M. K., & Stepanov, N. (2014). School-based youth health nurses and adolescent decision-making concerning reproductive and sexual health advice: How can the law guide healthcare practitioners in this context? Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 47(1/2), 42–50.

· Brewin, D., Koren, A., Morgan, B., Shipley, S., & Hardy, R. L. (2014). Behind closed doors: School nurses and sexual education. The Journal of School Nursing, 30(1), 31–41.

· O’Connor, S. (2012). School nursing: Promoting self-esteem in adolescents. Community Practitioner, 85(1), 34–36.

· Smart, K. A., Parker, R. S., Lampert, J., & Sulo, S. (2012). Speaking up: Teens voice their health information needs. The Journal of School Nursing, 28(5), 379–388.

· Larsson, M., Björk, M., Ekebergh, M., & Sundler, A. J. (2014). Striving to make a positive difference: School nurses’ experiences of promoting the health and well-being of adolescent girls. The Journal of School Nursing, 30(5), 358–365.

· Taylor, J. F., Williams, R. L., & Blythe, M. J. (2015). Healthcare reform, EHRs, and adolescent confidentiality. Contemporary OB/GYN, 60(8), 34, 36–37.

· Suydam, L., & Garcia, A. (2010). School nurses connect schools and parents from home to homeroom to prevent teen medicine abuse. NASN School Nurse, 25(4), 170–171.