Abstract
Background: Despite a well-documented need for school health programs (SHPs) among school children who have chronic conditions, require medically complex interventions at school, or experience socio-emotional health issues, there is little school health funding in California. There is limited research on the role of those who manage SHPs. Purpose and aims: This qualitative study investigated the work of a selected group of school health administrators (SHAs) in California. Study aims were to explore SHA job pathways and responsibilities, the contextual factors influencing their work, and how they get their work done given limited funding for SHPs. Methods: Thirty in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with SHAs and their staff, supervisors, and deputy SHAs. Interviewees were initially recruited using purposive sampling to reach SHAs from a variety of backgrounds and districts of different sizes and locations throughout California. Snowball sampling was then employed to recruit additional SHAs, as well as staff and supervisors. Findings: Limited funding and devaluation of SHPs has led to a marginalization of SHAs. As a result of this disempowerment, SHAs' work required double duty: in addition to their daily responsibilities developing and managing district-wide health programs and staff, SHAs had to engage in an array of strategies to broker political support. These brokering strategies included raising awareness of student health needs and the benefits of SHPs, building relationships with decision-makers, and adjusting to working conditions by waiting and devising lower-level workarounds. Conclusion: This study provides insight into the unique role of SHAs in promoting student health, and identifies some of the strategies SHAs employ in response to the challenges they face in their work. Study findings may inform the development of SHA-specific training programs and more appropriate SHA job descriptions and titles.
Sigma Membership
Zeta Eta at-Large
Type
Dissertation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Grounded Theory
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
School Nursing, Program Management, Nurse Administration
Advisors
Apesoa-Varano, Ester Carolina
Degree
PhD
Degree Grantor
University of California, Davis
Degree Year
2016
Recommended Citation
Blackburn, Samantha, "Brokering student well-being: Understanding the work of school health administrators" (2020). Dissertations. 909.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dissertations/909
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
None: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2020-02-20
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 10165915; ProQuest document ID: 1845291381. The author still retains copyright.