Exploring the school nurse role in the United Arab Emirates amongst school nurses, school nursing directors, students and teacher: a mixed method approach

This thesis explored and informed the role of the school nurse in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through conducting an international narrative review on the school nurse role, exploration of a school nursing theoretical framework, adaptation of an Optimal Health Model and examination of a Public Health Model to guide a study utilising an exploratory sequential mixed method approach. The study’s first qualitative phase comprised of two focus groups with 11 school nurses and two one to one interviews with two school nursing directors.

The second phase utilised online surveys inspired by themes from the first phase to further explore the school nurse role amongst high school students (N=183) and teachers (N=305). The previously explored school nursing theoretical framework was then operationalised to assess how study findings can enhance the function, efficiency and effectiveness of school nursing services in the UAE based on international school nursing standards.