Outcomes of an Australian Nursing Student-led School Vision and Hearing Screening Programme

ABSTRACT

Nursing students typically do not undertake clinical training in school settings. However, they are well placed to have a role in providing health screening and education in schools or community health venues under supervision of qualified nurses. This study provides a description and outcomes of a vision and hearing screening programme delivered by university nursing students working out of a student-led clinic situated in an underserved, largely Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in regional Australia. Screening and follow-up data collected from 741 elementary school children indicated some important population patterns and trends, with nearly 30% having identified problems. Anecdotal evidence suggested children who gained treatment had improved school performance. Challenges to follow-up and confounding variables are discussed and a suggestion for future research is offered.

KEYWORDS:

• Vision screening
• hearing testing
• health services delivery
• student-led initiative

Notes on contributors

Barry Tolchard, Ph.D., RN, is Associate Professor of Mental Health and Learning Disability at the London South Bank University. He has held appointments at the University at Buffalo, University of New England, Australia, University of Essex, UK, and Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. He is a leader in the treatment of gambling and known for his development and research on gambling screening tools, population prevalence studies, and an integrated theory of gambling. He is co-author of the New England 4G Framework of Guided Self-health based on his work in the UK national project: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies.

Cynthia Stuhlmiller, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, is Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Innovation and Community Engagement in the School of Nursing at the University at Buffalo. She was formerly Professor of Rural Nursing at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia, where she developed and directed a student-led clinic. Her previous appointments have spanned 11 universities in 5 countries. Cynthia is a pioneer in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) having helped found the first National Center for PTSD. Cynthia’s research career has involved academic/industry partnerships and leading community participation projects most notably: community disaster response, coping with seasonal variation, collaborative education, emergency mental health, computer-assisted self-help, and mental/physical illness integrated care.

ORCID

Barry Tolchard http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4137-9013