Professional Nurses Perceptions of Integrated School Health Team Performance in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa in 2018

Optimal performance of the school health programme requires integration between services and other programmes to make sure that school health services are delivered in the most efficient and effective way.

The aim of the current study was to assess nurse’s perception of the integrated school health performance and determine team, service-related factors associated with the optimal functioning of the integrated school health teams.

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, amongst all professional nurses who were team leaders for one year or more. In the school health teams in the Eastern Cape in 2018 or a school health member deputised in for a team leader. Primary data was collected from the participants using a structured self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the socio-demographic variables. Bivariate analysis and multi-variate logistical regression were used to identify potentially significant associations.

Of the 172 professional nurses invited to participate, a total of 120 nurses were included in the study. Fifty-two (43%) professional nurses reported their satisfaction with the service delivered (i.e. optimal functioning perception). Females (OR: 1.09 CI: 0.48-2.52) and respondents of age group 60 years and above (OR: 1.09 CI: 0.48-2.52) showed increased probability of a satisfactory perception of optimal functioning, however significance was only seen for female sex (p<0.05). Clear roles and responsibilities were associated with a 5.7 (95% CI 1.26 – 42.38) times more chance of optimal function than when there is no clear roles or responsibilities (p = 0.043). On the other hand, a health team that needed all the other services had a 69 per cent less chance of an optimal function than the team that needed just some of the other services.

Professional nurses have a positive perception of the performance of school health teams. Clear roles and responsibilities (accountability), support from other DOH and with adequate follow up procedures in place, school health teams have the potential of performing optimally.