Creating security for the child in grief: a delicate task for the school nurse – findings from a web-based survey on school nurses’ experiences

Background: The school nurse is tasked with promoting health for children. However, the school nurse’s role in meeting the needs of children experiencing grief following the death of a family member remains unexplored. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of school nurses in supporting children in grief following the death of a family member. Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study employing qualitative and quantitative approaches through a web-based questionnaire ( n = 62 school nurses). Results: A majority (90%) of the school nurses felt secure in their professional role, most of them (93%) had experience of meeting children with grief. Qualitative findings revealed an overarching theme Creating security for the child including two themes: Security for the school nurse which included two subthemes- Feeling secure in the meeting and Feeling security in the team; and Security for the child which included two subthemes – Creating a secure environment for the child and Being there for the child . Conclusion: Our findings indicate that school nurses can play an important role for the child in creating a secure place for the grieving child in school. Further research should focus on school nurses’ more specific needs for preparational training and support.