The Impact of Distress, Personal Meaning & Training on the Delivery of Support to Grieving Students by School Nurses.

This article focuses on the role of school nurses in supporting grieving students and the factors influencing their personal distress and sense of meaning in this work. Based on a 2019 online survey of 648 members of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), findings indicate that while over 90% of school nurses view bereavement support as integral to their role and find it personally meaningful, many experience emotional distress linked to insufficient training, limited access to work and community resources, and inadequate support from school leadership. Higher educational background and specific grief-related training were associated with reduced distress and increased personal meaning. The study highlights the need for enhanced professional education, greater institutional support, and wider dissemination of resources such as those provided by the Coalition to Support Grieving Students to better equip school nurses in this critical aspect of student care.