Elementary School Nurses' Perceptions Regarding Menstruation Education: An Exploratory Study

Menarche can be a difficult transition for young people. With appropriate education, youth can feel more positively about the menstrual experience. Since many elementary teachers are not equipped with menstrual health knowledge, the education falls to the school nurse. However, it is unknown if school nurses feel comfortable communicating about menstruation with young people. The purpose of this study was to explore school nurses' perceptions regarding menstrual health education in elementary schools (grades K-5). An online mixed-methods survey was established using Qualtrics. Through snowball sampling, 30 elementary school nurses responded. Using the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) as a framework, a deductive semantic thematic analysis was used to identify themes for each question. Data suggested that elementary school nurses would participate in professional development regarding menstrual health and hygiene. School health nurses are receiving limited knowledge/skills surrounding pedagogy and are not familiar with cultural differences when it comes to menstrual health.