Bridging cultures for Latino children: school nurse and advanced practice nurse partnerships.
OBJECTIVE
Barriers to use of mental health services by Latino families include stigma, service costs, and disparity of services with cultural values and traditions. School nurses are in key positions to recognize mental health needs of Latino children and form relationships that facilitate family connections with mental health services. Advanced practice psychiatric nurses may be contracted by school districts to provide consultation to school nurses or may be available to school nurses through connections with school-based health centers. Case examples are provided to illustrate the value of school nurse consultation with an advanced practice psychiatric nurse in promoting awareness of cultural influences on children's symptoms and behaviors and developing culturally sensitive approaches to engage Latino children and families in school and health services.


OBJECTIVE
This paper aims to review literature on Latino mental health and present rationale for school nurse and advanced practice nurse partnerships to promote culturally sensitive approaches that facilitate Latino family access and utilization of health services.


METHODS
Published literature and case scenarios.


CONCLUSIONS
With advanced practice nurse consultation, school nurses identify mental health needs of Latino children and develop culturally sensitive approaches that bridge Latino families' access to and utilization of health services.
Desocio
Janiece
J
University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, NY, USA. janiece_desocio@urmc.rochester.edu
Elder
Loretta
L
Puckett
Sandra
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003469:Culture; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005195:Family Relations; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012573:School Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016746:Transcultural Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States