School Nurse Perspectives on Interventions Supporting Youth at Risk for or Experiencing Sex Trading

Background School nurses work in interprofessional teams to identify and care for youth involved in commercial sex trading. However, the school nurse role in the care of these youth is not well documented despite evidence suggesting youth who trade sex are attending U.S. public schools. Study Aim To describe licensed school nurses' (LSNs) perspectives on interventions implemented to support youth who trade sex in Minnesota. Methods Twenty-one LSNs participated in an online focus group discussing their role in the support of youth who trade sex. Thematic analysis was used to identify and synthesize details about the interventions described. Results Four themes were identified: independent nursing interventions, collaborative interventions, barriers to intervention, and suggested support for improved intervention. Conclusions and Implications School nurses rely on developing positive relationships with students, school staff, and community partners to intervene with youth who trade sex. Such relationships can facilitate identification of sexually exploited youth and may promote trauma-informed care when youth seek care from forensic nurses. Collaboration between forensic and school nurses is a promising yet underutilized school-based intervention for youth who trade sex.