{"id":{"repo_id":"baylor","oai_identifier":"oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14022"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/baylor/oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14022","repository":{"repo_id":"baylor","name":"Baylor University","base_url":"https://baylor-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"School reintegration following hospitalization in rural communities.","abstract":"School reentry following hospitalization is a critical transition period for children and adolescents. Despite the critical role that school professionals play in facilitating successful hospital-to-school transitions, their experiences in rural schools have been largely underexplored in the existing literature. Given how geographic isolation and limited resources can compound problems in rural communities, this study addressed a significant gap in the reentry literature. The study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach to examine how rural school staff experience the hospital-to-school reentry process, the services and supports they provide, and the challenges they face. An electronic questionnaire was developed which examined rural school staff members’ school reentry policies and services, perceptions of communication, and reentry training. The questionnaire was distributed to school professionals across one southwestern state of the United States (n = 166). Interviews were conducted with a purposive subsample of questionnaire participants (n = 11). Interviews addressed the experiences and challenges that school staff in rural school districts face when supporting students transitioning back to school following hospitalization. Results from the questionnaire indicate that use of a formal or informal reentry protocol enhances the provision of reentry supports. Furthermore, evidence provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that utilizing a transition liaison increases communication between stakeholders. Based on interviews, rural school staff experienced challenges communicating with hospitals, relied on families for information, and expressed a need for clearer protocols. Rural school personnel often must make do with limited community resources and minimal guidance. Although the rural setting presented unique barriers for returning students, school staff emphasized that their close-knit communities provided a strong support network for students and their families. The study provided stakeholder insights into the challenges and successes of hospital-to-school reentry in rural communities. Persistent systemic barriers (i.e., barriers to care access, limited training, and inconsistent communication) are identified. Implications for school staff, families, students, and care providers present suggestions and potential strategies to improve the transition process. Limitations and future directions are discussed.","abstract_html":"School reentry following hospitalization is a critical transition period for children and adolescents. Despite the critical role that school professionals play in facilitating successful hospital-to-school transitions, their experiences in rural schools have been largely underexplored in the existing literature. Given how geographic isolation and limited resources can compound problems in rural communities, this study addressed a significant gap in the reentry literature. The study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach to examine how rural school staff experience the hospital-to-school reentry process, the services and supports they provide, and the challenges they face. An electronic questionnaire was developed which examined rural school staff members’ school reentry policies and services, perceptions of communication, and reentry training. The questionnaire was distributed to school professionals across one southwestern state of the United States (n = 166). Interviews were conducted with a purposive subsample of questionnaire participants (n = 11). Interviews addressed the experiences and challenges that school staff in rural school districts face when supporting students transitioning back to school following hospitalization. Results from the questionnaire indicate that use of a formal or informal reentry protocol enhances the provision of reentry supports. Furthermore, evidence provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that utilizing a transition liaison increases communication between stakeholders. Based on interviews, rural school staff experienced challenges communicating with hospitals, relied on families for information, and expressed a need for clearer protocols. Rural school personnel often must make do with limited community resources and minimal guidance. Although the rural setting presented unique barriers for returning students, school staff emphasized that their close-knit communities provided a strong support network for students and their families. The study provided stakeholder insights into the challenges and successes of hospital-to-school reentry in rural communities. Persistent systemic barriers (i.e., barriers to care access, limited training, and inconsistent communication) are identified. Implications for school staff, families, students, and care providers present suggestions and potential strategies to improve the transition process. Limitations and future directions are discussed.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Jennings, Cassie J. (Cassandra Jane), 1998-"],"institution":"Baylor University.","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Benson, Nicholas F."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-08","date_published":"2026-08","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:07:52Z","subjects":["Reentry.","Reintegration.","Hospitalization.","Transition.","Rural.","Mixed-methods."],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14022","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Benson, Nicholas F."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Jennings, Cassie J. (Cassandra Jane), 1998-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-09-30T14:49:44Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Baylor University."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Reentry.","Reintegration.","Hospitalization.","Transition.","Rural.","Mixed-methods."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14022"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["School reentry following hospitalization is a critical transition period for children and adolescents. Despite the critical role that school professionals play in facilitating successful hospital-to-school transitions, their experiences in rural schools have been largely underexplored in the existing literature. Given how geographic isolation and limited resources can compound problems in rural communities, this study addressed a significant gap in the reentry literature. The study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach to examine how rural school staff experience the hospital-to-school reentry process, the services and supports they provide, and the challenges they face. An electronic questionnaire was developed which examined rural school staff members’ school reentry policies and services, perceptions of communication, and reentry training. The questionnaire was distributed to school professionals across one southwestern state of the United States (n = 166). Interviews were conducted with a purposive subsample of questionnaire participants (n = 11). Interviews addressed the experiences and challenges that school staff in rural school districts face when supporting students transitioning back to school following hospitalization. Results from the questionnaire indicate that use of a formal or informal reentry protocol enhances the provision of reentry supports. Furthermore, evidence provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that utilizing a transition liaison increases communication between stakeholders. Based on interviews, rural school staff experienced challenges communicating with hospitals, relied on families for information, and expressed a need for clearer protocols. Rural school personnel often must make do with limited community resources and minimal guidance. Although the rural setting presented unique barriers for returning students, school staff emphasized that their close-knit communities provided a strong support network for students and their families. The study provided stakeholder insights into the challenges and successes of hospital-to-school reentry in rural communities. Persistent systemic barriers (i.e., barriers to care access, limited training, and inconsistent communication) are identified. Implications for school staff, families, students, and care providers present suggestions and potential strategies to improve the transition process. Limitations and future directions are discussed."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["School reintegration following hospitalization in rural communities."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Benson, Nicholas F."],"dc:creator":["Jennings, Cassie J. (Cassandra Jane), 1998-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-09-30T14:49:44Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-08"],"dc:description.abstract":["School reentry following hospitalization is a critical transition period for children and adolescents. Despite the critical role that school professionals play in facilitating successful hospital-to-school transitions, their experiences in rural schools have been largely underexplored in the existing literature. Given how geographic isolation and limited resources can compound problems in rural communities, this study addressed a significant gap in the reentry literature. The study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach to examine how rural school staff experience the hospital-to-school reentry process, the services and supports they provide, and the challenges they face. An electronic questionnaire was developed which examined rural school staff members’ school reentry policies and services, perceptions of communication, and reentry training. The questionnaire was distributed to school professionals across one southwestern state of the United States (n = 166). Interviews were conducted with a purposive subsample of questionnaire participants (n = 11). Interviews addressed the experiences and challenges that school staff in rural school districts face when supporting students transitioning back to school following hospitalization. Results from the questionnaire indicate that use of a formal or informal reentry protocol enhances the provision of reentry supports. Furthermore, evidence provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that utilizing a transition liaison increases communication between stakeholders. Based on interviews, rural school staff experienced challenges communicating with hospitals, relied on families for information, and expressed a need for clearer protocols. Rural school personnel often must make do with limited community resources and minimal guidance. Although the rural setting presented unique barriers for returning students, school staff emphasized that their close-knit communities provided a strong support network for students and their families. The study provided stakeholder insights into the challenges and successes of hospital-to-school reentry in rural communities. Persistent systemic barriers (i.e., barriers to care access, limited training, and inconsistent communication) are identified. Implications for school staff, families, students, and care providers present suggestions and potential strategies to improve the transition process. Limitations and future directions are discussed."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14022"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:rights":["Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission."],"dc:subject":["Reentry.","Reintegration.","Hospitalization.","Transition.","Rural.","Mixed-methods."],"dc:title":["School reintegration following hospitalization in rural communities."],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["Baylor University."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:07:52Z"}