Paper short abstract:

The Icelandic government’s policy to left school primary healthcare largely inaccessible to students. Interviews with school nurses show ongoing issues faced with healthcare and the tactics used to battle increased pressures on the mainstream healthcare system as a result of the pandemic.

Paper long abstract:

One of the Sustainable Development Goals for health that aims to ensure equitable access to healthcare is primary healthcare. Schools serve as vital health institutions for adolescents, providing access to healthcare in their immediate surroundings in addition to serving as educational institutions. The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented times of government public health interventions, often than not resulting in school closures, disruption of daily routines, intended to keep people safe and reduce the spread of the virus. Whilst multiple countries decided to close school operations, the Icelandic government’s primary aim was to keep educational institutions open, especially on the primary and secondary levels, which required imposed restrictions on services and activities. However, the need for healthcare staff at the forefront of the COVID-19 emergency response led to severe disruptions in primary health-related support students receive through the programme due to the nurses' absence during 2020 and 2021 as well as the additional pressures brought on by later variants.

The presentation is a part of a larger doctoral project examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents in Iceland. Here, I will present themes from interviews conducted with school nurses in various parts of Iceland between November 2020 and June 2022. Major themes will be discussed, namely struggles with providing routine health care for students during governmental restrictions and the strategies used to provide healthcare support to minors during precarious times as the mainstream mental healthcare system becomes more pressured and waiting lists lengthen.