Refocused school nurse role: early adopter evaluation summary

3. Evaluation design

A realist framework informed this evaluation, combining both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Realist evaluation uses a theory-driven approach to evaluate healthcare programmes and public health interventions. Interviews were held with staff from the SN teams and managers, both on an individual level and in groups and the information gathered was analysed in accordance with realist evaluation methodology. Secondary data from the first 6 months of the pilot was also collected and analysed in order to capture patterns of referral both in and out of the school nursing service and the pathways being used for children.