School Nurses improving Student Health

The link between young peoples' health needs and their educational and community achievements is clear. Improving the health of our young people is an investment in the future well being of our adults.

Nurse Maude and Partnership Health Canterbury, in consultation with Public Health Nursing, Pegasus Health, 198 Youth Health Centre, and schools, have gained Canterbury District Health Board funding for school-based nurses to provide health services to low decile Christchurch secondary schools.

"By offering a range of health services for young people in the school setting, nurses can provide a youth focused, needs based service with reduced access barriers," says Sheree East, Nurse Maude Director of Nursing.

"Young people identify a number of barriers to accessing health care including concerns about confidentiality, embarrassment, distance to travel and cost. The school-based nurse provides accessible health care, with a relationship of trust and links with other community health professionals."

The school nurses are initially operating out of Linwood College and Aranui High with mobile nurses covering Teen Parent units, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Waitaha and alternative education sites.

They will provide students with screening, assessments and personal health services with the aim of improving student health outcomes and building their social, emotional and educational success.

The initiative highlights the increasingly important partnership between health care and education and provides the opportunity for increased promotion of long-term healthy behaviour.