Schools need nurses, says nursing officer

All secondary schools should have at least one full-time school
nurse, England’s chief nursing officer has recommended in a
report.

Primary care trusts, children’s trusts and local
authorities should aim for a minimum of one full-time school nurse
for each secondary school and its cluster of primary schools, says
Sarah Mullally in her review of nursing for vulnerable children and
young people.

She adds that nurses working with school-aged children need
specific skills, particularly in child and adolescent mental
health, and that all nurses should be trained in child
protection.

The review, which looks at how nurses, midwives and health
visitors can act on the government’s proposals for the reform
of children’s services, states that care is “often
fragmented” between health, social care, and education. It
highlights a “mismatch” between the needs of vulnerable children
and the skills of nurses, midwives, and health visitors.

Thirteen areas are identified as needing to change. More
integration is recommended as well as a move away from services
based around professional titles.

But the review warns that there is no single way to bring
services together and that integrating in one direction could leave
gaps in others.

Integrated children’s teams should include the whole
spectrum of workers from assistant practitioners to specialists,
with the role of nurses clearly spelt out, the review states.

– The Chief Nursing Officer’s Review of Nursing,
Midwifery and Health Visiting for Vulnerable Children and Young
People from www.dh.gov.uk/