Gone are the days when the school nurse was little more than a screening machine looking for head lice and fearful pupils to vaccinate. The role has changed almost beyond recognition over the last decade as the needs of children, and government agendas, have shifted. And this evolution looks set to accelerate later this year when the Government publishes its National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, which is widely expected to reveal that school nurses will have to adopt an extended role.
Quality time
"I think we spend more quality time with children now," admits Ann Heley, who leads a team of school nurses at Huddersfield Central Primary Care Trust. "We used to screen everyone, but now what we do is tailor-made to the needs of the child."
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