Spreading the word

摘要

At The Future of School Nursing conference in May, one speaker confirmed what school nurses are beginning to realise: the only thing that's constant is change. Whatever the future of public health looks like, the job is clearly changing. School nurses will be working to a contract and accounting for what we do, and as a consequence, school nurses will not have the time to carry out non-commissioned activities. School nurse week is an opportunity to engage with others, particularly influential individuals and groups, to explain the health concerns of school-age children and adolescents. Many people still cannot understand the need for school nurses, because they believe that personal and health issues should be a matter for parents. There is also an ongoing debate about the merits of free school lunches and free breakfasts, with some people convinced that the state should not intervene. The week is a chance to persuade people of the merits of universal school nursing input, which must be framed using evidence, of course, but also as part of a narrative.