School Nursing: Making a Difference in Adolescent Health and Well-Being
The health and well-being of young people in England continues to be a priority, and there is clear evidence to suggest prevention through public health interventions will make a significant difference. The school nursing service in England provides preve
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Wendy Nicholson and Gillian Turner
Introduction In England, there are nine and a half million young people 5–19 years of age (Office for National Statistics 2015). This equates to 17 % of the population. Young people face a range of challenges due to the changes in the way they lead their lives and the families or communities in which they live. The health and well-being of our children and young people matters, and school nurses are key professionals in supporting children and young people in their developing years (5–19) to have the best possible health and education outcomes. Access to good services is crucial to support health and well-being; school nursing services in England are a key workforce in supporting adolescent health. This chapter will explore health issues and emerging trends for young people in England and outline the key drivers for improving children and young people’s health, and why the school nurses should lead the delivery of public health services. Finally, the provision, evaluation, and impact of school nursing services will be examined.
W. Nicholson (&) G. Turner Public Health England, Wellington House, 133-155 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8UG, England, UK e-mail: [email protected]
The Health of Children and Young People Living in England Children are shaped by the way they live their lives, both within their immediate family or care setting, and also their interaction with the wider community. This includes their interface with the health and education system. Childhood, particularly adolescence, is a complex and critical period, in terms of developing health behaviors and laying down the foundations for future health and well-being. It is therefore important to understand the issues and challenges, so that services can be shaped to meet children and young people’s needs, at times when they need it most. Data from the Health Behaviour in Schoolaged Children (Brooks et al. 2015) and Key Data in Adolescent Health (AYPH 2015) provides evidence and insight into adolescent health and well-being in England. In England, 86 % of young people describe their physical health as good or excellent (Brooks et al. 2015). Additionally, we are seeing encouraging trends of decreasing levels of participation in risk-taking behaviors. Rates have fallen for smoking, drinking, and drug taking over the pass few years; however, the impact of legal highs and e-cigarettes on adolescent health is unclear (Brooks et al. 2015). Rates of conception, among girls 18 years of age and younger, have not been this low since 1969 (Office for National Statistics 2016).
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017 A.L. Cherry et al. (eds.), International Handbook on Adolescent Health and Development, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-40743-2_26
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Even so, England still has a relatively high rate of births among 15- to 19-year-olds compared with other countries. There are many indices of disadvantage that can, and indeed do, impact young people’s health and well-being. For healthcare professionals, it is imp
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