More Nurses In Schools Welcome

More Nurses In Schools Welcome

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) welcomes the announcement today that the Government is increasing investment in school-based health services by $10 million over four years.

Decile three secondary schools will now have a nurse in every school. Currently, only decile one and two schools have fully government funded nurses.

NZNO Nursing Policy Adviser/Researcher, Dr Jill Clendon says, “Although the Government has announced this new funding as a way to improve youth mental health, we see that it will have a positive impact in reducing health care disparities.”

“The evidence suggests that nurses in schools improves the health of students, improves healthy behaviours such as being smokefree and improves attendance at school.”

This is an important initiative and we hope to see the programme rolled out across all schools. All children and youth deserve to have access to health care in their community,” Dr Clendon says.

“Nurses in schools is an ‘ambulance at the top of the cliff’ initiative. I hope that the services students are referred to are well-resourced to respond.”

ENDS

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