Media Release:

Sunday June 2, 2013

NZNO supports nurses in low-decile schools

NZNO strongly endorses the Green Party’s $30 million plan, announced in Christchurch today, to put a nurse in every low decile school in the country, as part of its strategy to eliminate child poverty.

“There is abundant evidence that children’s health improves, if they can get school-based nursing services,” NZNO’s nursing policy adviser/researcher Dr Jill Clendon said. “New Zealand research shows that if a nurse can assess and focus care on the specific needs of children and whānau in a school community, health outcomes improve.”

Dr Clendon said the Green Party’s plan demonstrated it understood the vital role of nurses in improving both access to health care and health outcomes, particularly for the most disadvantaged.

The plan proposes a national school nursing framework with a dedicated public health nurse working in every decile one to three primary and intermediate school in the country, providing health care for around 112,000 children.

Dr Clendon said NZNO’s submission to the Government’s Green Paper on Vulnerable Children recommended a nurse in every school and urged cross-party agreement on child health and well-being.

“Child poverty is a societal issue and responsibility for eliminating it should be shared. Funding nurses to practise in low decile schools addresses some of the links between poverty, ill health and educational underachievement,” she said.

ENDS

New Zealand Nurses Organisation
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is the leading professional body of nurses and nursing union in Aotearoa New Zealand, representing over 45 000 nurses and health workers. Te Runanga o Aotearoa is the arm through which our Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership is articulated. Our members include nurses, midwives, students, kaimahi hauora, health care workers and allied health professionals.
The NZNO vision is “Freed to care, Proud to nurse”. Our members enhance the health and wellbeing of all people of Aotearoa New Zealand and are united in their professional and industrial aspirations.

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