The school nurse as health educator

Contrary to common opinion, the number of nurses who provide services in the nation's preschool, elementary, and secondary schools is not declining and currently is about 30,000. These members of school health teams can play a variety of roles that have a positive impact on patterns of health behaviors established during school years. Contributions that school nurses can make to school health instruction could include teaching individual clients, providing classroom instruction, being a member of curriculum planning committees, sharing resources with classroom teachers, and modeling health-promoting behavior. Although all school nurses should assume roles in health education, this article provides a framework to help nurses make decisions about which roles are appropriate in their practice setting, which tasks are within their area of expertise, and how health education fits into expectations of their employers. Specific roles in staff health promotion that use the unique experience, knowledge base, and skills of nurses are suggested as well as ways that nurses can be advocates for comprehensive school health education. The article also poses four questions to assist nurses in evaluating their situation and their ability to be effective providers and advocates of health education in school.