The Primary School Nursing Program employs 75.8 effective full time nurses to deliver a universal vision screening and targeted hearing screening service to all Prep students in Primary Schools across the State. Primary School Nurses conduct a health assessment of all students in participating schools in their first year of School, provide follow up contact with parents, respond to referrals from school staff regarding identified health issues for students at any year level and provide referrals to relevant health practitioners.

About the Primary School Nursing Program

A comprehensive School Nursing Program is provided in Victoria. This program comprises the Primary School Nursing Program and the Secondary School Nursing Program. Primary and Secondary School Nurses are employed by the Department of Human Services through regional offices. A Regional Nurse Manager position is located in each of the DHS regional offices. The Regional Nurse Managers are responsible for the line management and recruitment of Primary and Secondary School Nurses.

The Primary School Nursing Program offers a free universal primary care service to all Victorian Primary and English Language Centre schools. The program is funded by the Department of Human Services and managed at a regional level. A total of 75.8 effective full time Division 1 registered nurse are employed to provide a service to approximately 1750 state, catholic and independent primary schools.

The focus of the Primary School Nursing Program is to provide specific health surveillance activities for children at school entry as part of a network of health and support services available to families within a local community. School nurses provide a primary health service to primary school aged children (5-12 years of age) and their families. Primary health care services encompass a range of services directed towards health promotion and information, early identification and early intervention for identified health concerns.

Activities

Primary School Nursing Program activities include:

• A health assessment is offered to all school entrant students and other students in any grade where a parent, teacher or nurse has a concern.

The health assessment of students includes:

• Administration of the School Entrant Health Questionnaire for parents, to seek information regarding their child's health, parental concern, and to obtain consent for the nurse to undertake the assessment
• A universal distance vision screening of preparatory students
• A targeted hearing test of children where concerns have been identified
• Guidance and reassurance to parents about their concerns identified through the School Entrant Health Questionnaire or via the Student Referral questionnaire
• Health assessments of students with additional needs, newly enrolled students from overseas, students referred, and those attending English Language Centres
• Health promotion and education activities through both specific activities (eg. group sessions) and opportunistically through daily contact with students, teachers or parents in line with program goals including immunisation, safety and injury prevention, nutrition, positive parenting and asthma management
• Resourcing of school communities by providing support and information, to facilitate increased awareness and knowledge of health issues
• Development of strategies to assist families in accessing specific local family support services
• Referral of identified conditions to another health service where appropriate for further assessment and treatment
• Follow-up assessments of students with previously identified health conditions to check progress and health gain (usually within 6-12 months).
  

Publications

• School Entrant Health Questionnaire (SEHQ) Longitudinal Study 1999 to 2004 (link)
  

Relevant Links:

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