From 'nits' to 'crabs'?: school nurses and sexual health

The state of education and service provision relating to young people and sex, sexualities, and sexual health is currently a major national challenge. Nurses working in the compulsory education sector are at the direct interchange between clients and their obvious experiential and academic needs, and attitudes and systems that frequently seem to fail them. From concerned parents and members of the public, through the teaching and nursing professions, to the UK Government, the message is the same: something must be done to improve the current status quo. The problem lies in the different beliefs about what to do and how to do it. School nurses are in a prime position to improve sexual health education and services for young people. However, it is unreasonable to expect school nurses, who are frequently overburdened with task-oriented jobs, to be effective with an additional remit for sexual health education without adequate support, resources and effective professional training. This article explores the role of school nurses as it develops to encompass numerous aspects of sexual health care. In order to enhance and promote these changes in line with client needs the article examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) of this changing role.