School nursing in a Health Action Zone: how the service needs to change

This article summarises the findings of a qualitative study carried out between January and July 2000. The aims were to examine the public health role of school nurses and to find out the views of young people, other agencies and school nurses on the school nursing service and how they want it to develop. The study was funded by the national Health Action Zone Fellowship Programme. Six recommendations to improve the school nursing service are made, based on issues raised during focus groups with young people aged 13-14 years, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, and a workshop for school nurses. The recommendations are further supported by the findings of a literature review.