School based youth health nurse
The School Based Youth Health Nurse Service supports the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of young people and the school community within a State Secondary School setting.
The School Based Youth Health Service is centred on early-intervention, harm-minimisation and preventative health education, with the purpose of the SBYHN Service being:
- Promotion of positive health outcomes for young people through the delivery of accessible, acceptable, appropriate and culturally respectful Primary Health Care Services;
- Provision of the opportunity for young people, their parents/carers, and members of the school community to access a health professional in the school setting for matters relating to the health and well-being of young people;
- Support for school communities to adopt a whole-of-school approach in addressing contemporary health and social issues facing young people and their families in order to help young people make a safe and healthy transition into adulthood.
This is achieved through:
- Curriculum, teaching and learning activities;
- Provision of health information and referral to health agencies / services;
- Supporting the development of an environment and school culture that supports health and well-being.
The School Based Youth Nurse Service operates within the State Secondary School environment and is delivered by Clinical Nurses with expertise in the area of adolescent health.
SBYHNs are employed by Qld Health, within the local region Hospital & Health Service, and work in partnerships with State Secondary Schools, operating under a formal ‘Memorandum Of Understanding’ and ‘Service Practice Guidelines’ developed by both Qld Health and Education Qld.
Services delivered encompass individual consultation, group health education and whole-of-school community health promotion.
Students can access the SBYHN before school, during lunch breaks, and after school without prior appointment, and also via appointment during school class times with teacher's permission. Parents/carers can access the SBYHN via an appointment made through Administration Reception (who can advise regarding which days and hours the SBYHN is usually available).
SBYH Nurses are not be responsible for:
- the supervision of classes, groups of students, or individuals, except during health consultations or group health interventions out of class time;
- the provision of clinical nursing care (e.g. wound care or administration of medications, including injections or immunisations) or health screening (e.g. vision and hearing screening);
- the provision of First Aid or the training of first aid including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), assisted administration of EpiPens or Anapens, or the management of specialised health conditions such as Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Epilepsy, or similar;
- the delivery of specialised health procedures to students with a verified disability and/or specialised health needs (b, c, & d are under the jurisdiction of State School Registered Nurses employed by Education Qld).
- intensive, long term counselling.