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Article: School nurses' role now beyond just nit-picking
- Article from:
- The Scotsman
- Article date:
- May 2, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2005 The Scotsman. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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CHECKING for nits and screening for height and weight probably sum
up the role of the school nurse - at least in the eyes of the public.
For Ruth Paton-Smith and hundreds like her, however, the days when
the nit comb was the chief weapon in the armoury of the school nurse
are long gone.
She says that since she started working in mainstream schools in
Midlothian seven years ago, her role has been transformed. She is
more likely to be found advising a worried teenager about
contraception, or speaking to a class of primary school children
about healthy eating than checking for head lice.
A range of extra responsibilities have been placed on the
shoulders of school nurses in recent years, as ...