July 2004

School nurses organise student health day

Secondary School Nurses in the western suburbs organised a pilot health day around positive mental health for Year 8 or 9 students at Kealba Secondary College.

The goal was to improve the health of students by increasing their stress management, self-esteem, positive self-image and communication knowledge and skills.

Three workshops addressed the themes of Choice or Chance, Positive Me and Rubs and Giggles.

Choice or Chance topics included Everyone is Different and that’s OK, Coping Strategies for Life Events, Being treated Fairly in your Relationships and Strengths that Help us to Cope with Life.

The Positive Me workshop discussed Communicating Assertively, Friendships and Trust and Understanding Anger and How to use it Positively.

Rubs and Giggles topics were Understanding Stress and how to Manage it, Massage and Guided Imagery Exercises and Humour and its Positive Effects on Mind and Body.

The Secondary School Nurses hope to repeat and evolve the project in their schools in the western suburbs over the next two years.

The Secondary School Nursing Program aims to reduce risk to young people and promote better health in the wider community.

The Program employs 100 nurses in 199 Government Secondary Schools across Victoria.

The objectives of the program are to:

• Play a key role in reducing negative health outcomes and risk-taking behaviours among young people, including drug and alcohol abuse, tobacco smoking, eating disorders, obesity, depression, suicide and injuries;

• Focus on prevention of ill-health and problem behaviours by ensuring coordination between the school and community-based health and support services;

• Support the school community in addressing contemporary health and social issues facing young people and their families;

• Place nurses in areas of greatest health need and socio-economic disadvantage;

• Provide appropriate primary health care through professional clinical nursing, including assessment, care, referral and support;

• Establish collaborative working relationships between primary and secondary school nurses to help young people deal with any difficulties in their transition from primary to secondary school.

• For more information of the health day project contact Carmel Hegarty on 9275 7258.