The contribution of nurses to child health and child health services: findings of a scoping exercise.
Historically, nurses have made a significant contribution to the health of children. To date, few attempts have been made to conceptualize the nature of that contribution. This article describes a scoping exercise undertaken to provide a conceptual basis for examining the contribution of nurses to child health and child health services. Three approaches were utilized: strategic topic-focused literature reviews (asthma, cancer, disadvantaged families, minor ailments, school health, sick neonates, teenage pregnancy, children with complex needs, children in need of protection or looked-after, troubled schoolchildren), stakeholder conferences and an expert panel. The contribution of nurses to child health and child health services was found to be broad-ranging and diffuse. The contribution is expressed in four integrated dimensions: assessment, health promotion, clinical care and health care organization. The conceptual models detailed in the scoping exercise provide a platform for future inquiry.
Forbes
Angus
A
King's College London, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery Primary and Intermediate Care, London, UK. angus.forbes@kcl.ac.uk
While
Alison
A
Ullman
Roz
R
Murgatroyd
Beth
B
D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002669:Child Welfare; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003625:Data Collection; D006293:Health Promotion; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D016294:Models, Nursing; D020380:Needs Assessment; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009736:Nursing Process; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D006113:United Kingdom