School Nurse: Just The Facts

A school nurse's job is to help you look after your health.

This includes a number of factors relating to keeping you well, safe and being on hand to help manage all of your health needs.

This can cover a range of subjects, including:

• Immunisations
• Forced marriage
• Bullying
• Sleep
• Feelings
• Exam stress
• Bereavement
• Toilet trouble

Any topic or subject you find on Health for Teens, your school nurse can help you with! Even if you can’t find something on this site, your school nurse can probably still help you – and if they can’t they will almost certainly know someone who can. So, if there is something bothering you, why not speak to your school nurse?

Talking to your school nurse

• It’s good to know how to contact your school nurse because you never know when you might need them
• School nurses offer confidential, non-judgmental support and advice, which means they will not discuss anything with other people or your school.  However, if the school nurse is concerned about your safety- for example, if you say something that makes your school nurse think that you or someone else is in danger- the school nurse will have to tell someone
• School nurses may not be based in your school/college, but they will visit your school regularly and have appointments that you can book through school staff; you don’t have to tell the member of school staff the reason why you want an appointment. Your school nurse may also offer lunch time drop-ins where you won’t need an appointment, you can just pop in to see them for a chat.
• In an emergency situation, always dial 999

In many areas across the UK, you can also text a school nurse through the secure and confidential text messaging service, ChatHealth. Click here to see if ChatHealth is available in your area.

How to get help

If you have any more questions on this area or would like to speak to somebody about this topic, have a look at the links or search for your local services in the blue box below. Alternatively you can always contact your school nurse.