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.