This International Nurses Day, we’re shining the spotlight on our incredible School Health Nurses.

Each and every school day, our School Health Nurses are there for our students. They go above and beyond to support students’ health and wellbeing, to get the best out of their learning.

Our School Health Nurses play a valued role in our school communities, and for that, we thank them.

Here we meet with four School Health Nurses from across the state.

Lisa Evans

North-West, secondary schools

“As a high school nurse, I often see students during their lunch break to help them with any health and wellbeing concerns they may have. I also run classes on topics such as healthy relationships, sexual health, mental health, nutrition and so much more.

The most rewarding part of my job is seeing our students grow and thrive. Seeing students at end-of-year assemblies, who I’ve helped nurture over the years, is my favourite part. It’s knowing I’ve supported them to achieve their best, to see what they’re capable of and find their confidence as they move into the next stage of their life.”

Tom Millen

North-East, primary and district schools

“It’s a real privilege to work with students to help improve their physical and mental health. My day-to-day role is always interesting. Whether I’m teaching classes about sleep health or nutrition, or providing one-on-one wellbeing support to students – I love that my clinical knowledge is always welcomed by my school communities.

Knowing that I can have a positive impact on a child’s life is incredibly rewarding. It could be identifying that a child may need glasses, or being a trusted and reliable person for a student experiencing grief or trauma. My role continually rewards me.”

Jesse Blackaby

South, colleges

“What I love about school nursing is that every day is different. I’m either meeting one-on-one with students, having a drop-in clinic or doing health and wellbeing classroom sessions.

I’m passionate about what I do because preventative healthcare sets up our young people for a quality future life. It’s rewarding knowing that I’m giving young people information that they can easily relate with and understand. I love helping them transition into the adult world.”

Dan Button

North, mainstream and Support Schools

“I’m a clinical nurse educator, and I provide training to a wonderful team of nurses in the North so they can build their skills and knowledge in primary health education. Each day is different from the next, with lots of rewarding moments in between. I spend a lot of time with the inspiring team at the Northern Support School, who support our students with complex health needs. It’s a lot of hard work, but I’m so lucky to do what I do. Although we may never see the impact of our work for years to come, I strongly believe we – as School Health Nurses – help change our communities for the better.”

To learn more about the School Health Nurse Service, and how families can access this, please visit the Department for Education, Children and Young People website.

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