The January/February 2007 issue of the British Journal of School Nursing (pp6-9) contains a useful article by Kath Lancaster, an HNA Nurse Specialist in the Bradford area. The article describes her methodology for carrying out HNAs which seeks to identify those pupils in need of support. It has been adopted widely by school nurses in her local area.
The Journal is available from Gateshead PCT's Health and Information Library Service, based at Team View on the Team Valley Trading Estate.
This approach uses school-based health needs assessment as an individual screening tool which identifies pupils in need of support as well as assessing population-level health need. It is equally valid to undertake HNA purely to assess population-wide health need. When undertaking such a project it is important to be clear which approach is being adopted, as this will have implications for questionnaire design and the application for ethical approval.
A questionnaire completed by either parents or pupils themselves, depending on age, is the basis of gathering expressed or felt need. This is complemented by a school profile, reviewing health provision, facilities and existing policies and guidelines relevant to health. Epidemiological evidence is provided from a summary of community statistics, gathered from the Census and LEA and PCT information. Comparative need could be introduced by a comparison with the profiles of similar schools either locally or further afield.
If you are undertaking similar work in the Gateshead area, the Public Health Analyst would be interested to hear about it.