The role of the community children's nurse: the perspective of a practitioner and an educator

Abstract 

This article will illustrate the development of Community Children's Nursing services in the United Kingdom and the role of the Community Children's Nurse (CCN) as perceived by a practitioner and a community children's nurse educator.

The increasing survival rate of children with once fatal illnesses has proved a challenge to paediatrics as children survive with increasingly complex and often technology-dependent health needs. Nursing and medical colleagues alike are aware that the acute hospital environment is often not an appropriate setting for these children to receive care and there has been increasing pressure from the paediatric field to attain government recognition and resources to develop children's homecare services.

CCNs provide care to a range of children and families including those with complex and acute nursing need. Their role is complex and unique and this paper will highlight the practice and the educational preparation that is required to fulfil such a multi-faceted role.

Keywords: Community Children's Nursing, skills and knowledge, empowerment and partnership education

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• f1 Correspondence to: JH. Tel.: +44-1189-318853; Fax: +44-1189-316808; E-mail: j.a.hughes@reading.ac.uk.