Hospital targets children for health awareness push

Friday 11th May 2001

Venue: Great Cornard Middle School, Time: 9am

Schoolchildren at Great Cornard Middle School will learn about different
aspects of health awareness when they watch a presentation on Friday morning as part of National Nurses' Day.

Marie Retzback, Dermatology Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Claire Scott, Senior Ward Sister, both at West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust, will talk to the children about the different ways they can look after their health. The importance of a nutritious diet, avoiding sunburn and the dangers of smoking will be among the topics she covers.

I want to make the children aware of the serious health risks associated with sunburn and smoking, and the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables, said Sister Retzback. By targeting people at an early age, we can get the health awareness message across before they begin to develop any bad habits. Hopefully that knowledge will then benefit them for life.

Around 130 children aged 9-10 will see the presentation. As well as highlighting lifestyle factors which affect health, Marie will tell the children about nursing as a career. To help explain the role of nurses, she will show them slides on the theme of Nursing Through the Ages.

National Nurses' Day usually takes place on May 12th, Florence Nightingale's birthday, which this year is on a Saturday.