Health Centre

Thursday, 30th January 2025 at 10:21am

On-Site Qualified Nursing Team:

GBHS's Health Centre nursing team provide a safe, friendly and confidential space for all rangatahi and staff.

Supporting students' physical health and mental well-being during their years at GBHS, our qualified Nurses bring their combined knowledge, skills and passion for youth health to the school community.

GBHS employs three Registered Nurses (x2 on site each day) who work together in the Health Centre, located in student services.

Our Registered Nurses work in accordance with the New Zealand Council Code of Conduct to offer a youth friendly, confidential service.

How to contact us:

School Nurse (general): Unless you wish to send an email to a specific nurse, please use the generic nurse email: [email protected] to send messages to the Registered Nurse (whichever of the two nurses who is rostered on that day will respond to your message when they are able). Phone: (09) 817 8173 ext 253.

• Melissa Povey - Lead Nurse
• Greer Cutfield - Registered Nurse
• Lorraine Torrance - Registered Nurse

Health Centre hours:

The GBHS Health Centre is staffed Monday to Friday with two nurses onsite between 8.30am - 4.30pm.

• Monday: Mel and Lorraine
• Tuesday: Mel and Lorraine
• Wednesday: Greer and Lorraine
• Thursday: Mel and Greer
• Friday: Mel and Greer

Our Services:

• School nurses can see students on a drop-in basis during school hours to treat and respond to illness and injuries that occur at school.
• Contacts home in the event your child needs to go home or receive further accident/medical treatment.
• Works in partnership with students and their families to achieve the best health and well-being outcomes.
• Provide support and links to other health professionals in managing pre-existing health conditions for students.
• Are registered as ACC providers, so can complete an ACC claim for appropriate injuries sustained while at school. This also includes the RNs being able to complete follow up visits for wound care.
• Complete referrals for the sports related acute (within 4 weeks) concussions to Axis Sports Medicine Specialists.

We understand that it is difficult for many people to get to their GP and we are keen to do as much as we can here in school to make it easier for students and whanau and reduce time away from school. If you have students with health concerns and are worried about their well-being, we are keen to be involved where we can to help.

We see students and staff for walk-in’s throughout the school day and sometimes book them in to come back for follow-up appointments. Where possible we try to schedule things such as dressing changes, BP checks etc before school starts or in break time. We endeavour to get students back to class as promptly as we can, however we do sometimes have extremely busy times.

Our work includes first aid, conducting nurse assessments for illnesses and injuries, wound reviews and dressings, monitoring blood pressure, support for quitting vaping, sexual health, mental health (we work closely with the guidance team) and a range of other healthcare services.

We stock simple pain relief (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen), antihistamine, eye drops, ice packs and heat packs.

Students with pre-existing conditions

For those students who have pre-existing conditions, or who are currently being investigated for new conditions, our Nursing team asks that you keep them updated - to understand your child’s needs and provide the best support should they need our assistance, please email copies of the relevant medical information. For example:

• Diabetes Action and Management plans
• ASCIA allergy/anaphylaxis plan
• Specialist reports/clinic letter from their most recent consultation
• Medical certificates

Documents will be uploaded to your child's confidential health records, and will not be shared (excluding medical certificates) with other staff without your permission. It may be recommended that you share some aspects of your child's needs with SLT and/or Deans to ensure that your child is supported in the classroom.

Medications:

The school Health Centre, situated in Student Services, has a supply of paracetamol, ibuprofen and antihistamine in the health centre. School Nurses will administer these to your child who presents to the sickbay, based on a medical assessment, unless you have expressed otherwise. An Epi-Pen is also on-site.

For students who take medication regularly, the Nursing team requests parent/caregivers to contact them if any medication is required to be taken during school hours.

If you would like the school Nurses to administer medications, including controlled substances such as Ritalin/Rubifen, we ask that you supply the medication in its original packaging, with the name of the medication, dose to be given, the time the medication is to be given, and visible intact label with name of student and expiry date (this is how you would receive the medication from the pharmacy). Our school Nurses reserve the right to decline to administer the medication should any of the above be missing - and will not administer medication that has been put into another unlabelled container.

Ikura|Manaakitia te whare tangata Period products in schools

Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata aims to provide access to free period products for children and young people in all state and state-integrated schools and kura across New Zealand. GBHS have opted into this scheme. We stock supplies of menstrual products to cover your child’s cycle. Please remind them about utilising this wonderful initiative, and that they can obtain supplies from the Health Centre and various classrooms around school.

Sports Related Concussions

Our school nurses can complete referrals for sports related acute (within 4 weeks) concussions to Axis Sports Medicine Specialists. If you come across any students who you are worried about or have expressed a sports related head injury, let them know we can assess them.

Physio

Sacha, from Green Bay Physio, is onsite at GBHS every Wednesday between 7.30am and 11.30am. Sacha sees students and staff for half an hour slots. The physio is located upstairs L block at the room at the end of the upper level. Please come to the Health Centre to book your appointment. Sacha’s first day back will be Wednesday 12th of February, 2025.

Feeling unwell?

Students who feel unwell during the school day should go to the school sick bay (Health Centre) situated in the Student Services area. Our Student Services team and School Nurses are here to help. If students need additional medical help or need to go home, a member of the Health team will contact parent/caregivers to make arrangements. Students will need to sign out before going home.Parents/Caregivers are requested to collect students from the Student Services area - located at the back entrance of the main Reception building.

Counselling and Pastoral Care Team

Wellbeing is an important part of what we do at Green Bay High School. Our aim is to improve a student’s well being, which in turn reduces barriers to a student’s academic progress, and other life goals. Our strong pastoral team is committed to achieving this by working towards a socially healthy and emotionally safe school. Our counsellors are members of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors and adhere to their Code of Ethics. This ensures that counselling is conducted to a high professional standard and our counsellors are committed to continually developing their practice to provide the best support for our students. It also means that all counselling is confidential unless there is an imminent risk to safety. For more information about our Counselling and Pastoral Care Team please CLICK HERE

Needing to leave school early for an appointment?

Students who need to leave school during the day for an appointment are to bring a note or medical/dental appointment card, signed by a parent/caregiver to show the teacher and be permitted to leave class. Students are required to sign out at Student Services, accompanied by a parent/caregiver. If possible, please phone ahead, or request an EXIT PASS via the SchoolBridge App.

Onsite AED/Defibrillators

GBHS has two AED’s onsite, one is located in the Health Centre itself and the other is located outside G1/Gym on the wall. The Gym AED is in a locked cabinet and is accessible to the wider community, sports groups etc. If you need to gain entry, ring 111, Ambulance comms will give you the number.