National Association Of School Nurses (NASN) Partners With Healthy Interactions To Advance Childhood Health Education

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery;  Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 09 Dec 2008 - 5:00 PST

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The National Association of School Nurses (NASN), the leader in advocacy for student health and the professional development of school nurses, and Healthy Interactions, a global leader in health education, today announced the beginning of a 5-year partnership. The collaboration will drive development and distribution of in-school educational programs addressing important health issues including childhood obesity prevention, living with asthma, dealing with peer pressure and depression, hygiene and living an active lifestyle. The agreement represents the expansion of Healthy Interactions innovative, Conversation Map learning methodology, which has been widely used in healthcare settings, to the school arena as a healthy schools program.

The Conversation Map approach uses the power of small group dialogue and collaborative learning to improve health. Through this method, groups of children engage in a discussion about a disease or subject, recognize how their beliefs or attitudes affect their perceptions, and discover ways they can change behavior and improve their personal health management. Healthy Interactions Conversation Map tools have been widely used in North America since 2005, dramatically improving healthcare professionals' ability to engage patients and support behavior change.

"The Conversation Map tools are revolutionizing health education", said Amy Garcia, RN, MSN, executive director, National Association of School Nurses. "Given some of the pressing challenges facing our youth, we are excited to be partnering with Healthy Interactions to bring this new approach into our schools. We fervently believe that together we will bring around meaningful change in the lives of students and their families."

"We couldn't think of a stronger partner than the National Association of School Nurses to positively impact the lives of school children. Most health behaviors are learned during childhood and adolescence, so it goes to reason that we teach young people about the habits that will help reduce the rising incidence of chronic disease that is dramatically impacting our youth. Together with NASN, and through our collaborative partnerships with other leading medical and disease associations, we are committed to helping school children and their families achieve a healthier life," said Andrew Leong-Fern, co-founder, Healthy Interactions.

Organizations that are interested in sponsoring this effort should contact Healthy Interactions.

The healthy schools program will build on the success of Healthy Interactions Conversation Map program for diabetes. Through a partnership with the American Diabetes Association, the Conversation Map methodology has been successfully implemented for diabetes education across the U.S. More than 14,000 healthcare professionals have been trained on the Conversation Map program in North America, and by the end of 2008, it will be integrated into the diabetes management platforms of 36 countries, impacting over three million people worldwide.

About Healthy Interactions Inc.

A global leader in health education, Healthy Interactions is devoted to driving Personal Health Engagement -- our term for helping individuals commit to healthier actions. We create "Aha!" moments that inspire people to change personal health behaviors. Healthy Interactions builds partnerships with leading medical and disease associations, not-for-profit organizations, corporations, and caring healthcare professionals trained in our approaches, enabling millions of people to take control of their health and live their best lives. Founded in 2003, Healthy Interactions is headquartered in Chicago. For more information, visit http://www.healthyinteractions.com.

About NASN

The National Association of School Nurses is a non-profit specialty nursing organization, incorporated in 1977, which represents school nurses exclusively. NASN has over 13,000 members and 51 affiliates, including the District of Columbia and overseas. The mission of the NASN is "to advance the delivery of professional school health services to promote optimal health and learning in students." To learn more about NASN, please visit us on the web at http://www.nasn.org or call 866-627-6767. For state specific information, please select "Affiliate Organizations" under "QUICKLINKS" on the NASN homepage.

National Association of School Nurses