REVIEW Child health — the future

SUMMARY ▪ A critical examination of some of the recommendations within the report ’Developing roles of nurses in clinical child health ’ (Report of Joint Working Party, 1996) ▪ Practitioners have a responsibility to be proactive in analysing and shaping the developing role of the children’s nurse to ensure quality of care for the child and family ▪ The developing role of the children’s nurse needs to incorporate a model which crosses traditional multidisciplinary boundaries ▪ Improved quality in care can only be achieved when research into clinical outcomes within children’s nursing are available. This will require sufficient support and resources) KEY WORDS: Child health, Defining children’s nursing