As a follow-up to an Invitational Summit Conference in 1999, 27 nurse leaders representing school nursing and nursing research in child health were requested to participate in a Delphi study for purposes of prioritizing research issues in school nursing. The issues to be prioritized were identified during the Invitational Summit meeting. A three-round Delphi process was used to arrive at consensus on the most important research issues affecting school nurses today. Criteria for the rankings included policy support for the research, ability to be funded, magnitude and severity of the problem, likelihood of making a difference, and potential for partnership. The overall response rate for participation in all three rounds was 61%. Consensus was reached on the top-10 most important research issues. The two most important were consistent through all three rounds. These were (a) the impact of school nurse services on student health, and (b) the relationship between school nurse practice and educational outcomes.

In an effort to improve the health of Hispanic families, particularly prenatal women and infants, the county health department instituted a program of intensified home visits using bilingual, bicultural nurse extenders within a framework of primary health care. The outreach workers offer basic health information to improve families' skills and knowledge, and to assist with linkages to community resources. Public health nurses provide assessment, establish a plan of care, evaluate progress, and supervise the workers. The program has resulted in increased numbers of individuals receiving services, more women registering earlier for prenatal care and the Women, Infants, and Children's (WIC) program, and increased numbers of infants receiving WIC services and regular medical supervision. Public health nurses report increased knowledge and positive changes in families' health behaviors. In addition, the program has strengthened relationships between the health department and Hispanic families.

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