The family planning nurse who teaches adolescent girls about family planning contributes to preventing unwanted pregnancies. All patients who receive nursing care are captive audiences for nurses. If nurses exploit that situation with both professionalism and sensitivity, they can contribute towards the prevention of mental, physical, and social ill health. Nurses could do considerably more than they now do in the area of prevention. Some of the preventive services are based on a sexist ideology which needs to be reviewed. Considerable movement exists everywhere, including the UK, for "well women's clinics," and this movement should be supported. Yet, should not more be done to prevent some of the diseases and conditions that have a high incidence in men? One finds similar (sexist) problems in the family planning services. Men, as well as women, should be encouraged to accept their responsibilites in family planning. Many of the failures of family planning are because of the negative influences and, sometimes, total ignorance of men. In the UK there was no concerted family planning effort directed towards men until 1984. The Family Planning Association is now launching a national campaign to increase the participation of men in family planning clinics and services, and nurses must participate in that campaign. An efficient family planning service reduces the number of unwanted babies and helps to reduce the number of abortions. The nurse is a role model, and the philosophy of prevention, which includes health promotion, should pervade the everyday life of all nurses. For all health workers in general, and nurses in particular, prevention is a personal and professional responsibility. Consequently, nurses everywhere should stop smoking, stay in good physical condition, and take every opportunity to introduce prevention and health promotion into all their personal, social, and professional activities.

作者：J, Smith

来源：Nursing mirror 1984 年 159卷 13期