The study aimed to identify changes in the role-relationship, coping-stress tolerance and belief-value patterns in school-aged children and adolescents at a public school in Natal-RN; and to identify the frequency of nursing diagnoses found in these three patterns. It was a descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study, with 5th-9th grade students, constituting a sample of 276, performed from February to March of 2011. An instrument based on the Functional Health Patterns was used to collect data, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics with distribution in absolute or relative frequencies, and discussed based on the literature. The most common nursing diagnoses were: dysfunctional family processes; risk for other-directed violence; and risk for impaired religiosity. Connection between health and education is essential, allowing nurses working at the school setting to promote students' health, identifying problems and formulating diagnoses, in order to provide appropriate care.
Nursing; Nursing care; School health
