Perceptions of school nurses and principals towards nurse role in providing school health services in Qatar

Background The school nurse plays a crucial role in the provision of comprehensive health services to students. This role encompasses both health and educational goals. The perception of the school nurse's role and its relation to health promotion is fundamental to the development of school nursing. This study aimed to determine the perception of school nurses and principals toward the role of school nurses in providing school health services in Qatar. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among all school nurses (n = 159) and principals (n = 159) of governmental schools in Qatar. The participants were assessed for their perception toward the role of the school nurse in the school using 19-Likert-type scaled items Questionnaire. Results The response rates were 100% for nurses and 94% for principals. The most commonly perceived roles of the school nurse by both nurses and principals were 'following up of chronically ill students', 'providing first aid', and 'referral of students with health problems', whereas most of the roles that were not perceived as school nurse roles were related to student academic achievements. Conclusion and recommendations School nurses and principals agreed on the clinical/medical aspects of nurses' role within schools, but disagreed on nurses' involvement in issues related to the school performance of students. The study recommends raising awareness of school principals on the school nursing role, especially in issues related to the school performance of students.