title: Perceptions of school nurses and principals towards nurse role in providing school health services in Qatar.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: aCommunity Medicine Department bQuality Control Department cSchool Health Unit, Community Medicine Department, Primary Health Care dCommunity Health Nursing, University of Calgary for Nursing Specialty, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Layla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: A L-Dahnaim
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Said
authors.forename: Rasha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malo
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D011780:Qatar; D012572:School Health Services; D012573:School Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires