School nursing: a study of perceptions and visions.

The complex and changing health needs of students and lack of consistency between school districts have led to some role confusion among school nurses. Ten school nurses participated in this qualitative, descriptive study, which elicited their perceptions and visions of their practice. Constant comparative analysis was used to find meaning in the data. Five conceptual categories--preparation for school nursing practice, essence of school nursing, scope of practice perceptions, powerlessness, and future outlook--emerged from the data. The results indicated the need for specialty education and peer mentoring as participants developed in their autonomous role as school nurses. The collective data from the categories provide direction for school nurses, for university school nursing educators, and the national association in advancing role development for school nursing practice.