The 1997 NASN research award winner. School nurses' perceptions of their interactions with nurse practitioners

Relationships between traditional school nurses and nurse practitioners were studied using a descriptive research design. The study analyzed school nurses' perceptions of their professional interactions with nurse practitioners. A researcher-developed questionnaire was sent to 500 Missouri school nurses living in zip-code areas known to employ a high concentration of nurse practitioners. Of the 295 school nurses who responded, 148 had interacted professionally with a nurse practitioner in the previous 5 years. Analysis of the responses indicated an overall positive regard for the nurse practitioner role. Data from this study will be used to support and further improve working relationships between these two nursing specialty groups.