‘Are you sure they’re a nurse?’: Public perceptions of Australian school nursing

<h2>Abstract</h2><h3>Background</h3> Nurses work in schools in every state and territory of Australia but have limited visibility in the public discourse. Knowledge and perceptions of school nursing work can significantly influence policy, funding, and program implementation, yet public perceptions of nursing work in Australian schools have never been investigated. <h3>Aim</h3> The aim of the study was to examine public perceptions of the work of nurses in Australian schools using data collected from a thread on the social media platform Reddit. Study objectives included exploring respondents' source of knowledge, perceptions of the presence and distribution of school nurses, and understanding of the role. <h3>Method</h3> The study was guided by Elo and Kyngäs' content analysis method. Data were manually extracted from a Reddit thread, de-identified, and analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis. <h3>Findings</h3> The Reddit thread contained 79 individual posts from 69 unique respondents. The study identified that the breadth and depth of nursing work in Australian schools was poorly understood, and the title of ‘school nurse' is being co-opted by non-nurses. <h3>Discussion</h3> Strategies to improve public understanding of the breadth and scope of nursing work in Australian schools are urgently needed. School nursing is considered low value, contributing to its low regard. This is occurring in an era when teachers report significant burden from intervening in complex health and social issues for which they are not educationally prepared. <h3>Conclusion</h3> School nursing in Australia is experiencing a crisis of invisibility and misunderstanding with significant implications for nurses, students, school staff, and families.