The purpose of this study was to explore and describe school nurses’ emotional experience of having conversations with children in primary school. Six school nurses were enrolled for interviews. The results from the analysis of these interviews were interpreted from a psychodynamic perspective. We identified that school nurses had high ideals for the relationship they wished to achieve with the child ren. The experience of often being unable to live up to these high expectations for the relation and communication with the children were felt as a th reat to the school nurses’ (professional)identity. In our interpretation, this may lead to risky forms of practice whereby the school nurse unconsciously avoids tasks involving a high degree of doubt and uncertainty and instead prioritizes less complicated tasks that give more visible results. However, such a prioritization will not support the social mission of the school nurse to carry out psychosocial preventive work, for example through conversations with children in difficult situations. In order to facilitate containment of doubt and emotional pressure in relationships with children, we suggest that school nurses need support and guidance allowing them to focus on emotional aspects of their work.

I denne artikkelen har vi tatt utgangspunkt i en studie der vi har undersøkt helsesykepleieres opplevelse av å ha samtaler med skolebarn i alderen seks til tolv år, og hvilke emosjonelle erfaringer slike barnesamtaler har gitt helsesykepleierne. Artikkelen anvender et psykodynamisk perspektiv i fortolkningen av helsesykepleiernes erfaringer.