[kerri212]

Hello,
I hope all you school nurses are enjoying the summer! I was wondering if you could give me any information as to how you obtained school nurse certification. Did you have to pay out of pocket or was it possible to obtain financial aid? Once you were a school nurse, did they offer tuition reimbursement for a masters degree? Any replies would be great. Thanks.

[MomNRN]

I have toyed with the idea of getting the certification. Unfortunately, in my school district there is no tuition reimbursement and no pay difference regardless of whether I have the certification or not. I know I should do it for myself, do it for the kids, etc., but a little reimbursement would be nice.

[bergren]

There are two different ways to get certified. One is through your state, usually the State Board of Education, the same folks that certify teachers. Not all states require nor provide certification.

The other way is through the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) http://www.nbcsn.com/

IN Minnesota, I was certified by both the state and the National Board.

I do not get any pay differential for national certification, nor did I in my last 2 jobs. However, I think that as a health professional professional who works with educators, and we often have a educator supervisor, the certification provides evidence that we value and take pride in our knowledge base. It provides credibility and a measure of competency. "Certification assures a national standard of preparation, knowledge, and practice."