advice and encouragement please

love4neos · May 2, 2003

Amy, Funny I run into you here!! Don't listen to people about how much easier working 12 hour shifts are rather than 8s. My husband doesn't understand either, but everyone is different. Since I started working 8s I feel so much better. I look forward to going to work EVERYDAY. There is no dread the night before, like when I worked 12s. You do what's in your heart, and what is going to make you happy. My job is my passion right now, I like it that much. Don't give up on home-health!!.....Joanna

amyBSN · May 2, 2003

Thanks to all the replies, I will find out in about 2 weeks about the position I interviewed with the school district, there are 3 positions opening: elementary, middle, and high school. The pay is salary and really is not a huge difference from what I currently make if your take into consideration that it is for 9 months and the hours are 7.5/5 days a week. I am excited yet scared because I hope I will make the right decision. All I know right now is that I need a change, soon and school nursing does appeal to me very much, but with any change for me comes that sense of fear and I wish I had a crystal ball to help me with this. Thanks again for all your advice!!!

bergren · May 2, 2003

If you maintain a casual relationship with your hospital, I am sure they would be glad to use you for the summer months. Many school nurses supplement their pay with Camp nurisng or summer school nursing. Good luck!!! Let us know!

What state are you in?

If you get the job, consider coming to the National Association of School Nurses Conference in Cincinnati

http://www.nasn.org

See that web site for lots of general informtion about school nursing: publications, practice briefs, scholarships, the Joural of School Nursing, etc......

bergren · May 2, 2003

There are not any school nurse jobs listed now, the member service just started, but check the NASN web site in the future if you are looking for a job:

http://www.nasn.org/positionsavailable.htm

talkeetnavern · May 3, 2003

arial dark blue

i left a job in a hospital and became a school nurse. my stress level has dropped 95%. yes, there was a drop in pay at first, but where i live i can increase my salary with continuing education, and that is what i'm doing. i am also going to have a pension, something i wouldn't have in hospital nursing. school nursing is much easier than the hospital setting; sure there is pressure to get the students' vision screened but that is nothing compared to the pressure of acute patients. the school setting is a happy place with essentially well people, at least for me. my life is much healthier and that compensates for the cut in pay. i am able to pick up extra work at the hospital working on call a day or two a week during the summer. go for it!

Chilenurse · May 12, 2003

My point of view from here in Germany about change to be a schoolnurse or not:

I`m a RN since `84. Since last September I do work as a Schoolnurse(I wrote weeks ago about it).

I get now just 75% of my last salary. But I`m much more happier then before. It is really beatifull to be around this kids. Of course german kids, teachers, parents etc. can give me headage to, but it worth it.

We can`t compare the work and salary in the States with Germany.

I just can say I don`t regrat beeing a schoolnurse, even when the start was kind of heavy, because here we don`t have nurses at schools, just in private schools (and that is not that much).

Although I had to built and fix the Nursing room by myself, even with my "not much idea" exactely what I need and what I have to do because the school I do work just open when I had my first day. So every thing was new for everybody, includet me.

I always would do it again.

Greetings from across the ocean

bergren · May 12, 2003

Thanks so much for the international perspective!

Just For your information, there is an overseas affiliate for th National Association of School Nurses: http://www.nasn.org/affiliates/oshna.htm

There is an International School Nurses Conference being held in Colorado this summer July 21-Monday through July 26-Saturday: https://www.nasn.org/_secure/sniregistration.htm

cpgrn · May 23, 2003

I really love school nursing. The hours are perfect and the days off are almost the same as my son's. Snow days are wonderful. I really enjoy working with the children - I am in a middle school now. This is my fourth year in school nursing and I started with pre-school children. I relate much better to the middle school children because they are able to communicate their needs better. The pay is not the best but it is getting better every year. Somehow we made it the first few years with a cut in pay. I hope I never have to do anything else because I really love this.

Jeanine · Sep 19, 2003

For myself and my family, leaving my ER/trauma job was the best thing that I could have done. Unfortunately, I went from the top of the pay scale for nurses, to the bottom of the pay scale for teachers. This gave me incentive to get a master's degree, which came with a pay raise. Granted, I took a big (about $15,000) pay cut at first, but I worked a day or two during the summer to make up the difference for the first few years. I no longer work nights, weekends, holidays, or summers. We have nice, long vacations in the "summer", where I would never have been able to do that in the hospital. The benefits and pension of the hospital can't hold a candle to the Board of Ed's. I get up every morning and actually look forward to my job! If I want to, I can even barter my time with a plastic surgeon friend of mine to get a facelift or tuck in the future. What plastic surgeon wouldn't take you on so she could give her regular staff vacations during the summer without caseload interruption?HA!HA! nurse:

temptaker · Dec 1, 2003

School nursing is completely different than it is perceived. Yes, you do take care of incidental injuries and illnesses, and sometimes that is a steady stream. (Picture an ER without a Dr or any support departments.) Our hands are tied on many issues. I do tire of the manipulation played by students, staff, and parents. The paperwork can be a grim task. We deal with all segments of society, for better or worse. School nurses ought to be individuals who are committed to the job, and in it for the long haul. The children suffer when there is a steady parade of nurses in and out of the office.We are not the financial success stories of the nursing profession, but we can accomplish great things for our students (and we get summers and holidays off). And just today I had a former student bring me a scarf she had sewn for me in her home ec classes because she misses me so much. So if you think this sounds like "you", dig in!

schoolnurse/dr · Dec 12, 2003

If you don't change jobs, you will do like I did. I kept at it because my family thought school nursing and the pay (I took almost a 50%) cut, were not worthwhile. I fell apart physically and mentally. My hgb was 6, I had to take leave from the hospital for a month-Twice! It finally got so bad, and I was so burntout, I hated going to work at all. when i was there every little thing that frustrated me blew up into big irritations. I finally had had it one day and just didn't go back. It took me a month to get to the point where I even wanted to look for work. Believe your gut and do what is good for you. The pay sucks but the smiles are worth it, and the hugs are better. And you find out real quick that you can do without. I feel much better about myself as a person. Noone knows the what working in a hospital is like unless they've done it. They just don't understand. Follow your heart, you'll be glad you did. I'm doing school nursing now.