I was offered the job!

[ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN]

They haven't told me if it is for middle school or elementary yet. Do most people prefer elementary or middle school? What are the pros and cons? Also, is it a bad sign that they are hiring several nurses this year, like for most of their schools? They have one nurse per school. I wonder why all the vacancies?

[bergren]

I think preferring the little kids or middle schoolers is a personality thing - plusses to both. Your assessment skills have to be better for the young ones. They cannot always articulate what they are feeling.

" Also, is it a bad sign that they are hiring several nurses this year, like for most of their schools? They have one nurse per school. I wonder why all the vacancies? "

That would have been a great question to ask, but if hiring one nurse per campus, they may have decided to have nurses cover only one school. There are going to be a lot of openings in school nursing in the years ahead. Nurses are getting older and school nurses are older than the average nurse. The average age of a nurse is 46, for school nurses it is in the 50's closer to 56. So many nurses retiring. Plus, in some states there have been hints that retirement benefits will be changing due to state finances and there has been a big increase in school district retirements in those areas, people who want to retire with the benefits as they are currently and not take a chance that they will be diminished.

Congratulations and good luck!!