What do you and don't you like?

Specialties School

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Specializes in Pediatric and Adult OR.

Okay, looks like a school nurse opportunity has come my way. I haven't applied yet, but talked to some higher ups (I have a relative that works in the district) that were very enthusiastic about me doing so.

I am skeptical and I don't know why. I guess I'm afraid I would regret my change. I work in the OR now, and I love the job itself, but the constant intense "teamwork" and overly, er, "strong" personalities are starting to burn me out. I wouldn't quit altogether but would probably go to PRN.

I've always fantasized about school nursing. I did a clinical rotation doing it in school and really enjoyed it. I am deeply drawn by the autonomous nature of the job. I am confident in my assessment and planning skills, so that does not deter me. The idea of being able to work on my own without my peers breathing down my neck and searching for a way to get me written up is very appealing. Not to mention I enjoy kids, the hours, the degree of creative latitude, etc.

So my question is what are the things about the job you do and don't like? I plan on shadowing one of the nurses in the district (she works for and the job is for an elementary school) to get an idea, but I'd appreciate your feedback too.

I have heard from school nurses that they get frustrated that they aren't taken seriously by their colleagues. I talked to a teacher friend that told me I was "too good" for school nursing and she "doesn't see them as real nurses." Obviously I don't agree with this - you have to have excellent assessment skills and are first-responders - but is this a source of frustration for you? To what degree does it deter from the enjoyment of your job?

What about being bored? I'm especially interested in hearing from nurses that went from a busy hospital job to school nursing. I was never bored at the clinical site, but that was a huge high school, and this will be a smaller elementary school.

What about the salary? I know it would probably be a pay cut. Are any of you working second jobs? Jobs during the summer?

Professional development? The nurse I spoke to said there is very little support for professional development (that they aren't certified teachers, so they are placed in the same tier as the janitors), which I think might bother me a lot given that it is my personality that I always want to better myself professionally. I don't think this would be a big deal, as I am going to go back to school regardless, but it is something to consider.

In the same vein, do you think that school nursing would be helpful in pursuing my eventual goal of FNP? I feel like it would be closer to what an FNP does than my OR job.

Okay I have to get to my job now, haha, thanks in advance for your responses!

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You're pretty much right about everything. You are autonomous which I do love but it can become isolating after a while never having another medical person in the building to talk to. I do love working with the kids and it makes me feel good when they come up and give me a hug for taking care of them. I do like being my own boss basically but then I have to sometimes explain to the principal and/or teachers what I'm doing or why because they don't always understand all our requirements. I love the time off you get at holidays and snow days, etc but I don't like working five days a week. It is a good schedule if you have kids but I feel like I'm always working and would rather work 2-3 long days and be done with more off. Working with parents can be difficult because a lot either get mad because their child had a boo boo and you didn't call OR their child needed to go to the dr a couple days ago and didn't take them and just sent them back to school with whatever problem you referred them for so you have to put your foot down and they get mad but at least someone was going to bat for this child that no one seems to care about. I have been yelled at by parents and teachers for not doing something or doing something they didn't agree with and even though I was doing what I was supposed to or right they never come back and apologize. I've been yelled at a lot by parents when their child has lice AGAIN as though I'm personally passing them around I've been yelled at by teachers for interrupting their classroom because their ADHD student forgot to come down and get their med and the teacher forgot to send them but somehow this is my fault.

Teachers truly do not get what we do and I do feel most (not all) look a little down on us. They are quick to send kids for little things and slow to send kids for really important things. To them if there is a threat of puke or lice it's an emergency but if a kid is getting sleepy due to hypoglycemia or a head injury all they see is a kid that's being good and quiet in their class.

In our district we get paid teacher's salary which is a paycut from the hospital. We are also required to not only keep our nursing license up but also the school system mandatory ceu's and keep our school nurse certification up which usually has the same requirements as the teacher's license as far as hours. They aren't hard to get but it's a pain, time, and more money.

I do get bored sometimes. I feel like I've lost a lot of my nursing skills and there really is not much professional growth in this field. Some schools I see less than 10 kids a day, pass a few meds, and just sit bored half the day trying to find something to do. Other schools I'm busy from the moment I step through the door but get frustrated because I'm seeing 40-50 kids, half of which are just using me to get out of class or to try and go home.

I don't think this job would help you become a FNP but it probably wouldn't hurt either as long as you kept your foot in the door at the hospital.

I am looking for something part-time to increase my nursing skills and income. I do enjoy what I do but it's not enough to keep me happy. It wouldn't hurt to try it because there are those that literally love and thrive in this area.

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Specializes in Pediatric and Adult OR.

Thank you for this honest and thorough comment! Really appreciate it!

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Specializes in School Nurse; ICU.

I have worked at small schools and have felt that I lost some of the acute skills but have never been bored (as long as your teachers will let you in the classroom to do screenings, health teaching, prevention, etc)

I have been at big schools where new skills were definitely being learned and old skils updated all the time.

My biggest complaints are that I feel the teachers do look down on us and, quite a few times, feel like they know more than we do (but are right there asking questions when they are sick).

I don't like being the only nurse in the building because it does get lonely-nobody else to vent or understand what you are going through and what your thought process is-I think that is why I like this site so much. That and the teacher's (and other nurses) looking down on you for not being a "real nurse" are my biggest complaints. Call me vain and superficial but it does sting my pride to know that they think that way.

On the other hand, I love my job and will likely continue doing it for the next 50 years despite these complaints.

I went from the ICU to school nursing and don't regret it. The only job I think I would like other than this might be hospice but, again, don't see myself leaving any time soon! :)

Hope this helps you decide. Good luck, let us know when and if you get the job and how it goes.

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I don't like being the only nurse in the building because it does get lonely-nobody else to vent or understand what you are going through and what your thought process is-I think that is why I like this site so much. That and the teacher's (and other nurses) looking down on you for not being a "real nurse" are my biggest complaints. Call me vain and superficial but it does sting my pride to know that they think that way.

Whenever other nurses' opinions of what I do and how easy it is bothers me I just remember how much I'll be smiling this summer sitting at the beach with my kids EVERY day. No weekends, night, holidays, summers-I love this job!

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health, Home Care.

Sometimes I get mad because I feel like staff think I don't know anything, then there are other times when I feel like they think I should know EVERYTHING. Example: bring me a student with a rash. I go through the typical questions from A to Z, usually end up just calling mom to ask if she is aware of it and ask that she look the child over when he/she gets home, probably doesn't need to leave school if not feeling poorly. The teacher asks, exasperated, "but what IS it?"

I'm tempted to say "looks like Dengue fever to me" but I bite my tongue and say "looks like a rash"

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Specializes in School Nurse; ICU.

Yep, that sounds about right!

100Kids-so true-I love this job. I used to be a single mother and this job has made all the difference in the world (to myself and my kids).

Every time I have a "rash":) day I say to myself "at least this isn't the middle of the night and the HIV+ inmate being restrained so that we can save his life is not trying to bite me...at least this isn't the middle of the night and the HIV+ inmate being restrained so that we can save his life is not trying to bite me". that litany brings it all home and all is right in the world again! :)

Happy weekend to everybody-June is right around the corner!!

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