I am at my wits end and seriously considering throwing my hands up and quitting. I apologize in advance for this long post...
For those who don't know me: I am a District Nurse which means I don't do the hands on care of the kids (usually). The way our district sets up their health services is there are 15 school buildings and each is staffed with an LPN. There are 3 District Nurses who are 4 year RNs with a special license via the State Board of Education. The 3 of us are supposed to work together to supervise the LPNs, provide training and education to the LPNs and school staff as needed, be part of the Special Education assessment teams when necessary to provide accommodations as needed throughout the school day. I also do a fair amount of what I think of as case management for the more medically complex kids in my buildings. I have 5 buildings and 7 programs that I oversee ranging from Early Childhood to the transitional program that SPED kids attend after high school. In all it's well over 1800 students. I am not an administrator so I have all of this responsibility but with no authority to make high level decisions. All of that has to go through the Director of Special Education.
My primary difficulties this school year have been: atrocious staffing levels in my buildings and no subs to cover. Our nurses typically get 2 personal days each school year. One of our nurses has taken 10 (8 of them unpaid but approved by the building principal) and one of my nurses will be taking 5 in the month of March alone. They find their own sub coverage which is great but because we have hardly any subs those subs are now not available for sick calls. Thanks to the horrible flu and strep rates in our district this year we have many sick calls. One Friday last month we had SEVEN nurses out sick. No subs available. Myself and the other two District Nurses covered where we could but 4 buildings were without nurses for at least part of the day.
Turnover also is a huge problem. One of my elementary schools has gone through 3 nurses just this year alone. The third one's last day is on Friday with 49 days left in the school year. I am desperately trying to patch together coverage using my subs but, again, now those subs aren't available for other buildings. There is a type I diabetic student in this elementary school and his father called and yelled at me about the turnover last week. I acknowledged, listened and suggested he talk to my superior, the Director of Special Education. She told me she followed up with the father and basically just listened and acknowledged as well.
Pushback and lack of understanding and support from administration is at an all time high. We are a district severely lacking in funds (I know, welcome to the club). Levies that we attempt to get passed during an election are defeated. Last year there was $1.8 million in staffing cuts. This year it will be $2 million. Offering better pay and benefits (which our LPNs don't get) to attract job candidates to the health offices is not an option. I'd like to hire an agency nurse to cover the elementary school for the 11 weeks remaining in the school year. Nope, too expensive. We have had one applicant for the position. She is not a good candidate. She has interviewed before and has not been offered the positions. We're being pressured to hire her anyway. Administration seems to think that any warm body in the office should be good enough. Never mind the liability of someone who does not know what she is doing being responsible for the day to day management of a 4th grader with diabetes.
One of our District Nurses is leaving after this year. I'm ready to follow her. This job was supposed to be less stressful than the hospital. It's not. I am so tired (literally exhausted) of being in a district where I feel unappreciated and where I don't have the resources to do this job effectively. I am only one person. I ended up with a tightness in my throat and chest and sobbing when I got home on Friday after school. I am not supervisor/management material. I hate it.
I would leave and never give it another thought if it wasn't for my kids. My office is in their building. I eat lunch with my first grader almost every day and she would be heartbroken if I left. I don't know what to do.
