Anyone here only sub?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

Skip down to the last paragraph if you don't feel like reading all of my background info, LOL.

I am in my fourth year at a Charter school, and while I love my school (teachers, kids, most of admin), I feel like the expectations from regional admin are starting to really frustrate me. My inbox is flooded with emails regarding mandatory staff surveys (all 100% related to teachers and not my job), mandatory on-line trainings (again 100% teacher related), mandatory professional development, etc. Yet, if I try to take time off for a school nurse related professional development, the hoops I have to jump through to make that happen are crazy. Then there are the weekly Wednesday PD sessions. Kids get dismissed every Wednesday at 1:15. You would think I could be in my office catching up on paperwork, or gasp, leave a little early. Nope. Last week I had to drive 45 minutes away to an escape room for a whole staff "team building" activity. The irony doesn't escape me. Today the teachers have an in-service on guided reading and state testing and yup, I have to go :no:

My school is also VERY dedicated to the students, which is amazing, but makes it really hard to have a personal life outside of school. Our teachers work hours at 7am-5pm. My work hours are currently 7:45-3:30 and I had to fight to be able to do these hours and not start at 7 am and leave at 4:30 pm. There are a lot of evening activities (math night, literature night, etc. which they expect me to attend), weekend all school BBQ which was mandatory on a Saturday for 4 hours, etc. I absolutely love the sense of community at my school, but it is hard when I have a life at home and 2 middle school kids with their own lives and activities.

I think what has been most frustrating this school year is the increase in check-ins with our Ops Director where I have to fill out GOALS for the year. It is November and I have had to do this THREE times! It is the same types of questions but written in different ways- Set four professional goals, four development goals (that was the one I filled out last month), then yesterday I get another one - four things you are doing well, four things you could do better, progress towards professional goals, progress towards development goals...it has been ONE MONTH. I love my Ops Director and I point blank asked her why so many of these all of a sudden and told her they are not only totally redundant, but not at all related to nursing and very frustrating. Her response was that regional office is "tracking staff development" and they want all staff to set goals three times per year to make sure they are growing and feeling supported, etc. :blink: I feel like that is great for the teachers, but I have explained time and time again that my number one goal is student safety. Period. If they cannot understand that and cannot accept that, then we have a major issue. They say they get it. But then still require these other "goals". I try to pick goals directly related to my job (take National certification exam, attend nursing related PD, etc.). But they still want more than that pertaining to the day to day. I actually wrote under the "things I am doing well part "saving lives"! Where it asked for specific example I wrote "heimlich x 2 at lunch, epi pen administration x 1, Diastat administration x 1, insulin administration on a daily basis..." They still don't get it.

So anyway, needless to say my frustration level has increased significantly. I have seen a lot of substitute school nurse positions in my home district, as well as neighboring school districts and am considering subbing next year as close to full time as possible to avoid all of this extraneous nonsense. The loss of health insurance benefit will suck, but my husband can just pick it back up at his practice. He is 100% supportive of that and says I should do what I want and what feels right.

My actual question: For those of you who are substitute school nurses, tell me how it works for you. Are you on a sub list and just get a call in the morning or night before? Do you do long-term assignments like maternity leave coverage, etc. ? What are your admin responsibilities as a sub? I would love any feedback about your day-to-day.

Thanks :)

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Specializes in kids.

Not a sub but....Your Ops Developer sounds like our Curriculum Coordinator. Great person, just waaaaay to cerebral for me! Imma nurse, I truly do not care about ALOT of the stuiff you are asking me to particiapte in, when I could be collaborating with my fellow nurses.

Best of luck to you!

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Not a sub but....Your Ops Developer sounds like our Curriculum Coordinator. Great person, just waaaaay to cerebral for me! Imma nurse, I truly do not care about ALOT of the stuiff you are asking me to particiapte in, when I could be collaborating with my fellow nurses.

Best of luck to you!

Yes, so much this! I have three nurses, two at the MS/HS and one at our other campus in another district and we are always asking to have time to collaborate on Wednesdays during PD time and get told we need to do the PD that our entire school is doing. They all deal with the same BS I do.

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How wonderful that your husband is supportive in this. Especially with a family and kids who have their own schedule, to have the opportunity to be a sub and (in a sense) set your own schedule sounds incredible.

I am not a sub currently, but I have subbed in the past. I was placed in a "pool" of subs (all 2 of us lol!) and could potentially get a call the day/night before or that morning. A lot of times though, I was used for planned days (for example, when the full time nurse was conducting vision and hearing screenings, a planned paper day, or a vacation day), so I knew in advance. When I subbed, all I was responsible for was the daily responsibilities (ie, student visits, medication administration). If you can help with any other tasks such as hearing and vision screenings, they may ask for your help with that.

Oh...and PS...I would arrive about 15 minutes before the bell rang to begin the day and stay until about 15 minutes after the bell rang to end the day...if that.

Hope this helps and good luck!

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

I subbed before my youngest was born, long before I got this full time gig. Sometimes it was a call in the morning, which was hard for me to work out because I had other young kiddos at home, but usually it was a planned day or days off. My days were purely kiddo visits (and had there been an emergency, handling that). I didn't have to do any paperwork, immunization tracking, screenings (although we've had subs cover for 4-6 week post op absences and they have done screenings for us). What was difficult was that since I was bouncing around buildings I never really got to form relationships with the kids or staff.

In your situation, I think I'd sub in a heartbeat. Too much BS you have to deal with.

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Specializes in School nursing.

I subbed in another very large public district because I took my current job. I got called and worked nearly full time for 2 months covering a nurse's medical leave. After that calls varied from 6-8 times a month to 1-2.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

WOW, that is crazy! I dont see the value in you being there for the night activities...I would just not attend, they dont need a nurse if the parents are there! And as far as staying for the other stuff teacher stuff...NO WAY..has nothing to do with my job...they dont make teachers go to nursing CEU's why should you go to their stuff? I would sit down with the ops person and just lay it out...there is better use of your time...

As far as subbing...most times I got a call the day before, but sometimes that morning.

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