Applying for 1st School Nursing job

Peggyd · Jan 28, 2009

i am not a certified school nurse, so my pay is very low. that is the worst part of my job. i work with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. i really enjoy my job. when i have 5 kids in my office waiting for me, i think back to all the call lights, iv's that need to be changed, someone needs help to the bathroom, the doc on the phone is waiting. now i just smile. the pressure on a bad day is so much less than the hospital. i worked in the hospital 27 years, 25 as an rn.

the days off are great. i no longer miss weddings and other weekend activities.

two years ago i was diagnosed with inflammatory breast caancer. i worked through chemo. i would never have been to work, if i was still at the hospital. i was so tired. i was off after my mastectomy and during my twice daily radiation and after radiation due to burns. i was off for four months. when i ran out of sick days, the teachers gave me some of theirs.

i still miss some of the adrenaline rushes that i had at the hospital. it took me a little while to feel like a school nurse and to enjoy it. now after 8 years of working as a school nurse, i am here to stay.

good luck. i hope you get the job and learn to love it.

luvschoolnursing, LPN · Jan 28, 2009

Read around to some of our posts on the school nurse forum. I think you'll find most of us get paid less but none of us would want to give up what we do.I love my job.

PattyB RN · Jan 29, 2009

I agree with my school nurse colleagues. This job may not have the highest pay or the highest technological skill level but I love it. I am the sole medical person in my building responsible for about 600 people; that's an awesome responsibility! We are in a unique position but sometimes our role can be blurred. Be careful not to be the dumping ground for non-medical issues. Also, with so much free time from week-ends to endless school vacations, you can go per-diem and make a little extra income as well as stay in the loop of technology. Good luck!

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2009

I agree that money is not everything, and no one goes into school nursing for the $$$! I also agree that you will have plenty of time for a PRN or summer job.

I can choose to work summer school, 8-12 for 6 weeks and get and extra $2,000 which is nice, and I still have a good bit of summer left! You can do camp nursing over the summer - I have seen some positions that pay up to $8,000 if you work all summer! I am also considering PRN jobs as a supplement. So, there are ways to make up the extra income and still have the fun of school nursing. Good luck!