Can barely survive on this salary

Specialties School

Published

Specializes in community, home health, ob-gyn, school.

This is the start of my 2nd year in school nursing, starting salary was about 54K (not bad) but a decrease in about 10k yearly for me. It was going ok, but my husband had been out of work since Febuary just found a new job this week (yea) but also a lower salary! Now we have to dig out of debt, we've been thru our savings and now have the added expense of daycare because my mom WAS our babysitter prior to the job loss. I am so fustrated because I have been looking for part-time/per diem work since the summer but everyone is looking at me like...when are you available? I already work 9am-4pm have 2 children to tend to, so I can only do saturdays, maybe 6-9 pm during the week. Iv'e tried peds offices (needs more hours from me) and if I go back to the hospital I have to do something I love (post-partum) which of course are hard to come by. Any suggestions, I am seriously fearing losing our home.:confused:

ps, My mom was in an accident and now has PT daily for the next few months, which is why we are paying daycare.

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- Ask if there are some stipend options at school - such as taking on a club or sport, working on a special project

- Many parents would love to have a sitter who is a nurse for after work hours or Saturday or Sunday during the holidays - offer to pick up their kids from your same day care so that they can shop, clean, mail gifts....

- Does the day care center have staffing needs in the late afternoon until closing? Perhaps you could negotiate for lower daycare and bring in a few extra $$

- Tutoring options after school....

Good luck!!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Telephone triage?

Case management?

Insurance chart reviews?

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Specializes in School Nursing.

An Urgent Care with extended hours might have something that you could do. I also like the childcare option. I might have to look into that myself ;) Network with your teachers and staff and see if they know of anything. If worse comes to worse, maybe look at non-nursing options like retail. Especially if you will only need the sitter for a couple months. Thinking positive thoughts for you!!!

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Specializes in med/surg, home health, hospice.

How about home health PRN? Most agencies are always looking for RN's willing to do visits on the weekends.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
- - Many parents would love to have a sitter who is a nurse for after work hours or Saturday or Sunday during the holidays - offer to pick up their kids from your same day care so that they can shop, clean, mail gifts....

Good luck!!

I was going to suggest this. I work 3 days a week as a school nurse making way less than you are, so I pick up some time baby-sitting for 3 children. I make $14/hour to basically feed them, play with them, bathe them and put them to bedby 8:30. Easy work and I'm paid in cash.

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A home health shift here and there could fit the bill. They work with you to fit your schedule. Sometimes you can negotiate slightly "off" hours with the client.

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Specializes in community, home health, ob-gyn, school.

Thank you all very much, I was actually considering agency work too, which I am leary about since I have been out of the hospital for 6 years now. I did home health up until the beginning of this year and stopped because they wouldnt let me split my weekends so when my weekend came up, I would be doing a 12 day stretch between the school and the homecare, I guess my best bet is finding someone that will let me split weekends so I won't burn out again. I actually have also been looking into babysitting as well, but whatever I do on the side needs to at least cover the daycare fee ($600) monthly...Thank u again:nurse:

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You need to find a hh agency that is not so heavy-handed. Almost all of them would be happy to get someone to work one of the weekend shifts instead of none. Look to another agency.

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Specializes in L&D.

I'm in the same situation you are in. I have a prn job in addition to my full-time school nurse position but working 2 jobs with a family is absolutely exhausting. When I took the school nursing job my husband had a good salary and we would have been in great shape financially, but he was laidoff about a month after I started. I love school nursing but I'm going to have to make a decision soon because I do not make enough to cover my bills monthly.

I hope you find a solution that is best for you. I know it is frustrating.

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Specializes in Mental Health/School Nursing/Corrections.

]I certainly understand, I make way less than you do and recently made a futile error because I placed value on the wrong things. I was offered FT at my per diem job, $3/hr more, some great bennies, better hours and a 10 minute commute. Unfortunately, I thought I made a logical decision and accepted. Two shifts into it, I knew I had made the biggest mistake of my career. I :redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe my school nurse job and would opt to make lifestyle changes~vs~a career change if I had the opportunity again.

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