Certified Nurses and Teacher Contracts

I'll be interested in the replies as well since I am also in IL and in the process to becoming certified.

I do know that I will start on the bottom rung of the certified scale and there are extra days worked into the CSN schedule that are paid per diem. I don't know about the rest. You may want to talk to the union rep about having some specific wording added to the negotiated agreement the next time your union is in a contract year.

I started at the bottom, too, but I think that my previous experience should count. My previous experience as a nurse affects my role here and adds a skill foundation different than if a nurse is fresh out of school. I'm hoping other schools allow previous experience as counting towards their steps on the salary schedule.

This is my first year as a school nurse so here's how they do it in my district.

Yes, I'm on the teacher's contract. Which means when the teachers are there I'm there. I have 2 prep days before the school year starts and one day after the school year ends. I do work parent/teacher conference nights 2x a year. I also work teacher professional development days, open houses, etc. I work the exact same hours as the teachers. My duty day is 7:30 until 4.

I had 3 years of previous pediatric experience (home care and hospital) and that counted towards my salary. I started off the same as a 4th year teacher does. It doesn't matter than I'm not certified and my district does not require it.

No I do not carry separate liability insurance. I asked about it in my interview and was told I am covered by the district. We have 7 nurses who work in this district and none of them carry separate liability insurance. I suppose I could if I wanted to but I don't right now.

Hope that helps!

It doesn't matter than I'm not certified and my district does not require it.

In Illinois certification is required to be on the teacher contract

I'm not in IL, but here's my input. No, I am not on the teacher's scale. I'm on a separate nursing scale based on a similar scale developed by another public school district. I have a contract I sign each year that includes all instruction days, PD days, and 5 days prior to the school year and a couple of days after school year (if needed). I work a nine-hour day (usually 7-4). In addition to being the nurse, I also teach health for grades 7-12 and yes, that is included in my contract. I am salary.

I am also the yearbook adviser, but that is a separate contract with an additional stipend.

I'm not in IL, but all nurses have to be state certified in DE within 2 years of being hired. Once you become nationally certified you get a pay bump, but nothing else. I also work for a charter school, so my answers may be a little different than a district school. (You can ignore this, but I like talking about myself! :))

Do you get a planning period in addition to your lunch like the teachers?

Technically, I get one, and the previous nurse said I should make sure I get one. But, I'm in a small school, so I have plenty of time to get my paperwork done, and if I need time without students (like for screenings), I let my teachers know, and they are mostly good about only calling about emergencies.

Are you required to attend/stay for parent/teacher conferences, in-services, teacher institute days, curriculum nights, open houses, etc? Or are you just there when the students are?

In-service days, yes. But, I'm not required to attend any PDs that are lesson plan or class management, etc., based. So I spend a lot of time just getting paperwork done. After hours events, not usually.

Are you required to work days before/after the school year? If so, how many? Do you get paid extra for that?

I'm on the teacher contract, so I'm required to come in when the teachers do. That means I'm usually here a week before students and a few days after they leave. No extra pay since it's written into my contract.

Does your previous nursing experience count as years towards the salary scale? Or do only the years you were certified count? For example, I've been a nurse for 7 years, but only certified for 2, so they only count my 2 years instead of my 7.

This is district/school dependent in my state. Some only pay you for time as a school nurse, some for all nursing experience. In my school, I get paid for my total nursing experience. So I came in on a 4th year pay scale, instead of 1st.

Do you carry liability insurance?

No, but I keep meaning to re-up it.

I am considered "certified" in my state. My certification was as easy as going to the BOE in my state, giving them my resume and diplomas/transcripts from my college(s). Even though I am a ADN, I have a bachelor's in different health related field so BOOM I am certified. The only sad part about the whole experience is the BOE lady got stamp happy with my paperwork and somehow stamped my beautiful bachelor's diploma with a date stamp.

When I got hired, they wanted to put me on the pay scale at 1/2 my years of experience. I turned them down because: a. that was a HUGE salary cut for me (like $15,000 per year, and I am the sole provider for my family), and b. I thought that was a bit insulting. Just because my experience isn't "education experience", that experience should still count. Trust me, I think you'll want it to count. When I refused and explained why, they offered my the pay at my years of experience.

Since I am on a teacher's contract, I am expected to be here when the teacher's are here. So I am here for P/T conferences, Open House, etc. I actually do have parents that stop by and say Hi (my kids go to school where I work so I know lots of people) or stop by to discuss their student with me. I have to go to staff meetings, even though our staff meetings have turned into education stuff that I have no interest or need for (other than being in the know for my own children). We do not get paid extra for that time. Our fall P/T conferences are around Columbus Day so we have P/T conferences that week and then we get Friday off to "compensate" for the extra hours we work for P/T conferences. Which turns that into a 4 day weekend for us. I think it's similar around other P/T conference times too (only 2x per year for us).

They days I work before the school year are the same days the teachers have to be here, and is when our contract starts. Our first day is a "Welcome back" lecture for the whole district, then we go to our individual schools and have a beginning of the year meeting. There's usually one or two teacher prep days thrown in there, which I use to get my office ready for the coming year. We do work teacher workshop days throughout the year. Those days are wonderful because I can catch up on paperwork/filing and we usually have a district nurse's meeting those days as well. Every once in a while they offer something on a workshop day that could apply to us (like mental health stuff/concussions) so we attend those workshops when it makes sense.

I carry my own liability insurance.

I technically could fight for a planning period, but holy cow. I have kids SCHEDULED to see me all day long, let alone the walk-ins. Our school is on a 4x4 block schedule so I could fight for 80 minutes (or maybe it's 40 minutes- not sure because I have never used one!!) for a student free planning period, PLUS a student free lunch, but I haven't yet. The planning period would be darn near impossible, but I say every year that I am going to push for a student-free lunch. And every year, I end up eating lunch at my desk while students knock on my door and I answer.

I think I answered all of your questions. Good luck!!

so i'm not in IL but i'll give some feedback. I technically get 2 preps and a lunch by the letter of my contract. The only thing I aim for uninterrupted is my lunch. I figure that I get odds and ends throughout the day that make up the time for the preps - though nothing that certainly can be counted on (except for my lunch. If that gets interrupted, I put in for missed time. I am on the same scale as the teachers and considered a teacher.

I am on the Teacher's contract and pay scale because I have special certification by the state to also teach Health classes. I was only recently added to the Teacher's contract for this even though I got this certification and started teaching Health years ago. My district has never had a Nurse on the Teacher's contract before. My School Nurse years counted as experience (even those before I was certified to teach Health) when I was added to that contract but not anything before starting in this school.

I am entitled to a prep period each day but almost NEVER actually get it, but I do take lunch. I am expected to be back for Conferences, Back to School Night and Teacher Development Days when school is out with no extra pay as that is included in my salary in the contract.

I do carry my own liability insurance. If there's ever a problem I expect the School's insurance to cover the school and work in their best interest, not necessarily mine. For about $100/year it is worth it to me to know that I will have someone fighting only for me, not the school if I ever need it.

I forgot to add I also carry my own liability insurance. It cost me $109 a year and I consider that a very wise investment as my school insurance policy does not include any malpractice related coverage.

Located in California:

Do you get a planning period in addition to your lunch like the teachers?

Sort of? I'm closed 8-8:30am and 4-5pm which I guess is my planning period. My last school nurse position I did not get a planning period. This position I have a set lunch time and last position I tried to take my lunch whenever I could, but usually when the students were done with their lunch.

Are you required to attend/stay for parent/teacher conferences, in-services, teacher institute days, curriculum nights, open houses, etc? Or are you just there when the students are?

Conferences only if I am needed as the nurse. In-services, only if required by the District. Open houses where on a volunteered basis and I had to flex my time. Mostly I'm not needed when the students are around.

Are you required to work days before/after the school year? If so, how many? Do you get paid extra for that?

My current job I work year-round. Last position I think I had a set amount of days and I believe it was 210 which I spread out during the year including summer school when I worked. Those days are included in my contact so no-overtime.

Does your previous nursing experience count as years towards the salary scale? Or do only the years you were certified count? For example, I've been a nurse for 7 years, but only certified for 2, so they only count my 2 years instead of my 7.

Yes, but in this position I don't have to be certified although I am a Credentialed School Nurse.

Do you carry liability insurance?

Oh course. Always. It's like $100 a year. Why not? I spend more on Sephora and Starbucks in a month.