Dating As A (School) Nurse

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I was reading the All Nurses magazine, and was excited to see the "dating as a nurse" headline. It touched base on dating former patients, but I wanted to share my "dating as a school nurse" experience.

I live within a 30min radius of where I work. My district is massive (I graduated with 1000 students nearby. Yes THOUSAND). Dating in the area is fun and dandy, but I started using some "meet people" apps, so local well-populated restaurants were a go-to. After my first 2 dates I decided that staying away from these areas, especially for first and second dates, was very important. I sounded super sketchy and overly private when discussing my job. "I love what I do. I'm a school nurse nearby. I won't tell you about my day because if I sound anything but cheery and a family is sitting near us overhears I will be ripped apart on social media."

I'm not scared of privacy violations - I won't talk to that extent even with my family, but it's just the persona of sharing a frustrated/bad day emotion regarding a job that is tied to children makes me hyper aware of family in surroundings.

Anyway, I'm currently not in 1st/2nd date mode and happily with someone, but it's just funny how my choices are influenced when out and about in the area I work/live. Ironically, the places I've run into students have all been an hour + away while on vacation!

I live in the district I work in and I don't think I have ever thought about this when going on dates. I don't even think I run into parents all that often when I am out and about running errands with my kids or grocery shopping.

I did see some kids I knew from the jr high at the movie theatre once when I was on a date but I never talked to them and if they noticed me, they didn't say hi.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention and now I will notice them all the time. Though boyfriend and I are kind of homebodies and half the time when we actually go out for dinner or drinks it's by his place which is 40 minutes away.

They like...attack me. It's like they've never seen me before.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I live in the district I work in and I don't think I have ever thought about this when going on dates. I don't even think I run into parents all that often when I am out and about running errands with my kids or grocery shopping.

I did see some kids I knew from the jr high at the movie theatre once when I was on a date but I never talked to them and if they noticed me, they didn't say hi.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention and now I will notice them all the time. Though boyfriend and I are kind of homebodies and half the time when we actually go out for dinner or drinks it's by his place which is 40 minutes away.

I've been wanting to ask about Stud Muffin 2.0

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Specializes in school nurse.
I date my wife, Sweet Petunia, on a fairly regular basis, and we are often seen and recognized by students and parents in the course of my courting her. Same verbal precautions as you mention but it doesn't stop our fun, and 4 or 5 Bud Lights (for me...Sweet Petunia is a margarita girl).

Anything posted on Facebook is done by SP, sometimes on my phone by her when I won't do it.

You date your wife?? How...scandalous.

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I've been wanting to ask about Stud Muffin 2.0

He deserves a new alias :)

He's a pretty great guy. We've been dating since April. He's a chemist, has a daughter who does not live with him but whom he sees everyday, super cute (You may have seen a couple pix of him on facebook), very thoughtful. You'd like him ;)

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I'm not hyper aware of our conversations. Mr. Keeper and I live in a relatively big town with TONS of restaurants and they're always loud. Its hard to hear what others are saying at tables next to us so I just assume its hard for them to hear us. Plus, we don't usually talk about my work. However, I am hyper aware of what I'm wearing. For instance, if I'm wearing something that has my school name or logo on it such as my jacket or a spirit shirt, I try to avoid any "adult beverages" as I feel like I its just bad manners to partake in drinks while I'm sporting my school's name. That's just my opinion though! As far as FB goes, I don't post work related stuff on there. At. All.

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He deserves a new alias :)

He's a pretty great guy. We've been dating since April. He's a chemist, has a daughter who does not live with him but whom he sees everyday, super cute (You may have seen a couple pix of him on facebook), very thoughtful. You'd like him ;)

I have, and he is.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I agree with the no-no of social media posting, outside of one of the funny generic School Nurse cartoons.

I'm like Farawyn- kiddos pop up behind all sorts of fixtures at the mall and stores to say hello to me. Parents recognize me and want to say hello. I'd say I see at LEAST one kid a month -and that's when I'm being a homebody.

I don't wear any district-related attire outside of school functions, but somehow kiddos still recognize me when I'm in workout clothes and a fanny pack.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
He deserves a new alias :)

He's a pretty great guy. We've been dating since April. He's a chemist, has a daughter who does not live with him but whom he sees everyday, super cute (You may have seen a couple pix of him on facebook), very thoughtful. You'd like him ;)

I did. Handsome guy. Gotta be smart too. You're right...shouldn't apply any reference to SM. Do you have any requests or should Far and I come with his handle?

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I have, and he is.

:up:

I did. Handsome guy. Gotta be smart too. You're right...shouldn't apply any reference to SM. Do you have any requests or should Far and I come with his handle?

I think of SM sometimes. He was something.

I will defer to you and Far. You're the experts and I don't want to jinx anything :)

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I am hyper aware of what I'm wearing. For instance, if I'm wearing something that has my school name or logo on it such as my jacket or a spirit shirt, I try to avoid any "adult beverages" as I feel like I its just bad manners to partake in drinks while I'm sporting my school's name. That's just my opinion though! As far as FB goes, I don't post work related stuff on there. At. All.

Our district really frowns on wearing school/district attire while out having an adult beverage. The rumor is the coaches at high school level have an unwritten policy that they can't even be seen purchasing alchohol at a store. A few of us have been known to turn our tshirts inside out when we forget it is a HH day :)

As far as FB goes, I don't post anything about work. I don't even reply to issues that come up about school, kids, parents etc etc on our neighborhood or city FB page - just about kills me sometimes since there have been times where I would love to have set the record straight on the chit chat that happens on the pages. FB for me is another way to keep in touch with extended family, friends etc - my kids tell me I overpost on my pictures and travels. :)

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Our district really frowns on wearing school/district attire while out having an adult beverage. The rumor is the coaches at high school level have an unwritten policy that they can't even be seen purchasing alchohol at a store. A few of us have been known to turn our tshirts inside out when we forget it is a HH day :)

This reminds me of when I was a junior/senior in HS. Lots of kids would hang out at the bowling alley and there was a PE teacher who was there all the time too, drinking and basically being a frat boy (looking back, he was probably in his early 20s). Definitely something I'm sure my district would frown upon.

Same teacher actually got a DUI in front of one of my best friend's houses (teacher was also the same friend's tennis coach). He was at a party a few doors down and hit a parked car that was parked in front of my friend's house. She went outside when she saw the cops and said hi to him. We may or may not have used this information to get out of running our senior year :whistling:

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
I date my wife, Sweet Petunia, on a fairly regular basis, and we are often seen and recognized by students and parents in the course of my courting her. Same verbal precautions as you mention but it doesn't stop our fun, and 4 or 5 Bud Lights (for me...Sweet Petunia is a margarita girl).

Speaking of names...

I hope that if I ever I get married someday, my husband calls me something cute like Sweet Petunia when he talks about me on weirdly specific internet forums. #goals

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