District nurse interview! Need advice!

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I have an interview on Monday for a district nurse position. I am so pumped to have heard from them but they were interviewing several people on the same day. Tough competition out there but I wanted to make sure I get the job so putting my all on this. I've been looking for a job for months now and I'm so thrilled for even getting a response from them! I'm a new grad and I don't know what to expect! I've read about District Nurses's duties but I wanted to hear from someone with the experience! Any advice on the interview on possible questions?? Hope to hear from everyone! thanks in advance!

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health, Home Care.

If you can't "wow" the interviewers with your experience, then impress the heck out of them with your professionalism. Be aware of your appearance and your manner of speech. Ask intelligent questions that reflect your knowledge of the position. Between now and Monday, call the district office and ask the secretary if there is a job description for this position. If there is, you will know better what is expected of you and have an idea about questions you might ask. If you are expected to train staff to deal with students with diabetes, you might ask how many students this is--and the current training level of the staff. You may want to ask about health aides--does your district have them? District nursing isn't easy--I work half time in a district of 2500 students. You have to know how to safely delegate and be confident that you have trained your non-nursing support staff. You will read on this forum that many school nurses feel some experience in other fields is helpful if not mandatory for a school nurse. So if this position doesn't work out, keep the idea is your back pocket for a future job. In any case, good luck!

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I am a District Nurse serving over 8,000 students. During my job interview, I was asked if I am familiar with the district's health education curriculum. I was asked what would I consider a "good day" and what would be a "bad day". Make sure you mention wanting to work with school staff and parents/families as well as the students. Are you CPR/First Aid certified? Familiar with OSHA and bloodborne pathogens? You might want to do some research on some of the educational laws (FERPA and IDEA, 504, etc.). Is this school district diverse in ethnicity/culture? If you have time before your interview, become familiar with your state's sexuality education laws-know what you can and cannot discuss with students. Are you familiar with immunizations (those required for school vs those recommended)? Common chronic diseases in my school district include asthma, ADHD, diabetes, epilepsy, sickle cell. Be familiar with emergency protocol for chronic conditions in your district. Medication administration is often delegated to others but you might wish to familiarize yourself with common medicatins used to treat common childhood conditions. Review common childhood illnesses/conditions such as chickenpox, ringworm, scabies, head lice, etc and know treatment/exclusion policies if you can. Best of luck and keep us informed on how the interview goes!! :)

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Thank you very much for the info! I went back on the posting and this is what it read:

"Under the supervision of the Director of Pupil Services and Superintendent, the nurse shall organize, implement and evaluate the health service program to strengthen the educational process through improvement of the health status and knowledge of children. The Nurse shall work with other District employees and parents in creating an overall work environment conducive to appropriate learning. "

Since they have mentioned these duties, is there any more you could add? =s

Thanks again!!

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I very recently had an interview as a district nurse in CA (and I got the job). A few of the questions they asked me were about what I knew about policies (e.g., the disabilities act). They also asked about what I would do in certain situations (e.g., what would I do if I knew there was an illegal incident occurring at a school). Also, they wanted to know how I would handle privacy vs what staff should know about a student's health condition.

Best wishes!

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congrats on getting the job frozenocean! is there any book i could read other than "School of nursing" by Janice Selekman? I can't seem to find it anywhere =( Any website perhaps? Also, I read in your other post that you picked up a few textbooks to help you with legal issues, first aid, etc?

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The Selekman book is available on the NASN website http://www.nasn.org

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Thank you. The interview is tomorrow and I feel like I still haven't prepared well enough. I'm lacking resources. We are in the middle of moving and I can't keep focus. I was only able to study the laws and policies that was mentioned here and have no idea on where to find other helpful info. Their website wasn't helpful.

:redpinkhe

=(

Also in their recent certified application (which they said to bring with me at the interview), there's a column thats says valid california credentials. I'm a new grad with my BSN, but is this like a postbaccalaureate program with required units that is designed for School nurses??

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They invited you for an interview knowing you are a new grad. Just leave the sections black that don't apply to you.

If I was interviewing you, as a new grad, it would be to make sure you were the kind of person who realized they did not know everything (and not too much more than anything) but had a plan to get up to speed.

Be yourself. You don't want the job if it is not a right fit for you. Relax and be yourself! good luck.

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