Do you do anything PRN?

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Specializes in ICU, School Nursing, Health Education.
Do you do anything PRN?

Hello! I have been an RN for about a year and a half and started bedside after NCLEX and transitioned to school nursing about halfway through the academic year. I have always wanted to be a school nurse, but now I am not sure. I imagine next year will be different, but I found the work sometimes dull. I am not an adrenaline junkie AT ALL, but miss aspects of the hospital environment (not necessarily the 12s).

I want to stick with school nursing for at least another year, but I wish I could find something to keep up my clinical skills since I am still such a new nurse. I have looked into different PRN opportunities but have found it difficult because I only have a year under my belt.

Just curious if anyone does anything PRN? Thanks!

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Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.

I have been a school nurse for 5 years and I totally understand your concerns. I worked in various places in the preceding 6 years, including acute care pedi, LTC/sub-acute rehab, and outpatient pedi. Concurrently, I also work at a private school - I was doing 1 weekend per month and per-diem, but I have transitioned to 1 evening per week. I am frequently toying with the idea of finding something else per-diem, however I am reluctant to give up my weekly shift at the private school as it is cushy, and I'm worried about overworking myself. But, I do often feel like I need something to do in the summers... 

All in all, I do think for you especially, you should maybe try to get in some LTC/Sub-acute rehab experiencing under your belt. I imagine if you add that in with your 6months of bedside and then maybe a full year of school nursing, you might be more desirable for per-diem work in a hospital.

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Specializes in ICU, School Nursing, Health Education.
k1p1ssk said:

I have been a school nurse for 5 years and I totally understand your concerns. I worked in various places in the preceding 6 years, including acute care pedi, LTC/sub-acute rehab, and outpatient pedi. Concurrently, I also work at a private school - I was doing 1 weekend per month and per-diem, but I have transitioned to 1 evening per week. I am frequently toying with the idea of finding something else per-diem, however I am reluctant to give up my weekly shift at the private school as it is cushy, and I'm worried about overworking myself. But, I do often feel like I need something to do in the summers... 

All in all, I do think for you especially, you should maybe try to get in some LTC/Sub-acute rehab experiencing under your belt. I imagine if you add that in with your 6months of bedside and then maybe a full year of school nursing, you might be more desirable for per-diem work in a hospital.

Thank you so much for your reply and advice. I should add, I am currently in school getting my RN-BSN, so I agree I also don't want to overextend myself. I just feel like I need some thing more, if that makes sense? There are just so many options in nursing and I really want to find my niche, ya know?

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Specializes in Dialysis.
Piper98 said:

Thank you so much for your reply and advice. I should add, I am currently in school getting my RN-BSN, so I agree I also don't want to overextend myself. I just feel like I need some thing more, if that makes sense? There are just so many options in nursing and I really want to find my niche, ya know?

Many jobs that offer PRN require a year of experience in that specialty, as you need to be able to hit the ground running. Even with LTC, you'd need a 3 day minimum orientation, but it would be your best bet. Home health may be, but you also need a different skill set and you're on your own in that specialty as well. I wish you luck. Apply and try, never hurts to get an application in and see what happens

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Specializes in Psych NP.

I'm impressed you can live on a school nursing salary (and pay for school).  When I was a school nurse and we were meeting the mayor about low salary, I pointed out to him that everyone there was working a second job "to support our school nursing habit."  Myself, I worked Sat-Sun 7a-11p on the side, but it was in my first specialty (psych).

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Specializes in oncology.
Piper98 said:

I imagine next year will be different, but I found the work sometimes dull.

I have been chastised on here about the  burden of working on aspects of the  nurses role that provide students about their own health.....bulletin boards on health, health problems that occur in some populations.... And again I read complaints here about school nurses not getting recognition during "Nurses Week". 

Find a bulletin board to post good health practices , design the door to your office, develop programs that teach health problems like CHF, Smoking, Good Nutrition, Dental Health (--new tooth brushes, sample tooth paste--if you don't know who to call check with your "Boys and Girls club". )

Make it special and exciting!

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Specializes in Psych NP.

I ran a "healthy snacks snack shop" (to reduce the hypoglycemic HA late morning among the 7th and 8th graders).  Had fun, had one class run it one day a week.  And then the 8th grade teacher came, very shame-faced, to complain that it was cutting into their candy bar fund raising.

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Specializes in ICU, School Nursing, Health Education.
londonflo said:

I have been chastised on here about the  burden of working on aspects of the  nurses role that provide students about their own health.....bulletin boards on health, health problems that occur in some populations.... And again I read complaints here about school nurses not getting recognition during "Nurses Week". 

Find a bulletin board to post good health practices , design the door to your office, develop programs that teach health problems like CHF, Smoking, Good Nutrition, Dental Health (--new tooth brushes, sample tooth paste--if you don't know who to call check with your "Boys and Girls club". )

Make it special and exciting!

Great ideas, thank you! 

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Specializes in oncology.
Julie Love said:

Had fun, had one class run it one day a week. 

What a great outcome...both teaching and learning! 

Julie Love said:

And then the 8th grade teacher came, very shame-faced, to complain that it was cutting into their candy bar fund raising.

The 8th grade teacher  wasn't too shame faced to confront you. what is the fundraising for....certainly not wise food choices or what is wise for the students. ,  Let's face it..when you show up tp college you can't say "we were fundraising".

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Specializes in oncology.

Me again. Take photographs of you in your presentations, photographs of the (attendees if they agree). Get these posted your HS newsletter, write reports to your supervisor to include in the yearend report!!!

 Anecdotals in the newspaper, High Schools today should spend so much time illustrating the activities the high school education should do towards job skills, reading skills, employment skills. dressing for a job...heck they are  even trying to teach students financial and checkbook balancing skills.... You can just read it here or in the newspaper!

 should we endorse a student Wanting to go out for a job interview with Mountain View drinking from a bottle, missing teeth, dentures etc.. 

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