Do You Like Being A School Nurse?

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I have been an RN since 1993 in the ICU. I am thinking about changing career paths and going into school nursing. Overall, do you like your job? What is your average day like? What are the things that bother you the most about your job? Any advice you can share that will give me an accurate picture of school nursing? I am used to a stressful environment, but have never been in a role that is so autonomous. I would appreciate any advice!

Specializes in TeleHealth Nurse.

you did the right thing. You would have lost your sanity doing that job!

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Specializes in Public Health, School Nursing, Psych.

School Nursing is my dream job. I've done LOTS of jobs as an RN, including ED, L&D, Tele, Public Health, Mental Health, Step-Down, Utilization Review, and more. Been everything from an interim permit nurse to a Deputy Director. I've taught RN classes at a state university, worked in a state prison, and conducted psych practica at acute care facilities. I've had love/hate relationships with almost all my positions till I became a school nurse.

General Info

Hours 8a-3:15p (with a paid 50 minute lunch)

184 days/year

School sites are within 1-2 miles of my home (1 middle and 2 elementary)

Oversee care for 1,960 children

Lots of autonomy

Great benefits (sick time, medical, retirement, etc.)

Pay decrease (but still make $93K)

Health Attendants at each school take care of superficial injuries, incontinence, mailings, routine health office care, etc.

Spend lots of time on

Vision/hearing/scoliosis screenings

IEP/504 health reviews, reporting, and meeting

Communicating with parents - sometimes the hardest part of the job

Tracking communicable disease exposures/outbreaks

Immunization issues

Writing Health Plans/Emergency Care Plans

Managing non-compliant, brittle diabetics

Completing state reports

I love the variety, how quickly my days speed by, the kids, my co-workers, the cyclic nature of the work, and the typically stress-free nature of the position.

The only con is that despite having an MSN, I have to spend $9K on university classes to become a Credentialed School Nurse (not all places/districts have this requirement, so you may not have to worry about this).

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Specializes in School Nurse, professor, OBGYN.

I enjoy the kids, the holidays, summers off.

I love getting off at 3:30 pm.

I don't like going 5 days a week, but it's still doable.

I have great benefits, retirement, and I make salary and get paid for 12 months a year.

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'Do I like being a School Nurse?"

Not today.

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Specializes in kids.
Farawyn said:
'Do I like being a School Nurse?"

Not today.

Not this past week, which is really unusual for me.

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Hello, are any of you still school nurses and do you still love?

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Thanks for this encouraging post. Been a mes/surg/tele nurse 12 years and just applied for school nurse position. Have 3 young boys and husband is a RN also and really hoping to get an interview soon!

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Good Luck. I love being a school nurse. It's sometimes thankless and the pay sucks... but you can't beat the long term relationships you build with your students and families.. and the time off doesn't suck either.

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Specializes in getting it done.
On 3/28/2016 at 1:38 PM, evelynkarirn said:

School Nursing is my dream job. I've done LOTS of jobs as an RN, including ED, L&D, Tele, Public Health, Mental Health, Step-Down, Utilization Review, and more. Been everything from an interim permit nurse to a Deputy Director. I've taught RN classes at a state university, worked in a state prison, and conducted psych practica at acute care facilities. I've had love/hate relationships with almost all my positions till I became a school nurse.

General Info

Hours 8a-3:15p (with a paid 50 minute lunch)

184 days/year

School sites are within 1-2 miles of my home (1 middle and 2 elementary)

Oversee care for 1,960 children

Lots of autonomy

Great benefits (sick time, medical, retirement, etc.)

Pay decrease (but still make $93K)

Health Attendants at each school take care of superficial injuries, incontinence, mailings, routine health office care, etc.

Spend lots of time on

Vision/hearing/scoliosis screenings

IEP/504 health reviews, reporting, and meeting

Communicating with parents - sometimes the hardest part of the job

Tracking communicable disease exposures/outbreaks

Immunization issues

Writing Health Plans/Emergency Care Plans

Managing non-compliant, brittle diabetics

Completing state reports

I love the variety, how quickly my days speed by, the kids, my co-workers, the cyclic nature of the work, and the typically stress-free nature of the position.

The only con is that despite having an MSN, I have to spend $9K on university classes to become a Credentialed School Nurse (not all places/districts have this requirement, so you may not have to worry about this).

93k for 184 days? What city is this in and what type of school? From what I’ve been reading this is astronomically higher than average school nursing pay. What is everyone else doing wrong?!

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Specializes in Public Health, School Nursing, Psych.

I’m in CA (Central Valley). Since writing this, salaries have increased another $13K but that’s with a master’s and post-grad units at the 15 year mark. Much of northern CA offers salaries over $100K.

Still loving what I do!

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Specializes in getting it done.
13 hours ago, evelynkarirn said:

I’m in CA (Central Valley). Since writing this, salaries have increased another $13K but that’s with a master’s and post-grad units at the 15 year mark. Much of northern CA offers salaries over $100K.

Still loving what I do!

That's awesome! Is this a public school system in CA?

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Specializes in Pediatric.

I wouldn't be anywhere else!!!!!!

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