DoD School Nurse

Nurse Trini · Mar 21, 2021

I'm curious. Is this a DoD-operated school or does the local school system operate it and it just happens to be on base and serving dependent children?

JustJai, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-I · Mar 22, 2021

Greetings,

I've been a DoDEA nurse for several years. Like any job, it has good days and difficult days. To the best of my knowledge, all DoDEA schools are located on military installations both in the US, US territories, Europe and the Pacific. We serve dependent children of active duty, both US and overseas, and GS/contractor staff on bases outside of the US. There can be schools on bases in the US, Camp Pendleton comes to mind as one, that are not DoDEA schools. Please message me if you have specific questions.

Song_Bird · Mar 24, 2021

On 3/21/2021 at 8:52 PM, JustJai said:

Greetings,

I've been a DoDEA nurse for several years. Like any job, it has good days and difficult days. To the best of my knowledge, all DoDEA schools are located on military installations both in the US, US territories, Europe and the Pacific. We serve dependent children of active duty, both US and overseas, and GS/contractor staff on bases outside of the US. There can be schools on bases in the US, Camp Pendleton comes to mind as one, that are not DoDEA schools. Please message me if you have specific questions.

Do you get to pick which installation you want to work at?

Natesmom98 · Mar 26, 2021

Nurse Trini,

It is actually on a military post.

Nurse Trini · Mar 28, 2021

I understand that, but I was asking who the employer is. I've lived places where while the building is on a military base, the local school district actually runs it and is the employer.

Natesmom98 · Mar 28, 2021

Oh...got it. ?

The schools are run by the DoDEA. From what I can see, there are 2 that are not actually on post but still under the DoDEA system. Not sure how all that works.

JustJai, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-I · Apr 6, 2021

Put an application into USAJOBS.gov. If they contact you about an interview they will tell you which location they are interviewing for. I was hired before DoDEA began using USAJOBS.gov, so I don't know if you are able to specify a particular area.

I work outside of the US. If someone is lucky enough to be offered an OCONUS position (outside of continental US), no matter where it is located, they should grab it. Great pay, great benefits, and we don't have the serious physical health conditions that some nurses have in stateside schools. Every student has at least one parent employed with a military related job. Adequate food and housing is not a concern we have to address.

I read so many comments here about parents not returning phone calls, not following up, or unable to follow up, on needed medication or doctor's appointments. I don't have to pull teeth to get immunizations. If I can't reach a parent in an emergency we will contact their military chain of command. If the immunizations aren't brought up to date in the specified time the student cannot return to school until the updated documentation is received. No parent would dare send a COVID positive student to school or send their children to school if a member of the household is in quarantine due to either a family member being positive or in close contact with someone else who is positive. There are very strict rules in place during this pandemic.

Natesmom98 · Apr 6, 2021

Thank you so much for this information!! The job is posted through USAJOBS but I have to apply through DoDEA. I am having trouble with my password and have yet to get an email back fixing the problem. Any suggestions?

There is more than one opening, I can choose local but not sure if that would be any of the listed areas in the US. This sounds great...it would be nice to not have to argue with parent picking up their children, etc.

Thank you again!!

nursetlm, ADN · Apr 6, 2021

JustJai- I've read that they only allow BSN RNs overseas- is that the case? I was an LPN when we lived in Germany many years ago- but didn't work in a nursing capacity- I worked at a WIC office.

Song_Bird · Apr 6, 2021

12 hours ago, JustJai said:

Put an application into USAJOBS.gov. If they contact you about an interview they will tell you which location they are interviewing for. I was hired before DoDEA began using USAJOBS.gov, so I don't know if you are able to specify a particular area.

I work outside of the US. If someone is lucky enough to be offered an OCONUS position (outside of continental US), no matter where it is located, they should grab it. Great pay, great benefits, and we don't have the serious physical health conditions that some nurses have in stateside schools. Every student has at least one parent employed with a military related job. Adequate food and housing is not a concern we have to address.

I read so many comments here about parents not returning phone calls, not following up, or unable to follow up, on needed medication or doctor's appointments. I don't have to pull teeth to get immunizations. If I can't reach a parent in an emergency we will contact their military chain of command. If the immunizations aren't brought up to date in the specified time the student cannot return to school until the updated documentation is received. No parent would dare send a COVID positive student to school or send their children to school if a member of the household is in quarantine due to either a family member being positive or in close contact with someone else who is positive. There are very strict rules in place during this pandemic.

Thank you for the info!

JustJai, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-I · Apr 8, 2021

I have never used USAJOBS.gov. I can't offer any suggestions on what you need to do get straighten out the password. I would suggest you call the school you are applying to and get the principal's email address. Get your name out there. Tell them you are interested in being considered for a school nurse position at that school, but you are having difficulty with USAJOBS. Ask if they have any insight into how to address the problem.

I have to hold my breath when people start to complain about DoDEA working conditions overall. Sure everyone has issues with administrative decisions, but when your classroom population rarely exceeds the low 20"s (right now my school is averaging 18 students per class - I work at the ES level), supplies, for the most part, are not lacking, technology, for the most part, is supported with an okay number of computers, a salary that most people would not turn their nose up at, rent and utilities are part of the compensation package for those who work for DoDDS. DoDEA, Department of Defense Educational Activity, is the umbrella government agency, with headquarters located in Virginia. DoDDS, who I work for, is Department of Defense Dependent Schools. DoDDS schools are the ones located outside of the United States. DDESS, Domestic Dependents Elementary and Secondary Schools, have schools on military bases in the US and US territories such as Guam, and Puerto Rico. DDESS salaries are higher because they do not receive the housing compensation provided to DoDDS professional staff. Off the top of my head, the DDESS schools are located in NY, VA, KY, NC, SC, GA, and AL along with the two territories mentioned above. There are no DoDEA schools west of Kentucky. If you know of a school on a base other than the ones mentioned above, most likely it is run by the local school district. The staff at those schools are not employed by the federal government.

nursetlm - yes, DoDEA now requires a BSN. I have an associates degree and got in just under the wire before that was implemented. Fortunately, I am grandfathered. I am close to retirement age. For me the costs of completing a BSN outweighs the benefits of having one. Education salary bumps don't start until you begin accruing graduate level credits. Many schools in Europe have health aids or techs and an LPN would be perfect for that, but DoDEA would only hire local applicants for those positions.