Don't jump on me! But i'm bored already

Specialties School

Published

I just started as a school nurse at the beginning of this month and I'm already bored of my position. The days feel so long even though I only work 7-345 because there isn't much for me to do but see students throughout the day and then organize my office. I hate to sound like I'm complaining. But I really do hope this feeling goes away soon. I left my old job in LTC because of potential burnout and being cancelled left and right every week. Now I miss the excitement from the residents and actually being busy. Weird, right? I'm just hoping someone can lend a helpful word of advice. I'm also pregnant so this job is perfect for the baby schedule wise. As I'm off every weekend, holidays, whenever the kids are off, snow days, and 6 weeks in the summer and its all paid. I just don't know what to do. I'm sitting in my office now as I type this. Also my previous schedule was 32 hours 7-330 so I also feel like my days are so long now due to commuting into Boston which takes an hour to get here and an hour and a half to get home. I'm sort of miserable.

Well I'm the opposite of you. I wish I was slammed honestly. But I do not teach health class, haven't started screenings yet (next month), and for the most part see students daily and organize my office. I've been on 2 field trips and those were fun. No, I'm not the first school nurse here. They've gone through a good rotation of them. I'm hearing this now from the students. They didn't have one when I started because the previous nurse quit at the end of the last school year. We have a nurse handbook. I was handed one the second week I started. I also have a medication book and plan on updating that as well. But this is all paperwork busy work which I can do overtime. Still doesn't keep me busy and engaged throughout the day. But thanks anyways for your advice, I appreciate it! I hope it gets better.

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Specializes in kids.
Thanks! I hope so that it will get better. I don't do care plans here and field trips are every so often. I went on two about two weeks ago and that was the beginning of the school year trip. I don't have to update immunizations because the staff took care of that a while ago. I just have to start the screenings after I go to the training on the 25th of next month. I've been organizing and creating a filing system in my office with all of the kids medical records since I started so I'm almost done with that. But I don't rush through it because that's the only busy work I have to get me through the day. I also came from a busy unit but only after 1 year not 8 and I think that's probably why I feel bored. But I will give it some time to settle like you suggested. I just joined the wellness committee here but they meet twice a year. But I will find things to do to keep me busy as you suggested. I'm just not used to this pace and with little to no orientation there was no way in preparing for this role and what to expect. But thanks again for the advice.

I would definitely review the immunizations just to be sure. I find even after all these years, occasionally I am missing something! Do a thourough review of the each kiddos chart. There is some really interesting information in there!!!

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Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

If your immunizations aren't entered in the computer (ugh, BTW) you probably need to go through them again and make sure everyone has turned one in. Without a computer system it would be near impossible for you to go through your whole student population to make sure they are all compliant on all of their immunizations.

But what you can do is check your 4th and 5th grade immunizations and start a spreadsheet of when they will expire. Student's need additional immunizations once they hit age 11, so their certificates will expire (and must be UTD to stay in school) and most parents don't know that.

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Specializes in NCSN.
Well I'm the opposite of you. I wish I was slammed honestly. But I do not teach health class, haven't started screenings yet (next month), and for the most part see students daily and organize my office. I've been on 2 field trips and those were fun. No, I'm not the first school nurse here. They've gone through a good rotation of them. I'm hearing this now from the students. They didn't have one when I started because the previous nurse quit at the end of the last school year. We have a nurse handbook. I was handed one the second week I started. I also have a medication book and plan on updating that as well. But this is all paperwork busy work which I can do overtime. Still doesn't keep me busy and engaged throughout the day. But thanks anyways for your advice, I appreciate it! I hope it gets better.

I feel like my office is either feast or famine (heavily leaning more towards the first). On days where they are doing special things (spirit days, holiday parties etc), my office is DEAD. Something about the word party cures all of my frequent fliers aliments. Those are my least favorite days because time goes by so much faster with a full clinic.

It's a different kind of busy though. I remember how exhausted I would be after day two of three when I was bedside. I really prefer this busy.

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Okay, I will thanks!

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Okay, I will start another spreadsheet just for immunizations. I'm currently working on a spreadsheet now where I entered whether the child can have OTC meds and which one plus if they have allergies. But again this is just paperwork in my eyes and I guess I'm already used to juggling paperwork and patients of upward to 20+ at my old job that this just seems like busy body work. Which I don't mind but that doesn't occupy my whole day. I'm very computer saavy and can create a spreadsheet in just a few days with all of the student info. I just want to be challenged just a little bit and I guess that's where my disappointment is coming from. But again, i appreciate the advice.

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I just want to be challenged just a little bit and I guess that's where my disappointment is coming from. But again, i appreciate the advice from all of you guys. Really I do. I will stick it out and see what the month of October brings. Hopefully the screenings will help me keep busy and shift my perspective a bit. Thank you all! :)

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School nursing is A LOT of paper work. If you like fast paced running, you won't get that too often, but I never get bored. Between 504 plans, which are the bane of my existence, immunizations, getting all the med orders in, screenings, the endless meetings and seeing kids, I'm never bored. Plus, I just love hanging out with my high school kiddos if it is slow. I hope you begin to love it, but if not, I hope you find what is best for you. Keep us informed. :)

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Can you work with the county health department to run in-school vaccination clinics? Those take up a lot of time, but are a great resource for families. I'm 3/4 of the way through organizing a school-wide influenza clinic for students and staff with two different providers during school hours (because... why make anything easy? haha) I will also run HPV, Meningitis, and Tdap clinics this school year.

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Trust me you are not alone. This is my 2nd year as a school nurse and I still miss the excitement of working in LTC, but I have a 2nd job that make's up for the excitement that I'm missing. But every weekend, holiday, and summer off is enough excitement. Hope it gets better for you.

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Specializes in school nurse.

Just wait. I bet the reason that the school hasn't been able to hold on to a nurse wasn't boredom...

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Maybe you should apply for an ER job, 12 hour nights, every other weekend and holidays with a new baby soon. I'll bet that would fix the "boredom" of school nursing.

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