Going Directly Into School Nursing?

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I am a new grad with 4 months of home care experience and prospects to become a School RN. I preceptored with my two year program in a school nursing environment and feel this is really the environment that fits my personality, my lifestyle, and my goals.

My question is...Can I go straight into School Nursing? I am continuing an RN to BSN program next year and am thinking I'd like to leave my role in home care to substitute as a school nurse in the meantime. I really don't feel the hospital or LTC/TCU environment is right for me, but I've heard that it may be advisable to get a year of experience in these areas before becoming a LSN. Thoughts?

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

Experience is advisable, however, myself and a few others on this thread started out as New Grads and we are doing amazing. Having experience under my belt would be helpful, but I didn't struggle without it. School Nurse is a different ship and if you have the opportunity to be a Sub Nurse and you know that's what you want go for it! I was at a table during a School Nurse Meeting when a few Nurses got in the subject of if New Grads should be School Nurses. One Nurse was against it. Another Nurse spoke up that she loved working with the New Grad School Nurses and think they are some of the best Nurses she had ever came across because they weren't afraid to jump in, very assertive, and willing the go back to school to obtain the required Credential in our State. It's all relative to the situation I guess. But good luck!

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Thank you for your reply! I am hoping the subbing experience that I gain while I finish my BSN will give me a little leverage so that I am not a complete new grad, if you know what I mean. ;-) I am happy to know that some of you started out as new grads yourselves. I do feel school nursing is completely different than a hospital or LTC/TCU setting. I would really just prefer to start in this area sooner rather than later!

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Specializes in School nurse.

Hello! I am in a similar boat. Not new per se as I have some LTC/rehab experience but didn't like the administrative climate if you get my drift. Been subbing as a school nurse and it is amazing. Currently covering 7 schools and working more days than not. I went and got my BSN and am working on the CSN right now. The subbing experience is invaluable. Go for it!

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Specializes in School nursing.

I jumped into school nursing as a new grad. I started by subbing in a large district and now I work full time in a charter school. I don't feel behind the curve at all. After my clinicals, I knew hospital nursing was not for me. I worked in higher education prior to going back to nursing school, so was I started subbing a light turned on and I knew I'd didn't want to work anywhere else. I'll already gone through the coursework in my state to get certified and I am trying to keep updated as my state has tons of training available online for school health. Next week I am heading to training so I can teach sex ed to my middle school kiddos this winter and I am excited. If you have a passion for preventive care, school nursing can be very rewarding.

But I agree with what was said above - the subbing experience first is invaluable! Gets your feet wet to see if school nursing is for you.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

ideally, since the nature of school nursing is that you are utterly alone in the office it is best to have a few years of experience to help you handle the curve balls and mixed bag of lord only knows that will come into your office on a regular basis.

But that being said, people have come fresh faced and doe eyed right out of nursing school into school nursing and have done just fine. I mean let's be honest, it's best to work on a busy critical care floor if you've had sore sort of germane experience, but new grads get hired all the time.

Yes, i know there is a difference as there are preceptors and trainings and all sorts of touchy-feely lovey dovey stuff on a hospital where you kind of get thrown to the parents.. i mean wolves ( same thing) in a school. But some how we all make it through the day.

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my state has tons of training available online for school health.

Just curious where do you find your online courses for School Nurses? I'm interested to see if out of state people can take them. My state does not have School Nurse Certification so because of that there are limited options for CE and I am always looking to find news ones.

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Specializes in School nursing.
Just curious where do you find your online courses for School Nurses? I'm interested to see if out of state people can take them. My state does not have School Nurse Certification so because of that there are limited options for CE and I am always looking to find news ones.

Sure thing! https://www.neushi.org/

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Not sure what state you live in but some of the colleges offer classes or CEU's that are wonderful and a wealth of information. I too was lucky enough to get a school nurse position right out of nursing school. I have since started working at a LTC facility every other weekend to gain some knowledge, to be honest I love working there also but not sure it has made me a better school nurse. What has made me a better school nurse is staying current in the field of school nursing such as joining your local school nurse association as well as your state association. I am always going to workshops. I must have went to 4 diabetic seminars last year even though I don't have any I want to be prepared. I have made contacts with other school nurses because face it we are alone in our office and I don't know everything so if I need to bounce something off another nurse they are there.

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I know that I wouldn't have been as successful last year if I didn't have a pretty amazing support system - other nurses in the district, a district co-ordinator, and her assistant, as well as great administrators.

All my nursing experience so far has been non-hospital, with lots of self-direction and being the lone medical authority. It's tough to navigate at times, but it's also good for learning how my instincts stack up.

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thanks!!!

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Specializes in School nursing.
Just curious where do you find your online courses for School Nurses? I'm interested to see if out of state people can take them. My state does not have School Nurse Certification so because of that there are limited options for CE and I am always looking to find news ones.

I'm taking online classes at Rutgers. The result will be a CSN for New Jersey. The NASN also offers CE's.

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