Health aid or assistant school nurse?

[nursekoll, BSN, RN]

I'm thinking of asking for a health aid or assistant school nurse. I have been a part-time school nurse at this district for 8 years. This year I was asked to work full time "or as often as you can" and I increased my days to 3-4 instead of 2-3 as in previous years. I am not interested in working full time. This year has had so many more demands on my time and many things have been left undone due to covid taking the front seat! Before I go to my superintendent I'd like to now how this works for any of you that have Health Aids or LPN's working in the nurse office? Right now as the RN, I cover 2 schools in our district. I work 2 days at  the elementary school and 1-2 days at the Jr/Sr high each week. I have someone in mind for the position who is an LPN. For those with more than one nurse, do you call the LPN a school nurse or an assistant school nurse or what? What kinds of things might I have the LPN do when I am not in the building she is in? Right now the secretaries cover medications and calling parents, etc. Should I ask for the LPN to have a full time position? I know she will not write care plans, but could help with screenings, data entry, daily visits, etc. Please give me some guidance on How a health office is run with 2 nurses.

[Nurse Trini]

I'm the second nurse but I'm in a different area.   I was hired to offload some of the administrative stuff off the primary nurse.    Of course, things changed a bit with COVID so I got pushed into doing a lot of the screening stuff for that as well.

It's always been the case that I am fully  up on the operation of the main health office and all the things in it (students who need meds, procedures, etc) so I can cover in the event of absence or some emergency there.

[raebabelvn, LVN]

Our district has two credentialed RN's, and a health clerk/LVN/RN on site for each school. I'm the LVN on site at one school. I think it works out well.

[amoLucia]

Just my opinion here, but if you do ask, go BIG! They can always downgrade your request, but another full-time licensed nurse would be invaluable. And you'd have some wiggle-room.

And during these times, striking while the iron is hot ain't a bad idea!

[Glitternurse, LVN]

I am the LVN for my district I am full time. My RN is a PHN, CSN (also full time). We cover 5 elementary schools and 1 preschool. I work independently in the health office at whichever school I'm based at for the day (I rotate schools daily). I take care of first aid matters and respond to emergencies (I am often called from 1 site to take care of a student at another.), give routine meds, work with our diabetics, do catheterizations and tube feeds and other treatments and procedures , as ordered of course. I do med counts when parents bring in medication, I contact parents. I help with and often run our screenings.  We have a great working relationship and compliment each other well. The RN did all this on her own, plus the other duties that are out of my scope, for seven years before they created my position.

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