Holy pay cut shock!

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  1. Do you get paid way below average as a school nurse?

31 members have participated

I'm sure this has been up here before...but I've never browsed the school nurses as I recently became one. I'm an LPN of 2 Year's, prior medic, and medical assistant. My job I just left at a rehabilitation hospital paid 28/hr...when they offered me the school nurse job she said 15/hr!!!! Minimum wage here is 10! I was kind of, well, offended! I got them up to 17.85/hr plus all breaks paid off, regular benefits, and a pension plan. Just curious...did everyone else experience this incredibly low pay in school nursing? I couldn't believe they could ever fill the position at 5 dollars over minimum wage!?

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

There are certain trade offs when it comes to jobs that are outside acute care and have a regular schedule of day shift no weekends and no holidays.

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School nursing is not the only area in nursing to offer low pay.

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I think this is normal for school nurses. Its incredibly low paying part of nursing.

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I've been an lpn for 20+ years and make less than my first nurse job 20 years ago. The lifestyle is everything to me and my husband - no day care expenses, time of, holidays off. I could get a job in the summer and make up some income and i might when my son is older. Plus I get paid year round, so drawing that check in summer is sweet. It was a shock though

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Thanks for the input! Having worked some horrible hours with ridiculous patient ratios I'll absolutely agree there are a lot of things that are worth more than money! There are a lot of great benefits...I just figured some areas may pay +\- 5 dollars an hour. I think the average Lpn pay in Arizona is about 25. So 10 less an hour seemed so shocking! But there is opportunity to get hours moonlighting somewhere. The HR director suggested they may have hours working the sporting events...has anyone found extra hours with the school that way?

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Yes, school nursing is ridiculously low paying. Unlikely to change if people are willing to do it. I am guessing most school nurse are not the main support of their family.

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I'm a certified school nurse and I. The teacher's union so I follow their salary. My pay is good. Not as good as it would be in the hospital but the benefits outweigh the decreased pay. Other nurses in our district are considered aides even if they are RN's and their pay is pitiful, but in Pennsylvania, they only need to hire 1 CSN for every 1,500 students. We fare better than many states though.

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Yes, school nursing is ridiculously low paying. Unlikely to change if people are willing to do it. I am guessing most school nurse are not the main support of their family.

I was thinking that also, maybe if they can't fill the jobs, they will increase the pay. I don't think that will happen though because it's a great schedule especially for people who have 2 income households. I still actually make more than my sister who is a 4th grade teacher with a masters degree though sadly!

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Someone has always accepted that rate for whatever reason.

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Specializes in med-surg, med oncology, hospice.

" Plus I get paid year round, so drawing that check in summer is sweet." QUOTE

I'm not a school nurse, but I think it is the same as for the teachers. Though paid for basically 9+ months of work, when a teacher is signed on, she has the option of being paid monthly for the 9 months or same amount spread out over 12 months to get some income over the summer months when school is out of session.

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Thanks for the input! Having worked some horrible hours with ridiculous patient ratios I'll absolutely agree there are a lot of things that are worth more than money! There are a lot of great benefits...I just figured some areas may pay +\- 5 dollars an hour. I think the average Lpn pay in Arizona is about 25. So 10 less an hour seemed so shocking! But there is opportunity to get hours moonlighting somewhere. The HR director suggested they may have hours working the sporting events...has anyone found extra hours with the school that way?

Some school nurses do summer camp nursing in the summer. Lots of camps let you bring your children for free.

Enjoy your weekends, holidays, evenings, and nights off.

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