How did you land a school nurse job?

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Mar 3, 2015

Wherever you move to, I would apply for a sub nurse job. That way, you can be called if the nurse is ill, vacation, etc. Then your foot will be in the door. You could also sub for health class, and getting your CPR instructor certification can also be used to teach at the school.

I would start getting your name in now. For some, school nursing positions are quite coveted.

ohiobobcat · Mar 3, 2015

My BFF is a teacher in the school where I am now employed. She had nothing to do with me getting the job, but she did tell me about the job opening as she found out the nurse before me was leaving. I submitted my resume for the heck of it (I was not actively looking for a new job at the time), interviewed and got hired.

I applied for the position through a web site called schoolspring.com. There were all kinds of school staff positions listed on that site.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2015

I subbed in a large public school district first; landed that job through a non-nursing connection my husband had. But having the sub experience made it easier to apply to full-time school nurse jobs.

I also recommend Teaching jobs, educator jobs, school jobs | SchoolSpring. Postings for summer camp jobs are also out there now and great experience to take into a school nursing job.

abc123RN · Mar 3, 2015

I ran into the health service dept head one day and was asked to sub. Never said no when I was called to work and then got the call to do long term subbing at the school where I currently work. Was interviewed for the full time position after 2 months as a sub and the got the job! I would call it blind luck really! Wasn't really looking for a job at the time but it just worked out!

Leegc · Mar 3, 2015

Hello, I am new on allnurses. Are there any school nurses having difficulties with students having resistance to their neb treatments. I had a scary situation yesterday. A mother to a kindergarten student sent her child in to school wheezing, I immediately started neb treatment and checked his pulse ox. I notified the mother, and told her that I gave two treatments within the time allowed by physician's orders and he was not responding to the treatments. I told her that I would be calling 911. The mother said no, I am on my way to the school. I directed her to call 911 or take student to the hospital immediately. The student's vital signs were stable but I was afraid of rapid deterioration. She told the teacher after that he was admitted to the hospital and kept overnight for observation. Why would a mother send the child to school wheezing, as the teacher was informed by the mother that he was wheezing in the am!!!??

Farawyn · Mar 3, 2015

Hello,
I'm hoping to get a new job in June (I'll have 6 months med-surg experience by then). I assume June-September would be the time to look for a school nursing job.
Obviously I will search school district websites for job openings, but I'm wondering if there's another good job-search method? I'm hoping to move to Saratoga Springs, NY if that helps, but I'm open to moving anywhere in the northeast.
How did you get hired?
Feel free to PM me. :)

Oookay.

Even though you are a Rangers fan, I will answer you.

In NY I would suggest going on OLAS and seeing what nurse jobs are available. It is a BOCES site. If there is a particular school you want, go to the website.

Me: I knew there would be an opening in my kids' HS, so I waited until it was posted and wrote a kick ass cover letter. The Principal did not know me other than my name, meaning I wasn't a PITA parent and my kids were not troublemakers, so I got called. I did NOT have any prior School Nurse experience, nor did I sub.

The pay in NY is terrible, just so you know.

Best of luck to you!

Lets Go Islanders!

NurseLRW · Mar 3, 2015

I would also search on Monster and Indeed. I found that sometimes the positions were not posted on OLAS. Include in your search "school district nurse". I worked for Horizon Healthcare (a sub agency for LI & I believe NYC) for a six months before I was hired in my present full time position.

Farawyn · Mar 3, 2015

I would also search on Monster and Indeed. I found that sometimes the positions were not posted on OLAS. Include in your search "school district nurse". I worked for Horizon Healthcare (a sub agency for LI & I believe NYC) for a six months before I was hired in my present full time position.

We use Horizon.

kidzcare · Mar 3, 2015

In addition to some of the website mentioned, I went straight to to local district webpages to check their job listings.

Kittery · Mar 3, 2015

I second SchoolSpring, seems like a lot of schools in the northeast use that. Also, start looking NOW.. if a school knows they need to find a new nurse for next year, they will most likely have already filled the opening by June. And since the positions are very coveted, there are already people in the loop (parents, teachers' friends, etc.) eyeing them! I've had to do the school nurse job search twice and in my experience, March-May is when districts are posting and interviewing for the coming school year. Good luck!

Wave Watcher · Mar 3, 2015

I worked for a temp company doing only school nursing assignments for 1 1/2 yrs. One of the schools that I was subbing at had an opening. I contacted the supervisor and she hired me right away because she trusted me and I had been at their schools before.