How long shall I give this job?

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Specializes in Nursing Education.

I started my first school nurse job in Feb 12. I slipped in at the end of the school year....hit a few speed bumps and decided to go back and give it a try for a full school year. I had posted a vent on this site regarding unfriendly office staff. I took the advice seriously and "bit my tongue" and "killed many people with kindness." :-) Anyway, I went back to the same ES school starting Aug 12. It is very busy of course, but I have a handle on things so far. I met with the principal before school started and asked for help in ways that would expedite the way I do my job. Example: When a new student enrolls...tell the nurse...even if it is just a piece of paper with the kids name on it!! (I am now struggling to do immunization records). I felt positive about the meeting and was ready for a great year. OK, so my issue is, I really feel like it is "them" and "me". I am trying so hard to fit in and just do MY job, but office staff just don't work with me. The principal either was sleeping during our meeting or just totally disregarded my requests for help. So how long shall I keep at this? It is getting old and it is just Sept. Is this a usual environment for school nurses? I just feel it's kind of toxic!!! This environment is putting me off school nursing and I am not sure if it is just my school! Thoughts?

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I am not sure how to answer this except that is not how it is at all schools. My office staff and principal are very helpful and support me in everything that I do. Are you able to switch schools?

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keep swimming, keep swimming keep swimming, if you have seen the movie finding nemo sometimes you have to invest in your self and talk to other school nurses take the iniative and if it not working out keep swimming

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Every school is different. Email the particular enrollment person to send you a current class roster, or at least any enrollment changes as they occur so you can keep up-to-date info on all student AS YOUR STATE insists. New enrollees must have immunization records, might have vision and hearing tests, etc.

Sometimes its just a matter of positive communication.

I worked in one school where the nurse sorted the mail every day - we weren't busy, were we???

Best wishes!!!

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Give it one more shot talking to the principal about the communication issues. if they again fall on deaf ears, i'd say you then have the right to take it a step further and contact the superintendent about the communication issues. The front office needs to change their enrollment procedure to include you. This is not only for student safety, but also for state compliance issues. If records are not kept properly, then the district gets slapped with a hefty fine in most states

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Specializes in Nursing Education.

Thanks all! I am not sure I really want to switch schools either. I have worked so hard these past weeks. I only work 3 days a week and I have done my emergency plans, entered all my orders...etc etc....I am making progress. I guess I am just going to "keep swimming" for a while longer!! :-)

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Specializes in Med-Surg; Telemetry; School Nurse pk-8.

I have found that the acceptance of change in 'the way WE do things' to be slow in education. However, change is possible. It just takes patience and time. Additionally, I think the September is probably the worst month to be a school nurse. We are overwhelmed with paperwork (or lack there of in some instances), and very few in the building understand what we do. As Rodney Dangerfield used to say, "I get no respect". Or at least that's the way it feels some days. Take heart, you are not alone. Every September I wonder what the heck I've gotten myself into, but by mid-October it has all fallen into place. Hang in there!

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Specializes in kids.

Feel your pain there! It took the longest time for me to get them to let me know about new enrollee's. I just kept pushing...now I have two immunocompromised students in my building (one on chemo and one with agammaglobulinemia). I have made it VERY clear, that I take NO responsibility if there is a student enrolled who has not had a Tdap (I work in a HS so that is usually the only thing I need to chase) and there is an outbreak of Pertusssis!!!! I will not acccept that it is ok for just anyone to enter under immunized- I know that under the McKenny-Vento act, those who are classified as homeless must be allowed to enter regardless of their immunization status. But you better believe I am ALL over the, for the 30 days they have to get that info to me!

But that only works if I know they are there....

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