I am so excited! (New Job)

[zurie]

I was just offered a position at the Elementary school in my neighborhood! I am really excited because I had great interviews with the principal and then the district's nurse so I think this will be a good fit. My nursing experience is all in adult (ICU step-down unit) so this will be a big change for me and I want to brush up on my pediatrics. A while back someone suggested the book "School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text" so I plan to get that. Does anyone have additional suggestions?

I also thought about taking a first aid class because I've heard that can be helpful. What do you guys think, are they worth it or it would be stuff I already know?

Overall, I can't wait to start because school nursing has been my goal since I had my community clinical rotation. I am nervous of course because this will be a huge change from the hospital environment but I know I'll be ok.

[halohg, RN]

Your past experience reminded me of a funny experience. So a 1st grade comes in and the Nurse pass says chest pain and heart hurts. Of course I do a full assessment and am ready to call EMS, then I asked the 7 year old if she could point to where the pain was and I swear the child pointed to his belly button. Very quickly I learned children are not the most accurate story tellers or historians. Oh and the pain started after his birthday party which was 2 weeks ago. So take all info even from the teachers and staff with a huge grain of salt. Most "head injuries" in this group amounts to a slight bump, always have them demonstrate on you with their fist how hard they hit their head. Remember it might be staff that is sending the child to cover their ass. Many times "vomited in class" is more like spit up from coughing, mucous, or eating too fast. I usually take a small water cup and ask them to point how far up on the cup the puke they spit up would measure to, a lot of times it's really not vomiting. For elementary school keep it simple, follow your medical directors orders as you will mostly see: stomachaches, headaches, seasonal allergy symptoms, abrasions, bathroom accidents, chapped lips, lost or wiggly teeth, asthma control, diabetic management, seizure precautions, food allergy management, and a whole lot of nonsense wrapped in staff politics.

[Bert9725]

Hello,

My name is Robert. Im currently a nursing student and I was looking at finding out some more information about what its like to be a school nurse. Im currently working on a paper and would wonder if you'd be able to answer a few questions for me?

Can you explain your motivation for becoming a community health/public health nurse?

What pathway was used to achieve your current nursing position?

Can you describe the impact that your position has on health promotion and disease prevention?

Can you explain the current work climate and community partnerships of your specialty?

Do you have any advice for student nurses to prepare for a career in community/public health nursing?

I appreciate the help, and thank you for your time!