If you had to choose...

Specialties School

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Would you pick high school or elementary school age to work with and WHY?

Thanks for your input and Happy Nurses Week!

Elementary!! My favorite age of kids to work with. High schoolers had too much drama for me.

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.

I'm currently in elementary and it's ok, but I know and knew from the start that I would burn out with the littles. They are cute, and they can be very sweet, but when you have a sick kindergartner who doesn't know their last name...well talk about frustrating. I always thought I would enjoy high school age better because I like to be able to reason and joke with a kid more, but I'm not sure I can tolerate attitude from a bunch of teenage girls. I just know I would end up slapping one.

Also watching smart, talented young teenagers destroy themselves with drugs and alcohol...not sure I can do that.

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Specializes in Sub-Acute, School Nursing, Dialysis.

Elementary all the way!!!!

I love working with the younger grades. Absolutely adorable. The parents though can be difficult during this time though since their children are really young. A lot of paranoid mama bears out there. I try to make myself feel relatable to them since I'm a mommy to many myself. But sometimes I secretly roll my eyes at the stupidity and think to myself, am I a bad mom for not flipping out over every scrape and runny nose or am I just practical?!

With that said, I have never worked in the high school setting and I don't know if I would like it. I have subbed in a middle school and it was busy as one poster above had mentioned. My school is Pre-k to 8th grade so I have a good mixture. I am not a fan of the 6th-8th grade group.

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Specializes in NCSN.

I love being in elementary!

As others mentioned, there is a lot of tiny frustrations (they younger they are the more like goldfish they are: so cute, but so forgetful)

but when you actually teach them how to use their inhaler correctly or how to figure out their insulin dose...it's pretty darn rewarding. :)

And as an aside, I have a lot LESS visits compared to our high school. All of the high schools in our district had to hire on nurse assistants because it became impossible for a single nurse to see 90+ kids daily, attend IEPs/504s, and manage all of the medications on their own. But I've been told the visits are a lot faster because they can actually give you to full story (if they aren't lying that is).

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

Elementary. I work in a Elementary/middle school and I honestly like the little kids more than the bigger kids. Little kids only have small injuries and illnesses, but in my one year experience, middle school is always getting hurt... always. Either it's jumping from the second story stairs to the middle floor or swallowing a staple... it's always middle school causing mischief. They are cool kids but I question their common sense sometimes...

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I am the only nurse in my school district so I rotate through the schools. My favorite school is the Pre-K through 1st. I LOVE the little ones. That said, I enjoy all the schools and the students.

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High School hands down! Mid-Schoolers are almost ready to handle my tough love and sarcasm, but sometimes not so much......elementary kids are very cute, but I'm a sucker for a little kiddo and they know it :) I would have an office full in no time for non-issues.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

Elementary all the way!! I am in PK-6.

They don't know enough to try and trick you, and if they do, they are really bad at it! You also do not have the drama that comes with older kids, or I should say the drama is a LOT less and different!

Plus some are so cute!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, school nursing.

I MUCH prefer high school! I taught fifth grade for 7 years, then was a 5th-6th grade nurse for 3.5 years before moving to 9th grade. We have trainers who deal with all of the athletic injuries, there is no recess, so none of those injuries, and these kids are so much more respectful. Yes, I get a lot of teenage girl drama, or boys who come in wanting food, but these kids seem so much more appreciative of me. Plus, I can be sarcastic and/or more firm with them, and they respect that. No parents call to yell at me that I didn't call them after their little snowflake visited the clinic, and more of my students remember to take their daily meds. Plus, the hours are so much better, and I see fewer students. You will have to drag me out of here...

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I've spent most of my time between middle and elementary school since credentialed nurses generally staff the high schools here (I'm not credentialed yet). My boss tells me high school is fun but you have to do your time in the lower grades.

Hands down the middle school kids are my favorite. Dramatic? Yes but you can be firm. They are deep in the awkward stage and life is hard for them. Nothing like the million non-injuries that I see at the elementary school. The little ones are just frustrating for me.

I have been given some days at a continuation high school recently and I like it. It's probably a little more dramatic than a regular high school but the kids are great. Occasionally I'll see a baby since the school offers day care for students to complete their education and I'll get called to check out a random rash.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

Very interesting thread! Informative and entertaining.Thanks, you guys; takes a breed apart to handle school nursing. As others have said to me about my job (PD w/ my "Tiny Nineties") "I sure couldn't do it."

Remember before "Likes" there were "Kudos"? Well, Kudos to you ALL!:yes:

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I work in elementary (PK-5) and that is my preference! We see way more than our middle school does, however our visits tend to be quicker than I hear the middle school visits are. On Monday I genuinely saw 92 students and only sent home 7 (of those 7 I'd say I only really had to send home three--four were parent choice). The middle school nurse could not believe that ratio, but it's typical for me. Because they are young, they listen to my suggestions and go back to class when I clear them to return. They don't (usually) text or call their parent and try to get around me to go home. I don't mind when they don't know their names anymore because I know almost all of their names (even though my school has more than 800 students!). I see a lot of tears but they are easily consoled. Yes, parents can be fussy/nervous for this age group, but I don't mind calling for anything I imagine a parent could be concerned about later.

They are sweet. Their worries are still small and manageable (for the most part :sorry: some of them do have difficult home situations). I would rather sit and explain to a 5 year old that pain is a natural body response, or teach a young new asthmatic about asthma, than discuss sex/drug concerns--that is just outside of my comfort zone, as are teenage "attitude" as I don't think I have it in me to be stern enough to set the boundaries they need!

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