Just go the call......

Published

and was offered a school nursing position, for a total of 3 schools. I am so excited, because this schedule will work out wonderfully for our family. The down side is of course that I will have to take a drastic cut in pay. I found that what I thought was base pay, actually will not apply for me until after I get my national certification. Until then I will be making $4,000 less a year then I first calculated. I am having mixed feelings right now, because I am happy to be able to have this job, but to take another hit on a salary that was already low.....SIGH.

Anyway, my focus now will be getting that national certification. It says the minimum number of clinical hours is 1,000 and my job requires me to be certified within 3 years of my hire date. I figure that in a perfect world I could test next summer.

So my question is: what materials do you guys recommend to help me get my certification?

Happy to officially be a new member of your group!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health, Home Care.

National Association of School Nurses bookstore has a School Nurse Certification Review book by Selekman and Wolfe. I used that. I started studying in January and tested in March. I'm big on flash cards that you can carry and review while waiting for your kid to finish soccer practice, so I made my own.

Skip the review book NBCSN Secrets Study Guide. PM me if you want to ask more specific questions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you for getting back with me. How long were you a school nurse before you took the test? The guidelines recommend 4,000 hours before you take the test, but I really don't want to take that long.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health, Home Care.

I worked half time for 6 yrs before taking the exam, but that was mostly because I had other commitments in my life that prevented me from studying/being available during the testing window. I'm contracted for 876 hours per year, I thought I could take it after three years (give or take), but I thought the requirement was 3000 hrs. Maybe that's changed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health, Home Care.

Just looked back on the NCBSN webpage, yes, it does say 4000 hrs. And looking more closely, I didn't have the preferred 1000 hrs per yr for the last 3 years. They did, however, allow me to test. (read between the lines: they took my money!) So maybe they would allow you to test without the 4000 hrs. But I wouldn't recommend for a year or two. Guess it's up to you. Hope you enjoy the job!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I saw a requirement of 1,000 but a recommendation of 4,000. Maybe I will go in between :) I too hope that I love this job. I have 3 kids and the oldest is a high functioning autistic. Unfortunately he has to get up at 5am to get on the special needs bus at 6am. With this job, I will be able to take him to school and he will be able to sleep a bit more. A "normal" family schedule will be something fabulous too. My husband and I haven't really been on the same schedule since we served in the Air Force together over 15 years ago....SIGH. Praying that I have found the right fit!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I saw a requirement of 1,000 but a recommendation of 4,000. Maybe I will go in between :) I too hope that I love this job. I have 3 kids and the oldest is a high functioning autistic. Unfortunately he has to get up at 5am to get on the special needs bus at 6am. With this job, I will be able to take him to school and he will be able to sleep a bit more. A "normal" family schedule will be something fabulous too. My husband and I haven't really been on the same schedule since we served in the Air Force together over 15 years ago....SIGH. Praying that I have found the right fit!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion