Just offered the position

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Hi all! I have just been offered the position of school nurse at an elementary in Texas. About 800 K-5 students. I have never subbed or have an experience as a school nurse beyond the 3 days during nursing school. I really needed to get away from bedside nursing. I do have a few questions.

1. How do I know if I am getting fair pay?

2. Where can I get some training for things like

concussion/ dabetic / epi-pen use?

3. Are there tips for dealing with parents? Staff?

All comments and suggestions would greatly be welcomed!

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Specializes in Home Health,Dialysis, MDS, School Nurse.

First off, congrats on your job offer!! We'd love to have you join our ranks! That said, its summer time now, and many of us are off enjoying our hard earned vacation! Its pretty slow in here until August/September. However we have accumulated a vast amount of knowledge on these boards, and I suggest you look back at older posts, search for your specific questions and odds are you'll find some very interesting reads! Hope to see you around in the Fall!

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Congratulations,

There is the National Association of School Nurses that has online courses/webinars, some free, some (mostly those that offer CE credit) for a slight fee.

Many of the drugs/devices (epipens,etc...) have instructional material available both printed and online.

As for dealing with parents (or teachers, or administrators,...), well that is a sticky issue. Just be patient and stick to your medical training. As the above poster says, lots of threads on the subject here.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Welcome...you won't be bored with that many elementary schoolers.

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Congrats...

1. Fair pay... it will not be, but no holidays, weekends, nights, summer off. Typically on 6 or 7 hour work day. You can search surrounding districts board of ed meetings and look at salaries stated in the agenda or minutes. Or research union contracts in areas close to you to see regionally contracted rates. In my area the base can be as low at 38K up to about 50K.

2. Concussion resource... HEADS UP to Youth Sports: Online Training | HEADS UP | CDC Injury Center

Epi pen ... look on YouTube many good training videos

3. Staff in the younger schools can be tough...try not to take anything personal, many times they are just covering their a$$es. Parents can also be great and challenging. I always respect parents as the are the taxpayers paying for the school budget and my job. Have lots of patience and you will have tons of kiddos come to see you for no real good reasons...just look at it as job security. But have a professional backbone so you are not taken advantage of, set limits, and expectations.

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I don't have any advice but I'm in the exact same position! This will be my first year at a Texas elementary school (1st-5th) of about 800 kids. My only experience is adult at a trauma hospital but the administration in my new district seems very supportive. I purchased School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text as a reference and review before starting. Good luck to you!

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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!

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