Lonely in the office

I started to walk to the front to ask people questions instead of emailing or calling. That assumes you have an aide or you can shut your clinic for a minute.

Good luck! Old Dude is right. They will find you and ask about their hangnails and their angina. Or really serious stuff, too.

Talk to us here. That's what we do. We wuuuuuuuuuuuv each other.

Welcome to the fun world of school nursing!

Yes, it is a lonely and boring job sometimes. I've tried applying at other jobs just to realize my best deal is staying where I am. Chat with us as much as possible to help those days go by quicker.

Some days I go on a "walkabout" to get out of my office when it is slow - I will walk to cafe, get something to drink, visit with lunch ladies or walk thru office and visit. If the teachers I am friends with outside of school are in their planning period and I know they are not in meetings etc I will go and visit with them too. Usually I cant stay gone long just 10-15 minutes if that but just long enough to make time go by faster and not feel so isolated.

I too am new school nurse but on the high school level. I still don't get to many students that come in which is fine I am really enjoying the break!

Since I am new to the school not many students will come in to see me.

I did find however since they have not had an actual nurse in almost 10 years more of the staff come to visit then the students.

I have music on all day, I use I heart radio usually, sometimes Pandora. It helps me not feel so alone, and has some background noise.

Some days I go on a "walkabout" to get out of my office when it is slow - I will walk to cafe, get something to drink, visit with lunch ladies or walk thru office and visit. If the teachers I am friends with outside of school are in their planning period and I know they are not in meetings etc I will go and visit with them too. Usually I cant stay gone long just 10-15 minutes if that but just long enough to make time go by faster and not feel so isolated.

10-15 minutes?!?!?! Holy Cow!! I can barely get down the hall and someone is yakking at me on the radio!

I found it a huge transition from acute care. You are seen as an adjunct, not really staff, but you sure are loved when you are needed. Good luck in your transition.

I feel you on the 10-15 minutes?!?! Since this is a private school and a small one at that (249 students) they all go to lunch at the sametime I try to get to the cafe to get my lunch and I hear my name getting called over the intercom to report back to the clinic a student is waiting.

I am a part of a few of the groups in the school (environmental group, leader in me, trauma informed care) and that helped me get to know my staff a little more. I also try to seek staff out at the start of the day to talk about my frequent fliers.

For students, I stand outside my office and wave to everyone as they come in, but I'm in the middle of the school. Maybe you can be a door greeter or help at the bus stop so then the kids will get to see you more.

But as old dude said, it's a trade off. When I started everyone was nice and polite, now some of my teachers are comfortable enough stripping down in front of me to check a mole on their back. And I've mentioned before, I have a LOT of hypochondriacs, so I check a lot of staff temps and do health education with them daily lol

Hello,

I too am a new school nurse, I started 3 weeks ago, the nurse I replaced was well known and liked, she actually grew up here and went to this same small school. I feel so lonely, no one really talks to me when I work at the high school, they are used to not having a nurse so the kids won't even come to me they go to the secretary if they have a headache and she just comes and gets whatever they need. I feel useless. I am used to being needed and wanted and working in a fast paced environment to feeling so unimportant and not wanted. HELP! I am so glad I have found this board and hope to get to know you all as I adjust to this isolation I am feeling.