LPN School nurse?

Specialties School

Updated:   Published

Hi, I was interested in becoming a school nurse but I was wondering if you had to be an RN to apply for the job. If you can be an LPN what is the process for applying?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Hi, I was interested in becoming a school nurse but I was wondering if you had to be an RN to apply for the job. If you can be an LPN what is the process for applying?

Not sure exactly but here most schools take BSN's. Good luck :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing.

I am a school nurse and I am an LPN. Been doing this job for 14 years and I love it. I am in Virginia. We have many LPN's as well as RN's in our school district. We work independently, but have a close RN to "run things by" if there is a problem. I definitley feel that a LPN can handle this job.:nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

in the county in FL where I work most of the nurses are LPNs :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In Washington not only do you need a BSN but you have to have EXTRA credits in nursing or education. I was hired on a "preliminary" basis and have to spend 2 weekends in Tacoma in the spring doing extra training...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In Iowa I was told you have to have a BSN to be in the schools as a nurse because it is education.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

in illinois, it is rn's. scope of practice and all. lpn's need supervision.......

[color=#483d8b]

[color=#483d8b]suebird :p

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in pediatric, geriatric, med-surg.

I'm an LPN that is a school nurse. I love it! Good luck to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

I'm not sure where the original poster is from, but in North Texas also, you have to be BSN. I've never understood why.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The reasons LPNs cannot work independently in schools is because in most states Nurse Practice Acts they are required to work under the supervision of a RN. So if a district has an RN who is delegating to an LPN, then it is legal, but the RN's license is at risk is he/she does not adequately supervise. In some states assessment is not within the LPNs scope of practice in the Nurse Practice Acts, so the RN must create protocols to follow for most health problems and emergencies.

The reason that a BSN is recommended by NASN and is required in some states is because school nursing is a subset of public health nursing. In addition to providing 1:1 care for individual students, the school nurse standards require the school nurse to conduct school community needs assessments, provide population injury and illness prevention and health promotion and to conduct program evaulations. Public health nursing is not included in ADN curriculums and is one of the major differences between ADN and BSN preparation.

Some states require specific masters credits or an MSN to be a school nurse: Illinois and California are two such states.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
The reasons LPNs cannot work independently in schools is because in most states Nurse Practice Acts they are required to work under the supervision of a RN. So if a district has an RN who is delegating to an LPN, then it is legal, but the RN's license is at risk is he/she does not adequately supervise. In some states assessment is not within the LPNs scope of practice in the Nurse Practice Acts, so the RN must create protocols to follow for most health problems and emergencies.

The reason that a BSN is recommended by NASN and is required in some states is because school nursing is a subset of public health nursing. In addition to providing 1:1 care for individual students, the school nurse standards require the school nurse to conduct school community needs assessments, provide population injury and illness prevention and health promotion and to conduct program evaulations. Public health nursing is not included in ADN curriculums and is one of the major differences between ADN and BSN preparation.

Some states require specific masters credits or an MSN to be a school nurse: Illinois and California are two such states.

I'd just like to clarify: It is my understanding that IL requires MS level coursework for school nurse certification (Type 73 certificate). However, certification is not required for employment in many school districts throughout IL. The district my girls attended actually dismissed their certified school nurse in favor of a non-certified RN, who undoubtedly commanded a lower salary. That same district also advertised for non-licensed personnel to staff one building, presumably working under the license(s) of RNs located in other buildings.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"I'd just like to clarify: It is my understanding that IL requires MS

level coursework for school nurse certification (Type 73 certificate).

However, certification is not required for employment in many school

districts throughout IL."

Many states do not require district to hire any health staff, licensed or not. If they do hire non certified nurses in Illinois, they cannot be called school nurses according to the Illinois School Code. They often are called Health Aides, which I have a huge problem with calling a person with an RN license an aide. Chicago calls their's Health Service Nurses which is much better.

Schools in Illinois are going to have to either hire certified nurses or they are going to have to contract out for their services because the 2004 rewrite of IDEIA requires nurses to be at the IEP meetings unless a parent provides a written release for their attendance. In Illinois, since there are certified nurses, and the person attending must be "HIGHLY QUALIFIED" it is being interpreted that the district must have Illinois certified nurses. So it will be interesting to see how that changes the landscape of Illinois school health services.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment