Mean director

[rn4me2be]

I've been offered a school nurse job starting next school year. I met the head nurse over the whole district recently at an event and boy-oh-boy is she a crabby lady. She was so unhappy about everything going on that day. Little things like she was going to complain to the people in charge because we had to wait a few minutes for something. She was just so put out by everything.

Now I'm wondering if I want the job or not if I'll have to work with this lady a lot. How much contact do you have with your head nurse over the district? I didn't interview with her for this job - that was with the principal. Anyone else have to deal with someone who seems to go looking for problems and things to complain about? She really seems to enjoy complaining! ??

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

School nurse jobs are really hard to come by. People wait for years for a position to open up. Are you sure this head nurse is not retiring come fall, hence the opening?

In any event, I am sure that there's a whole lot of school levels in which she is in charge of. So I am not sure that you would be spending copious amounts of time with her.

Never the less, remember, how someone acts in off time is not always reflective of how someone acts at work. She may be professional to a fault at school, and "lets her hair down" and turns off her filter out of school.

[Wave Watcher]

I only deal with my supervisor if I need something or she has a question for me. There is only one nurse per building in my district and I am able to run my building without many issues. Therefore, less issues = less contact with supervisor. Although, I do love our supervisor and all the nurses I work with. :-)

[OldDude]

All good advice; it's better to take this opportunity and try it based on how it unfolds versus not trying it at all.

[abc123RN]

I rarely have contact with my nurse supervisor, phone or email for questions as they arise. I would take the job since like the others have said, school nurse openings are few and far between.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

You actually have a nurse supervisor?

[Emergent, RN]

One thing that might be helpful would be if you could find out who left the job before you applied. Maybe that person left because this woman made her life very difficult.

Once I applied for a clinic job. It just so happened that I knew the nurse who had worked there before. I contacted her and found out that it was a very toxic work environment. That was very useful and I decided not to take that job.

[rn4me2be]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the good advice.

Emergent, this is a new school in the district so I'm not replacing someone who left.

I think I'll go ahead and try it. There are a lot of schools in the district so she probably won't be able to spend too much time with me.