Need Advice For My New School Nurse Job

Nurse ABC · May 25, 2014

Congrats on your new job! Yes you are in for a huge chance. Some good advice: be flexible, friendly, and don't try to make teachers "get you" and all you do because they won't. You're new so you're going to be tested. Stand your ground. Require passes with student name and reason for visit! Always listen and trust your gut!

Also, you do not have to "fix" everything now. If a student complains of not feeling well and you check them out and they seem ok then it's fine to just send them back to class. In the hospital you would figure out if they needed a laxative or antacid or if it was related to another medication or surgery then call the dr and give your imput awaiting for new orders, etc. You don't do that now. There are no patient satisfaction surveys and this is a healthy population for the most part. Sometimes kids just need to feel like someone cares! Sometimes they just want out of class.

Be prepared for the laid back atmosphere of a school compared to a hospital. You will be busy but it's not the same! Teachers will consider lice and vomit emergencies and often overlook a diabetic whose sugar is low. Just because you will not be using the same skill set in ICU does not make you less of a nurse. Sometimes you may feel that way so be prepared.

I work with a nurse who just left the ICU and she said this was one of the hardest jobs she's ever had! I really like it but it took a while because you have to change your whole mind set. You're part social worker, part mom, part counselor, and part nurse in this job among other things. Don't worry if it takes a while to get it all down. As long as your keeping all the kids alive you're doing well! Best of luck to you!

amoLucia · May 25, 2014

To Nurse ABC - I admired your response. I don't do school, but I do read this forum and I truly respect all you school nurses for your practice. Some VERY WISE ones on this forum.

To OP- good luck!

MoshRN · May 25, 2014

Hopefully they will provide you with an orientation.

amnesiac1c · May 25, 2014

One of the most important things for me was building relationships with teachers and parents. IME, the more comfortable they are with you personally, the more easily they trust & work with you. If I had it to do over, I would have made a greater effort in that area sooner.

SnowyJ, RN · May 25, 2014

As someone fairly new to school nursing, here are a few thoughts:

1. bring things to eat that are easy to grab and eat while working. I generally don't have time for an actual lunch break until after the kids go home. (Recess injuries/tummy aches take place mostly mid-day.) I like protein bars, yogurt, etc.

2. Get to your office early in the AM. That gives you time to settle in and prep for the day.

3. On that same note, do as much as you can the day before to set up for the next day, get things ready for field trips, etc.

4. Keep a notebook rather than pieces of paper that log "to do" items. (Re check of vision screenings, names of new students, etc.) I also keep a steno book as a phone log to write down who called an why. Then I enter the info into the computer later.

5. Learn to be autonomous as much as possible. I too came from a hospital background where I had been for a long time. You now have to rely on your own assessment skills and judgement more than ever.

6. Have fun! Working with kids is a great way to keep a fresh perspective on life.

This forum is a great resource. As evidenced by the posts before this one!

100kids, BSN, RN · May 27, 2014

If you have the chance go in and shadow another school nurse for a few days if your school has not ended for the year yet. You won't really know what you're getting out of it until you do start but watch what this nurse does, how she does it, organization systems, frequent issues, etc. I did a few hours in my own kid's school watching before I started here but wish I had been able to do more.

abc123RN · May 27, 2014

I'm new this year to the school setting (3 more days til the final bell). I hope you have other school nurses to call when you have questions, that has been the greatest asset for me this year. Best of luck in your new job!!

OldDude · May 27, 2014

Nurse ABC wrapped it up well....don't try and re-invent the wheel....and the over-riding observation I've seen over the years is - let me preface - this is not an attack or slur on educators; they are an intelligent, caring, and committed group of people. There is no way I would be a teacher. However, for those who have only been exposed to education their entire life, you'll find they are not very informed as to how life is in the world outside of the education instution (you know, school, college, back to school). Keep this in mind and you'll understand some of the interaction you'll experience. Otherwise, I know how you ICU nurses take the bull by the horns and keep your environment under control; you have to to keep people alive. As an elementray school nurse you're gonna have to loosen your ICU grip and chillax. Good luck. Your disrtict is lucky to get someone with your knowlege and insight.

bsyrn, ASN, RN · May 27, 2014

My one piece of advice, contact the other school nurses in your district. They will be an invaluable resource to you. :) good luck

ERRNDeans · May 27, 2014

Build those relationships with everyone, it will be so much eaiser for you. It took about 5 months for that to happen for me, I started in August and in about March I felt like I had some "work friends" here. Get in good with the lunch room supervisors and recess supervisors. They can be great allies. ABC said it well...teachers think lice and vomit are emergencies:) To me, coming from the ER, NOT:)

I try to give each kid a little of my undivided attention, I just don't know what their home life is like. That could be all the attention they get all day. There are kids that will want to see you everyday and fake their symptoms so you have to be firm with them but also let them know you care. With the "frequent flyers" I take it day by day. If I know they aren't ill and have come down 2 times in one day I speak with the teacher and we come up with a plan to get them through. Usually it's set the timer to 5 minutes and go back to class.

Also there will be kids you thought looked okay, you gave them a PO challenge, you watched them in the office for a bit and sent them back to class. They will still vomit. You do not have a crystal ball. Barf happens.

bell1962 · May 27, 2014

You will be going from an environment filled with "medical" people to an environment where you are the only one! Quite an adjustment, isolating at times. But as a whole the kids are wonderful, the staff is mostly cooperative and the hours are great!