New to NYC/ NJ School Nursing Process..help

[deenyc]

Hello all!!

I am currently a RN with 4 years exp. 1.5 years in CCU stepdown, 2.5 in Case Management (developed adrenal insufficiency from BC pills couldnt do the floor anymore). Anyways I am considering going into school nursing in the next 2 years as we are planning on having children. I am concerned about a few things: the pay cut (which I know is inevitable) but how long until you start making decent money again? I have been quoted with $45,000 a year starting in NYC & $50,000 in NJ. In Nj you need to have a school nurse certificate, which is around 36 credits...do these count as Master's Credits? and will cost me $18,000 to get.

In NYC I know that yout work for the NYC HEalth department and things are more uniform. how have your expiriences working with them been. They don;t see too worried that i do not have any school nursing expirience. How does the pension/benefits work? Are the NYC schools dangerous, how are the parents? They said they have positions available in midtown, and uptown (but not Harlem), and a few downtown. How are the public/ vs non public? From my research it just seems that you get alot more assisitance in the NYC schools. The people I have spoken to from the dept are very nice

This would be a big change for me..and I would be taking a huge salary cut. But I have to tell you Im starting to get burnt out working for the company Im currently with. I jut dont know how I could keep this up and have a little one as well. My mother was a teacher and she was always with us....dinner on the table by 5pm everynight.

I know once you get a school nurse position you never leave it...which is why Im debating if I should stay in NYC (where I currently live) or start in NJ which is where I will probably end up when I have children. And just do the reverse commute for now.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!