Orientation Questions

100kids, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2015

How much orientation did you get when you started? none, the last nurse left about 2 months before I started and we are a 1 school district so there was no one to do an orientation

Do you work with other nurses? nope. just me

Do you have a mentor? Thankfully I have a kind School Nurse in the next district who was willing to let me call her with questions/problems when I first started. We still bounce ideas off of one another.

What's your school population look like? Small school with about 100 kids in it K-6.

kidzcare · Nov 24, 2015

How much orientation did you get when you started? Two days

What did it focus on? Another nurse came to my building and showed me where we kept things and how to use the charting program. I came in the middle of a school year and was not given any kind of direction on the beginning of the school year.

Was it here's how to run the clinic or here's how to handle students? handle students mostly

Do you work with other nurses? There are 7 nurses in our district, all at different buildings. I sometimes call them for advise

Do you have a mentor? See above

Was it long enough or did it cover enough? No, I was completely lost

What's your school population look like? 950 kids

SassyTachyRN · Nov 24, 2015

How much orientation did you get when you started? A week

What did it focus on? Everything, it was in the summer before school started, in a small group of other newly hired nurses, a full 40 hours

Was it here's how to run the clinic or here's how to handle students? Both

Do you work with other nurses? Yes, 30 of them

Do you have a mentor? Yes, every new nurse is assigned a mentor. I have been a school RN for a few years now and I still call her when I run into things I haven't ran into before, or when I need to bounce an idea or thought off of someone. We also have a nursing supervisor that I call.

Was it long enough or did it cover enough? I think it was fine. Would have been nice to spend some time with the RN who was in the schools before me, actually IN the schools, but she was my mentor, so it worked out fine.

What's your school population look like? 3 schools, about 1100 kids.

Farawyn · Nov 24, 2015

How much orientation did you get when you started? None

Do you work with other nurses? No, but I talk with the other 2 RNs in the district almost daily.

Do you have a mentor? Yes, the senior RN in our district, who is in the Gr 3-6 school

What's your school population look like? They are mostly CUTE, except when they wear shorts that are too short and then I have to ca...OH!

750 kids, grades 7-12.

Eleven011 · Nov 24, 2015

How much orientation did you get when you started? I got 3 hours with the outgoing nurse during the summer.

What did it focus on? Just the basics - how to use the computer system, etc.

Was it here's how to run the clinic or here's how to handle students? not much on students, mostly the clinic

Do you work with other nurses? No, I am the only nurse in my school/district

Do you have a mentor? Not really, but my administration is supportive

Was it long enough or did it cover enough? No - I sometimes have no idea how to do something, or if I am not doing something I am supposed to be.

What's your school population look like - K-12 about 600 students

ohiobobcat · Nov 24, 2015

How much orientation did you get when you started?

None

What did it focus on?

See Above.

Was it here's how to run the clinic or here's how to handle students?

I figured all of that out on my own. My state does offer a 3-day New School Nurse Orientation, but the first class wasn't until October and I started in August.

Do you work with other nurses?

I am in my office by myself, but there are other nurses in my school district. We get together about once a month and bounce ideas off each other and talk about issues we might be having in our practice.

What's your school population look like?

675-ish high school students (grades 9-12)

Do you have a mentor?

Not really, although I can consult (and have) with the other nurses in the district if needed. Or I come here and bounce ideas off of you guys. This is my virtual nurse's station.

Was it long enough or did it cover enough?

Nope and nope.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2015

How much orientation did you get when you started?

At my current job: 2 hours from the outgoing nurse on a Friday afternoon. I started the next Monday.

I had subbed in another district for a few months prior in a school where the nurse's office had two nurses for 1600 students. The nurse I worked with was awesome and taught me many tricks in school nursing.

What did it focus on?

Kids to look out for; documentation; where everything was in the office.

Was it here's how to run the clinic or here's how to handle students?

Yes and now - see above. When kids came in during those two hours, I observed and introduced myself.

Do you work with other nurses?

Yes. My school is split into two buildings/campuses about 15 minute walk from each other. Grades 5 & 6; Grades 7-12. There is one nurse at each campus.

Do you have a mentor?

This board! I also do have some mailing lists/servers I am on with other local school nurses and that helps. I am the senior nurse at my school, however, and the other campus has switches nurses three times since I have been here and I have trained the new nurse each time.

My boss is not a nurse or health care professional.

Was it long enough or did it cover enough?

Nope and nope.

What's your school population look like?

Grades 7 through 12, about 500 kids.

RatherBHiking, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2015

My first year the only orientation I got was how to tube feed this one student I was going to have for like 20 min. That's it. Nothing on how to be a school nurse or run my office. Every few weeks this one nurse would show up and tell me something I would now need to do but I didn't see her as a mentor because she was kind of mean. I did have another nurse I could call who would talk me through things. I felt like I was so lost for a long time. I had a smal school that year then got three schools the next year. That was many years ago. Now new nurses get 2 1/2 days orientation unpaid! Still not enough but the boards of education won't pay for it. They just have no clue why it's important. They just see a nurse who has been trained can surely pass out bandaids and call 911.

SnowyJ, RN · Nov 25, 2015

None. The previous nurse resigned abruptly. Baptism by fire, baby! :Emoticon-Devil:

SnowyJ, RN · Nov 25, 2015

Do you work with other nurses? Not directly, but others are in the District.

Do you have a mentor? There is a nurse next door who has been great.

Was it long enough or did it cover enough? N/A

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Nov 30, 2015

My school never had a nurse. I was a critical care nurse and started the program. Thankfully, a local county allowed me to use their protocols and one of the student's doctor parent signed off on them. HUGE learning curve, but fun and challenging. This site was invaluable to helping me. Thanks to all of you for your expertise.