Over It (already?!)

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Hi everyone,

I'm new to school nursing this year – have been a nurse for five: in a clinic and then in the OR which I left after having my baby. I really thought this would be the perfect fit, but I just hear myself thinking OVER it!” in response to so many things throughout the day! There are a lot of positives, like the kids are fun and there's always a holiday or break around the corner so I am able to enjoy time with my own family - and there are moments when I feel like I'm really helping a kid or a family out. But mostly it's a struggle to keep my mouth shut or my eyebrows in place when I talk with teachers or parents or even the kids sometimes (missing my OR mask!) I'm starting to think I chose the wrong profession, like maybe I don't care” as much as a nurse should - and that's hard to admit. How can I already be so jaded or burnt out or whatever it is after only five years? Feeling kind of lost… has anyone been here?

Specializes in kids.

Gonna miss you!!

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Thanks ya'll. I'll be school nurse subbing a bit next year, once the theme park closes for the winter, and I'm going to keep an eye out for other PRN nursing jobs. I figure, my mom held multiple jobs that could have been careers, but she always moved on to something new (store manager, paralegal, Christian education director, teacher, stay at home mom, just to name a few of them). I'd be just following in her footsteps to not have one simple career!

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I know how it feels to be miserable in a job and only YOU can be the judge of that. I was willing to take anything decent to get out! Mine was a hospital clinic that I transferred to across the street from the hospital. I was told it was busy but easy and 8-4 M-F. Honey it was crazy, stressful, unorganized, overbooked and 8-7 p.m. with overtime which I didn't want for the extra money. I wanted to be home with my small children at the time. So I took a pay cut into school nursing to get away and loved it. Good Luck and Be Happy in what you do! P.S. I never thought about doing odd jobs except I got my alternative certification in elementary teaching but never taught and at my age, I can't see myself enjoying what the teachers go through. I guess I did my odd jobs before this career. Enjoy!

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Good for you! My mom says that "work" is a four-letter word no matter where you go - every job is a give and take - but it is possible to find something that enriches your life while you to enrich others... if switching it up makes you happy then switch it up! Thanks for your feedback!

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I wanted to be home with my small children at the time. So I took a pay cut into school nursing to get away and loved it.!

That's where I am, too! except I'm not loving it... yet maybe! Thanks glolilly :)

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This is my second year as a school nurse and the first year was hard but it is getting easier. The hardest thing is you don't know what hat you will wear from day to day. Stick it out and give it some more time 👍.

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I still struggle at times after 12 yrs of school nursing. My biggest pet peeve is being the "gatekeeper" for all these kids trying to get out of school that are not really sick.

I've left school nursing three times only to keep coming back. I am one of those that really enjoy the hospital setting, the comradre with other nurses, figuring out something to help the pt, using my nursing skills to the fullest, etc. However, the hospital isn't that great anymore either thanks to patient satisfaction surveys and doing whatever we can to keep the patient happy including admistering pain med every 4 hrs to the druggie who only wants their fix (frequent flyers of the hospital!). However, even those aren't enough to adequately staff the floor. I like the 12 hr shifts making it possible to be off several days a week. However, my kids and my back don't like the 12 hr shifts. So here I am yet again.

I think you need to look at this job as not what you no longer have but what you have gained. You get several weeks off in the summer and several days at every holiday plus snow days. No one calls you out in the eve or on weekends. Your assessment skills will become so good you can tell before a student even speaks if they are truly sick and it's ok to do absolutely nothing except send them back to class. Everyone understands and even expects you will have sick days for you or your child and will not make you feel bad for taking them (as long as you aren't abusing them). You will be some child's only advocate sometimes by insisting they see a dr when their parents are clueless. When a child is scaring the teacher with an asthma attack or possible broken bone you will calmly spring into action because you know what needs done making you look like a hero to the teacher (even if it only lasts 5 min). You will make a child's face light up by giving them a brand new pair of shoes (that were donated) or a hug when they felt like no one cared about them. I could keep going on but you get the picture.

Yes there will be things that we hate like lice, bed bugs, parents that either don't care enough or too much by blowing things out of proportion. It's hard feeling like you're on the outside too. However, every single job has things you hate about it. You just have to pick the job that has the things you can deal with the easiest even if you hate it. That's not the same for everyone and that's ok. Figure that out and you'll know what to do. You can always try per diem in the summer somewhere to see if you still want to leave. Good luck with whatever you decide. There's no wrong answers.

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CAdreamer,

Checking in you. How are you doing?

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thanks, realredhead :)

It was actually really helpful reading through everyone's responses - and I'm still not sure about what I'm going to do in the future... Planning on doing at least one more school year, though. We may be moving out of state at that time anyway, and then I get to reevaluate all over again! In the meantime I'm trying to choose to have a positive attitude about it every morning and remember that summer break is 8 weeks away – what other job offers that? My admin and colleagues tell me I'm doing a great job, so it's nice to have feedback to prove that my work isn't suffering because of my feelings. Trying to keep an open mind and be patient. I think you guys are right: it's hard being the only medical person around. Today a staff member said to me super defensive, I'm not lying.” when I asked her for more info about a student's health because it's just not adding up… and it makes me wonder – do I sound like a know-it-all or something? Or what is my role here if no one takes my assessments into account? Would they talk to the nurse at their kid's clinic like that? Just so different. It's an adjustment, I'm used to being on a tight team in the OR and now I'm telling a speech pathologist that no, I'm not going to go through every student's lunch box and write notes home to parents when a meal isn't healthy”. Yep…

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