Please Advise! Interested in School Nursing

[Ankh]

I have been thinking about becoming a school nurse for some time now. I am a former classroom teacher and after I got my nursing license and BSN, worked in med-surg for a year. Now I am taking some time off from paid work to be a SAHM. Thinking about next career steps, I believe in the power of health education and also teaching the young how to prevent the development of health problems through healthy habits. Could those of you with experience in school nursing please share your experiences and advice on this specialty? What are the pros and cons? What if I didn't especially love my peds rotation (understatement of the century) but love working with children? Are there opportunities to educate in a school nursing role? Do I have to be certified as a school nurse? Thank you so very much for any insight you can provide.

[kidzcare]

Fortunately Texas doesn't require a school nurse certification. I am "just" an ADN. Probably not even a real nurse. Just the thought of going back to school for a BSN or some other academia makes me want to fax in my deckhand application for Deadliest Catch.

It is not required in Illinois either, but it's the only way to make money as a school nurse here. If you work as a certified SN here then you are on the teacher contract/pay scale. If not, you are on the support staff contract and the pay is much lower. I never understood why my nursing license is worth so much less than an educator's license...?

I went back for my BSN simply so I could become certified and get the pay hike. I will likely get a masters also since that will bump me up even more on the pay scale.

Psst- an ADN is def a real nurse.

[Farawyn]

Fortunately Texas doesn't require a school nurse certification. I am "just" an ADN. Probably not even a real nurse. Just the thought of going back to school for a BSN or some other academia makes me want to fax in my deckhand application for Deadliest Catch.

Hey. Let me know. Maybe I'll start watching, again.

(RIP, Captain Phil.)

[OldDude]

Hey. Let me know. Maybe I'll start watching, again.

(RIP, Captain Phil.)

...still.

[Cattz, ADN]

Fortunately Texas doesn't require a school nurse certification. I am "just" an ADN. Probably not even a real nurse. Just the thought of going back to school for a BSN or some other academia makes me want to fax in my deckhand application for Deadliest Catch.

This...me too! However, I am very afraid of water!

[Farawyn]

...still.

There, there...

*takes this opportunity to hug you and check your pulse*

[Amethya]

Pros: no one bothers you at all, except the kids

Computer time all the time

Your own office

Independent work

Cons:The kids bother you all the time

You are the ONLY medical person there, as such, emergencies you need to handle them

Independent work

[RNUTS]

If I could do it all over again, I would not be a nurse! What a thankless job! With all the changes in healthcare, insurance, and such low rates of cure, what are the incentives? With all the people coming into US with different languages, diseases, needs, want, desires, expectations, it is an unending cesspool of drudgery!!! The worst part as of late, nurses are forced to care for patients who do not even want to take care of themselves!!! The patients refuse to quit smoking, eat well, and read simple instructions. As long as smoking is a viable choice to so many people and tobacco companies exist, cancer will plague people.

When I know a patient smokes, I lose interest in working with the patient. It is a hopeless case!

So generally speaking, nursing is a dead end job that multitudes want to do for the money. Never mind having compassion and wanting to help people. It is just a paycheck for many people.

[RNUTS]

Being a school nurse really SUCKS! Where I worked in Houston, the Principal, yes, the principal is in charge of the nurse. Go figure!!!

Tge worse part is having to have kids vaccines up to date. What a joke!! The parents are not held accountable. I chased parents throughout the school year trying to enforce rules regarding vaccines. No luck. The parents who actually follow the rules have their kids in the same school/classes as those who do not!!! The Hispanic office workers allow unvaccinated Hispanic kids into the school and because of the volume of kids, the nurse probably will not find out until many kids are exposed.

Being a school nurse may be a chill job as another poster stated but, lazy nursing and just showing up for work does not do our profession any good!!

Furthermore, a school nurses salary is usually at POVERTY LEVEL!!!! All the state benefits on Earth are useless if a nurse dies young from being overworked and underpaid!!!! In this case, A school nurse's salary is comparable to a teacher's salary which is THEE MOST THANKLESS AND UNDERPAID JOB IN AMERICA!! So, the way things work in Houston, there is really no need for a school nurse at all!! The monkeys are running the zoo!!!

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

Welcome to AN, RNUTS, well those sure were a great 2 posts to start off your forum debut. Thankfully I have only encountered a few like you in my career. Please, find where your gift lies and follow it, patients everywhere deserve it.

[OldDude]

Come on RNUTS, don't hold back, tell us how you really feel ! Some days I can relate to a lot of what you are talking about. Most of the time, however, I'm just the lazy nurse that shows up for work and doesn't do our profession any good.

Since your post is from a past tense (worked)...I hope you've found something that agrees with you better than school nursing. It can be a challenge.

[kidzcare]

MRx2 and OD- I bow to your patience level. I am not worthy.

[Windchaser22]

Fortunately Texas doesn't require a school nurse certification. I am "just" an ADN. Probably not even a real nurse. Just the thought of going back to school for a BSN or some other academia makes me want to fax in my deckhand application for Deadliest Catch.

OD is really a merman!