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Discussion

Please help! New substitute school nurse!

Hello all, I really need help! I am very anxious about starting this school year. I do not feel as though I am prepared enough and am ready to quit! I am a new nurse and I just landed a job with an agency as a substitute school nurse. I went to the school today (just to look through the files, tour the room, and meet the staff, kiddos aren't in school until next week!) and left with even more anxiety! The school nurse prior did not leave me much and I am very confused. I found binders for the 15-16 school year, but that's it. Thankfully, the new nurses are supposed to be mentored and I believe someone is coming to the school, but I have not yet been informed of my mentor and am stressing out about that as well. I have been looking at the posts on here and they have helped me. I have some ideas; however, I feel as though I'm going to be a total pushover and too nice. I really need help being stern and not letting my room become total chaos.

Thank you all for reading and any advice will be very much appreciated!

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    Hi and welcome! That's very typical of school nursing, where you really are thrown into it with very little training, guidance, or support. I am in my third year and remember feeling like you are feeling my first year. There are so many posts on here from newbies wondering if they made the right choice to do SN, if they will come back, etc. A lot of it is learning as you go, coming here to ask questions, and not being afraid to ask your administration for help (not that they will necessarily help you but worth a try- lol).

    One of the things I like so much about this job is the amount of autonomy I have. You can develop you own systems for doing things which is great. Definitely don't reinvent the wheel, but if you find a way to do something that works well, do it. The health and safety of the students is priority- do not let mandated screenings and paperwork cloud that or get in the way. I was so scared my first year and let those things overwhelm me. Good luck!

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    • Author
    Hi and welcome! That's very typical of school nursing, where you really are thrown into it with very little training, guidance, or support. I am in my third year and remember feeling like you are feeling my first year. There are so many posts on here from newbies wondering if they made the right choice to do SN, if they will come back, etc. A lot of it is learning as you go, coming here to ask questions, and not being afraid to ask your administration for help (not that they will necessarily help you but worth a try- lol).

    One of the things I like so much about this job is the amount of autonomy I have. You can develop you own systems for doing things which is great. Definitely don't reinvent the wheel, but if you find a way to do something that works well, do it. The health and safety of the students is priority- do not let mandated screenings and paperwork cloud that or get in the way. I was so scared my first year and let those things overwhelm me. Good luck!

    Thank you so much! We had a city wide training today and I feel a little (very little) more confident now that I actually got to talk with other school nurses in my district and I got their contact information. Everyone was so nice and willing to help! I'm just worried that I'm going to mess up and look like an idiot lol.

  • Quote
    Thank you so much! We had a city wide training today and I feel a little (very little) more confident now that I actually got to talk with other school nurses in my district and I got their contact information. Everyone was so nice and willing to help! I'm just worried that I'm going to mess up and look like an idiot lol.

    That's great- use them as resources for sure! I promise you as the year goes on you will feel better and pretty soon you will be on here posting advice for newbies :)

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