Please tell me it gets better...

[KKEGS]

I had a 2 hour conversation with our lead district nurse yesterday and now I'm wondering if I should stick it out for at least one more school year. She told me how awful her first 2 1/2 years of school nursing were but now this is her 6th year and she said it does get better and it gets fun.

I'd love to hear some more of your experiences that will reassure me that it does get better. I feel like maybe one school year isn't a fair chance to determine if I should stay or go.

[BeckyESRN]

I'm in my 3rd year and I think I've finally become comfortable here. The tasks were fine once I figured out my own routine (meds, screenings, visits, charting, ect) but the I didn't have the patience or finesse to really handle the teacher/admin/parent stuff. Since I have a new principal (I had 3 different ones last year, not fun) who is very supportive and very much differs to me on all things medical, I feel like I can take on some of the out of hand things that some staff say/do. It's been easier to approach teachers knowing that I'll be fully supported by my admin and my principal is a fan of "that's not a nurse's responsibility" when it comes to dealing with unhappy people, so that's been great. My teachers have realized that I do know what I'm doing even though I'm younger than most of them! And now I know which teachers need me hand hold and over-communicate. And, although it hurts my soul, I've picked up on and joined in on the friendly reminder type email with excessive ! and :)- ugh...

As for parents, blah, I figure you can't make happy all the time so I call when I need to and not when I don't until requested otherwise. One was made when I made her pick up her child for fever and new onset wheezing and then, a week later, told me that I only ever call for "nonsense" reasons and I should have know that her child had an ear infection, when I never saw the kid. So... you win some, you lose some. I've learned to let it go(after proper venting here!)

Only you know if it's right for you. It may not seem like a great fit, but if you're willing to stick it out because the benefits outweigh the crappy stuff (that was me, I needed the school hours to make the family stuff work) then you may be surprised how different each year can be!

[MHDNURSE]

It gets better. Really. I am in my second year and there were times last year where I wasn't sure I wanted to come back. I have an amazing staff here and felt very supported, but a lot of the job is figuring it out as you go along, which can feel isolating, scary, and leave you unsure of yourself. I think you will feel much better equipped next year once you have completed a full year and have an idea of what to expect.

[moreoreo]

I am newer at school nursing than you are and have had some doubts as well. So thankful to everyone on this forum for their thoughtful and helpful replies to you as I was in need of some encouragement myself!