kmazur2

I heard a lot of people talking about Vaxxed so I watched that film. Also watched The Truth About Vaccinations. Suzanne Humphries is also a great doctor who discusses vaccinations. I thought it was important to hear the other side of the argument and was interested in what they had to say.

I started at the bottom, too, but I think that my previous experience should count. My previous experience as a nurse affects my role here and adds a skill foundation different than if a nurse is fresh out of school. I'm hoping other schools allow previous experience as counting towards their steps on the salary schedule.

Hello, I'm a certified school nurse in Illinois. I'm new to the teachers' contract, and it seems my district is fairly new to having a nurse on the contract with the teachers. I was hoping to see what other districts are doing in regards to their certified nurses. So, I have a few questions: Do you get a planning period in addition to your lunch like the teachers? Are you required to attend/stay for parent/teacher conferences, in-services, teacher institute days, curriculum nights, open houses, etc? Or are you just there when the students are? Are you required to work days before/after the school year? If so, how many? Do you get paid extra for that? Does your previous nursing experience count as years towards the salary scale? Or do only the years you were certified count? For example, I've been a nurse for 7 years, but only certified for 2, so they only count my 2 years instead of my 7. Do you carry liability insurance? Thanks so much for you input! I really appreciate it!

Hi, I am a school nurse in the Western Suburbs of Chicago too (Middle school). I am currently in the certification program at UIC, and as a 1st year school nurse the program has been a HUGE help! I am SO glad I began the program; it has taught me so much about the legalities of my job that I previously did not know about. I personally like to be ahead of the game instead of finding out on the job that I did something incorrectly. The program is VERY easy to follow and do when working (I work a side job and am in a Master's program, too). It's very straightforward and all the assignments are very pertinent to your job. The certification exam is also very easy; I was really worried about not passing but I just passed a few weeks ago! And I didn't even finish my 2nd class yet. Yes, the certification program is expensive (about $10,000), but in my mind it was worth it. Plus, at my school, with certification I get move to the teacher's union, with an increase in salary and better benefits, like insurance and pension. It was definitely worth it and VERY doable. Plus I think it makes you much more marketable. As of 2016, ONLY certified school nurses can make recommendations for student's IEPs, among a few other things. I think it'll only help you out :) Best of luck!

Hi, This is my first year as a school nurse, and I'm taking classes to get certified. I recently found out the Health Log in which students sign in is against FERPA laws. I was curious to see what other school nurses are doing in place of a Health Log? How else do you keep track of the students who come in if you can't chart immediately? Thanks!

Hey Everyone, I'm new to school nursing, so I'm just trying to figure out a few things. Anyone have any recommendations for students who have general complaints? Sore throat, stomachache, headache? I'm so used to being able to do an intervention but school nursing is completely different. I usually recommended carrying water bottle for these kids, but the teachers are starting to complain about the kids bringing them in class. I want to do something for the kids to make them feel better and send them back to class asap, since they're pretty benign complaints (after assessing/evaluating students). I work with 5-8 graders, so I'm trying to find the balance between being caring/compassionate but also not babying the students too much and sending them home or calling home for every complaint. We're not allowed to do meds, obviously, so cough drops are out. Just wondering what everyone else does? I'm the only school nurse, so I'm figuring all this out on my own. Thanks!