Questions about school nursing

roser13, ASN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

Try looking here:https://allnurses.com/school-nursing/

bsyrn, ASN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

not from s. carolina but...

what are your hours at work?

730-255

would you mind sharing your salary and if it's for 12 months or just the school year?

10 month postion equals out to about 19.00/hr not including benefit package which is great

do you work during the summer else where?

yes, i teach and work at a camp

how long were you a nurse before you started school nursing? (experience)

7 years

was this a hard field to get into? what steps did you take?

it is hard because there are not a lot of positions...i was lucky, i got the first job i applied for

what do you do and do you have an assistant?

i take care of kids and no, i do not have an assistant

do you have your own office?

yup

do you get a lunch break?

usually

do you have to stay for meetings like teachers do?

yes

what school do you work in (elementary, middle, high school, etc)?

high school

what's your least favorite thing(s) about this job?

vomit

if you could do it over again, would you still be a school nurse?

yes!!!

LACA, BSN, LPN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

Is anyone here a School Nurse in South Carolina?? I would LOVE to hear from you But all school nurses, please reply!! *I'm not in SC*

What are your hours at work? I work 8:00-3:30 M-F.

Would you mind sharing your salary and if it's for 12 months or just the school year? I get paid 12 months a year, and it breaks down to being roughly $15/hr.

Do you work during the summer else where? No. I spend the summer at home with my daughter (she's 2) and I'm expecting another baby this November, so I'm taking my summer to rest.

How long were you a nurse before you started school Nursing? (experience) I was a nurse for 5 years before I started school nursing. I worked in home health and doctor's offices primarily during that time.

Was this a hard field to get into? What steps did you take? School nursing is very hard to get into--there isn't a lot of positions, and usually whoever has the position is in it for the long haul (this isn't always the case though). I have family and friends who work in the school system, so I knew about the position being available and I was one of 15 that was interviewed. I was offered the job 2 days later.

What do you do and do you have an assistant? I provide nursing care for all students and staff (including tube feeding a K kid 3x day). No assistant.

Do you have your own office? Yes. My office is in the 3rd grade hall.

Do you get a lunch break? Depends on how crazy my day is, but usually.

Do you have to stay for meetings like teachers do? I attend most of my nursing related meetings during the summer. I do have a couple of committees that I'm on that meet before school once a month. I don't have to do bus duty before or after school like the teachers do though.

What school do you work in (elementary, middle, high school, etc)? I work primarily in an elementary school, but I also cover the high school across the street.

What's your least favorite thing(s) about this job? The $$$$ (or lack thereof)

If you could do it over again, would you still be a school nurse? Absolutely, in a heartbeat.

Thanks!!!!!!

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

i'm in texas, but here goes...

what are your hours at work? 7:40 - 3:10, although next year we are starting an extended day schedule and will work til 4:10. i almost always leave on time.

would you mind sharing your salary and if it's for 12 months or just the school year? i am paid on the teacher's payscale, and it is roughly $47,000. i get a check every month year round.

do you work during the summer else where? i used to work summer school for my district, but i moved last year and now the 45 minute commute is not worth it to work a half day. i do not work elsewhere, although next summer i might do some camp nursing if i can bring my kids along.

how long were you a nurse before you started school nursing? (experience) i am in the minority that was not a nurse for long before i got into school nursing. i was on a cardiac tele floor prior to this for less than one year.

was this a hard field to get into? what steps did you take? i literally fell into my job without even looking. my district (large urban district in north texas), has been understaffed and trying to hire nurses for years, at least until the recent budget crisis and hiring freezes. we are still understaffed but can't hire due to budget problems.

what do you do and do you have an assistant? i do meds, procedures (caths and injections), diabetic student care, first aid and illness complaints, handle immunization records and exclude students who are not up to date, vision, hearing and other required screenings, some classroom and group teaching when i have time, weekly wellness messages over the morning announcements, serve on various committees....there is probably much more i'm forgetting! no assistant for me, and i do fine without one.

do you have your own office? yes, it is right off the main office.

do you get a lunch break? yes, i have only missed lunch maybe once and it is only delayed very rarely. i refuse to eat in my office and take my 30-45 minutes in the break room.

do you have to stay for meetings like teachers do? i have monthly off-site staff meetings for all the nurses in the district. occasionally i will stay for the teacher's staff meetings on mondays if there is info i need to share with the group. the vast majority of days i am out on time.

what school do you work in (elementary, middle, high school, etc)? elementary, pk - 5th grade.

what's your least favorite thing(s) about this job? the occasional teacher who sends students for things like invisible paper cuts or a headache that started "right now" but the student is hopping and playing around, or a loose tooth. the occasional parent who cannot be reached and has no working phone number on record. the occasional parent who comes to enroll a student and lets their pre-school age child run wild in my office or scream bloody murder non-stop. the difficulty in finding resources for a poor, underserved community.

if you could do it over again, would you still be a school nurse? in a hot second. the learning curve was steep, but i love my job and if they let me, i would love nothing more than to retire from right her in another 25 years or so

Sl1011 · Apr 19, 2011

wow, your salary is really great compared to others i've heard about!! how long have you been a school nurse and was that your starting salary?

do you have an adn or bsn?

i'm in texas, but here goes...
what are your hours at work? 7:40 - 3:10, although next year we are starting an extended day schedule and will work til 4:10. i almost always leave on time.
would you mind sharing your salary and if it's for 12 months or just the school year? i am paid on the teacher's payscale, and it is roughly $47,000. i get a check every month year round.
do you work during the summer else where? i used to work summer school for my district, but i moved last year and now the 45 minute commute is not worth it to work a half day. i do not work elsewhere, although next summer i might do some camp nursing if i can bring my kids along.
how long were you a nurse before you started school nursing? (experience) i am in the minority that was not a nurse for long before i got into school nursing. i was on a cardiac tele floor prior to this for less than one year.
was this a hard field to get into? what steps did you take? i literally fell into my job without even looking. my district (large urban district in north texas), has been understaffed and trying to hire nurses for years, at least until the recent budget crisis and hiring freezes. we are still understaffed but can't hire due to budget problems.
what do you do and do you have an assistant? i do meds, procedures (caths and injections), diabetic student care, first aid and illness complaints, handle immunization records and exclude students who are not up to date, vision, hearing and other required screenings, some classroom and group teaching when i have time, weekly wellness messages over the morning announcements, serve on various committees....there is probably much more i'm forgetting! no assistant for me, and i do fine without one.
do you have your own office? yes, it is right off the main office.
do you get a lunch break? yes, i have only missed lunch maybe once and it is only delayed very rarely. i refuse to eat in my office and take my 30-45 minutes in the break room.
do you have to stay for meetings like teachers do? i have monthly off-site staff meetings for all the nurses in the district. occasionally i will stay for the teacher's staff meetings on mondays if there is info i need to share with the group. the vast majority of days i am out on time.
what school do you work in (elementary, middle, high school, etc)? elementary, pk - 5th grade.
what's your least favorite thing(s) about this job? the occasional teacher who sends students for things like invisible paper cuts or a headache that started "right now" but the student is hopping and playing around, or a loose tooth. the occasional parent who cannot be reached and has no working phone number on record. the occasional parent who comes to enroll a student and lets their pre-school age child run wild in my office or scream bloody murder non-stop. the difficulty in finding resources for a poor, underserved community.
if you could do it over again, would you still be a school nurse? in a hot second. the learning curve was steep, but i love my job and if they let me, i would love nothing more than to retire from right her in another 25 years or so

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

Wow, your salary is really great compared to others I've heard about!! How long have you been a school nurse and was that your starting salary?
Do you have an ADN or BSN?

I have a BSN, which is what my district requires, although not all Texas districts do. I'm quite pleased with the salary...still a paycut from the hospital when you factor in shift diff, but not by much and sooo worth it not to have to work nights, holidays, and weekends. I once sat down and figued out the average hours per school year I work and then figured out my hourly...it was around $33. Not too shabby. :)

I am in my 4th year as a school nurse and we do get raises each year based on how long you've been with the district...I think I started maybe just under $45,000 if I remember correctly. Next year I should be up close to $48k.

juliaann · Apr 19, 2011

I once sat down and figued out the average hours per school year I work and then figured out my hourly...it was around $33. Not too shabby. :)

Not shabby at all, especially considering how much you seem to love your job! Thanks for answering these questions, both for the OP and for those of us who are also curious. I'm just starting my BSN program but I would LOVE to someday do school nursing. My husband is a teacher and it would be so great to be on the same schedule!

SchoolNurseChristine · Apr 19, 2011

hi there! i'm in georgia...

what are your hours at work? my hours are 8a-2p monday-friday

would you mind sharing your salary and if it's for 12 months or just the school year? i make just over $24000 and that's over 12 months

do you work during the summer else where? this is my first year doing this and i'm not sure what i'll do over the summer. i'll probably try and find something.

how long were you a nurse before you started school nursing? (experience) i'm in the minority but this is my first nursing job and i graduated may 2010. sometimes its hard since i don't have support with me at all times but i'm learning fast and i love it!

was this a hard field to get into? what steps did you take? after being shut down by hospital after hospital and ltc after ltc i took a gamble and looked at the websites of school districts around me. my school happened to post their opening that very day. i called the principal got an interview the very next day and was offered the job the following week. from what i understand though that is not the norm and i'm very lucky.

what do you do and do you have an assistant? i do not have an assistant. i've had everything from scraped knees to broken bones to a scary respiratory issue where i ended up having to call 911. i also have daily medications for some students. there's also some paperwork involved-- we do a monthly report for our nurse consultant and monthly checks of the aed. i also have to audit immunization records and do hearing and vision screenings.

do you have your own office? yes and its right next to the teacher's lounge- a great location :clown:

do you get a lunch break? yes most days i do and i try never to eat in the clinic.

do you have to stay for meetings like teachers do? not always unless i need to be there.

what school do you work in (elementary, middle, high school, etc)? elementary- prek-5th

what's your least favorite thing(s) about this job? sometimes it can be lonely since you're by yourself. i also hate it when i send a kid back to class who's perfectly fine but the teacher goes behind my back and calls the parent to pick them up anyway- so frustrating!

if you could do it over again, would you still be a school nurse? absolutely 100%! i love my job!! a student told me today i fix scraped knees even better than his mom. i would never trade that for the hospital even though i get paid half as much :redbeathe

Chin up · Apr 19, 2011

I loved all of your post! Could it be, the happiest nurses are school nurses...

futurernjap · Apr 20, 2011

hi there! i'm in georgia...
what are your hours at work? my hours are 8a-2p monday-friday
would you mind sharing your salary and if it's for 12 months or just the school year? i make just over $24000 and that's over 12 months
do you work during the summer else where? this is my first year doing this and i'm not sure what i'll do over the summer. i'll probably try and find something.
how long were you a nurse before you started school nursing? (experience) i'm in the minority but this is my first nursing job and i graduated may 2010. sometimes its hard since i don't have support with me at all times but i'm learning fast and i love it!
was this a hard field to get into? what steps did you take? after being shut down by hospital after hospital and ltc after ltc i took a gamble and looked at the websites of school districts around me. my school happened to post their opening that very day. i called the principal got an interview the very next day and was offered the job the following week. from what i understand though that is not the norm and i'm very lucky.
what do you do and do you have an assistant? i do not have an assistant. i've had everything from scraped knees to broken bones to a scary respiratory issue where i ended up having to call 911. i also have daily medications for some students. there's also some paperwork involved-- we do a monthly report for our nurse consultant and monthly checks of the aed. i also have to audit immunization records and do hearing and vision screenings.
do you have your own office? yes and its right next to the teacher's lounge- a great location
do you get a lunch break? yes most days i do and i try never to eat in the clinic.
do you have to stay for meetings like teachers do? not always unless i need to be there.
what school do you work in (elementary, middle, high school, etc)? elementary- prek-5th
what's your least favorite thing(s) about this job? sometimes it can be lonely since you're by yourself. i also hate it when i send a kid back to class who's perfectly fine but the teacher goes behind my back and calls the parent to pick them up anyway- so frustrating!
if you could do it over again, would you still be a school nurse? absolutely 100%! i love my job!! a student told me today i fix scraped knees even better than his mom. i would never trade that for the hospital even though i get paid half as much :redbeathe

umm $24000? was that a typo? over 12 months? in georgia?? was that a typo? did u mean $24/ hour?

whiskeygirl, LPN · Apr 20, 2011

Not in SC. Have a BSN. It was a union position.

What are your hours at work? School hours. I got there before the bell rang and left after last bell.

Would you mind sharing your salary and if it's for 12 months or just the school year? I made $14/ hr

Do you work during the summer else where? I did summer camps.

How long were you a nurse before you started school Nursing? (experience) 13 years.

Was this a hard field to get into? What steps did you take? I was fortunate, I called the district and spoke with the head nurse of the district. We got to know each other and when she was down 2 nurses (that really put her in a bind), I offered to help out.

What do you do and do you have an assistant? Everything the others have posted.

Do you have your own office? Yes, I did.

Do you get a lunch break? Yes.

Do you have to stay for meetings like teachers do? Mostly no, we had our own.

What school do you work in (elementary, middle, high school, etc)? I subbed for all but home school was middle.

What's your least favorite thing(s) about this job? Money.

If you could do it over again, would you still be a school nurse? Yes, I'd do about anything to be employed.