"You can always stop in to get a head start during the Summer. I'll be here".

[MHDNURSE]

Um, no thank you. Part of the reason I am working as a school nurse is to have the Summers free!!!

I had a my mid-year evaluation yesterday with our operations manager. Went great, no issues. When we spoke about "challenges" I mentioned how when I came back in August from the break, there were all of these mandatory staff trainings that did not apply to me and I felt like I spent 5 full days in teacher trainings, learning about disciplining kids, lesson planning, etc. when I could have been in my office going through files and medical stuff. When the kids started school, I was only just then opening files and had a TON of catching up to do. She agreed and said she would discuss with the principal, but in the meantime I was "welcome to stop in anytime during the Summer to get a head start". Is she joking????? I am not paid during the Summer and there is NO WAY I am stopping in. As it ism, we only get 6 weeks, rather then the usual 8 because we are a Charter school and have an extended calendar. And now, having missed three days so far for snow, they are talking about us losing another week off, so it looks like I am only getting 5 weeks off this Summer.

[Eleven011]

I hear you on in-services! I sit through stuff that doesn't pertain to me at all when I could be doing so much stuff in my office! I have asked for a day before and a day after the school year for office opening/closing, but its a no go. The only times I come in during the summer is once a month to check the AED's. I'm not paid for it, but I know there are people here working in the summer, so I'm not comfortable leaving them unchecked.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i will say this about summer - I do work the summer session - it's easy money. I get a lot done in my office without a constant parade in my office. But i am surprised by how many unpaid hours the teachers put in over the summer to set up classrooms and whatnot. My hat goes off to their devotion, but cripes, i think it's become expected of them and that cheeses me off. We have to fight for every dime as it is and when we do put a little extra in, it becomes part of the lifestyle around here. Nope - that's why i tend to clock in on time and clock out on time - no more, no less. Give an inch, they expect a mile. It becomes so evident at contract negotiations.

[AdobeRN]

A few years ago our district finally did away with the requirement that the nurses had to attend all of these inservices/meetings before school starts. We have our own nurse meetings for a day or two then we get to be in our office getting ready for the year. My principal requires me to attend a few short things during the week - mainly technology stuff so I am in the loop on how to do things, other than that I am in my office buried in shot records, health forms etc.

[grammy1]

Wow, we only attend nurse/health aide meetings. We'd never get caught up if we had to attend all of the teacher's inservices.

[Amethya]

Same here, I don't get paid either for holidays or any of that. I wish they did, but I'm planning to ask if they have summer school going on or something in that nature that if I can come in and work for some hours.

[KKEGS, MSN, RN]

I don't do the in-services either unless they can apply to my job and they never do. Luckily I have awesome principals who let me make that call. The nursing staff usually gets together and does our own thing anyway which usually involves a 2 hour lunch out somewhere. :)

[abc123RN]

No way! I'll be there for the district school wide opening meeting, a hopefully (but never is) short nurses meeting and open house. I'll do the staff training the day before the kids come back but no way will I just come in to catch up! My summer schedule is FULL and not one day is scheduled to school or nursing duties! I'll put in one day at the end of the year to close the clinic, otherwise, summer is my time. I wish our health services coordinator would have an in-service with CE credits but I don't see that happening anytime soon. As it is now, nurses staff meetings give me a headache.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

I'm lucky - my boss from day one made sure I only attend in-services that pertain to me, which is great. Also, last year when I had to put in some extra time over the summer, my boss made me submit a time sheet to get paid for the time. Small things, but they matter a lot and why I stay at my school.

[FloridaBeagle]

Like Flare said, it's because the teachers put in tons of unpaid overtime, so they think why not the nurses/health aides too? My response to that would be, "Do you have funding to pay me for the extra hours?" Of course they'll say no, that's when you negotiate to be let out of those dopey meetings.