School nurse credentials in California

KKEGS, MSN, RN · Dec 22, 2016

Check with the state of California's Department of Education. It should tell you exactly what you need to be licensed/credentialed in your state.

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Jan 3, 2017

Good day everybody. I was wondering if any nurses have an answer to my question. I'm a new grad that just passed the NCLEX and I saw a job posting for school nurse and that new grads are welcome. I was also interested in school nursing ever since I had clinicals at one of the schools. Anyway, my nursing degree is an associate's but I also have a foreign bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy (it's been evaluated as equivalent to a US one). I heard hearsay that you could get a California school nurse credential with an associate's in nursing and a bachelor's degree in a closely related field. Any truth to that? I also sent an email to the job poster asking if I could apply with an associate's since the job posting asked for a bachelor's (it didn't specifically ask for a nursing bachelor's). And I will also contact the CTC about my question. Any help would be appreciated!

I realize that the job market is tough in most places, which forces new grads to look at non-bedside positions. There are plenty of posts in this forum regarding new grads entering school nursing. I would strongly suggest passing on this opportunity AT THIS TIME. School nursing is normally an isolated position, meaning there is no one for you to bounce things off. Triage skills are the hallmark of our practice, and with no experience in critical thinking or emergency response, you are entering with a serious handicap. Acute care has been the benchmark for new grads for a reason, it will equip you with the knowledge and skills set you need for almost all nursing pathways. I would also question that support you will receive if they are upfront with the new grad comment. That makes me think that you will have non-nursing oversight, as they do not fully understand specialties in the nursing field. Sorry to be the wet blanket, but sometimes the best job comes at the wrong time, and that may be the case here.

coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2017

In California, to obtain a Clear School Nursing Credential you must:

-Verify possession of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally-accredited college or university

-Verify possession of a valid Registered Nurse license issued by the State of California

If your degree/university is not recognized by the California BRN then it wouldn't count. Also, some school districts may require a BSN anyway from my experience. Keep in mind, you also have to return to school to complete your credential so you must want to put in the work and time.