School Nurse Job Interview

MassED, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2010

I work in an ER and also substitute as a school nurse for the local elementary, middle, and high schools. I couldn't imagine doing that full-time, mainly because it's no where near as interesting as ER nursing, then of course there's the pay. No thank you! Even though my kids are in the schools, I still prefer the ER to managing boo boos, head lice control, meds, serious drama of all the (the teacher sent me here because I have a Migraine! -- that from a 5 year old) kids. Just my opinion, of course. It's a good thing to do when you want to know what's going on in the schools for me, though. I just don't even see any comparison with the ER and school nursing. If you love the ER, I would think it would be incredibly hard to be a school nurse.

Re-reading your post, if you're on orientation in the trauma center, why not stick it out and see how it goes? Is this your first experience to an ER?

evangpate · Jan 6, 2010

Thanks for the quick reply and point well taken. Thanks. Yes this is my first experience in an ER. I've done rehab, telemetry and med/surg but didn't like it. I enjoy the pace and the variety. No two days are the same or the patients for that matter! I'm just concerned about burnout that I hear ER nurses frequently talk about.

MassED, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2010

just my 2 cents - I suppose it depends on your personality and what you, overall, want from nursing. I may want to do school nursing in 30 years.... scratch that, I better be retired!

nicole109 · Jan 6, 2010

If it were me, I would go for the interview, even if you know that you probably won't take the job...just to keep your options open. I would stay with orientation, etc where you are, especially if you love what you are doing. Things may change once you get off orientation, and they may or may not have filled that school nurse position by then, or they may be able to refer you to somewhere else...NETWORK as much as you possibly can. I also sub as a school nurse, and LOVE the flexibility and break that it gives me from the hospital, but at the same time can't imagine doing it all the time. And I sub in an autistic school, so it's not your standard school--there's much more to do, but still too much down time for me for a full time position. However, it's connected to another hospital system where I've kept my foot in the door, and I'm able to transfer into a full time position at anytime if I want to...so I say take the interview, if for nothing else just to see where it might lead you in the future. You never know who you might meet and what possibilities they might provide you in the future! Good luck:)

MassED, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2010

Evan, I think the burnout mainly stems from a lack of teamwork that can happen, backbiting, and a lot of drama. I avoid the drama at all costs. I keep work at work, which is crucial, and definitely don't canoodle with coworkers. I know a lot of other people do, but that invites the drama into your personal life, and I believe work is work and home is home. Like church and state. The ED is high stress and high acuity, at times, but the variety keeps you on your toes. I learn so much every shift and am constantly reminded about how much I have to learn. I want to laugh when I see nurses with two years ER experience think they've "seen it all." Please. I'm sure other ER nurses on here with greater than my 5 years ER experience would agree. The more you know = the less you know. It's a must to have good team mates, though. When the going gets rough, you need to have some reliable people at your side.

ER nursing is not boring, that's what it boils down to - you never know what's around the corner with your next patient. Floor nursing, for the time I lasted , was just so even keel for me - very easy to know what to expect and I found that to be limiting. The ER is such a hard environment, but in learning how to cope with the bad, I'm constantly learning about myself and my fellow man. Life really is a journey and working in the ER really has opened my eyes. It has made me focus on the priorities in my own life, after you've seen such horrific things in others' lives. It helps me to stop and think that my life is not so bad. My little complaints are not that big a deal. That family down the hall just lost a loved one, how can I focus on something so miniscule?

Enjoy the ride.

TXTraumaRN · Jan 6, 2010

I worked in a Level 1 trauma center straight out of nursing school and loved it. After a few years, my family situation changed significantly and I felt I needed a more regular schedule. I interviewed with the student health center at the local university and accepted a position as a staff nurse; I am now the nursing supervisor. I have been there 2 years now and while I still miss the ER, working in college health has allowed me to expand my nursing experience and interact with a different kind of patient. I firmly believe that my experience as an ER nurse has made me a better clinic nurse because of the critical thinking and time management skills I developed in the ER. You are correct that the pay will be less but I find that the other benefits outweigh the pay difference. If you are interviewing with a public school, ask about benefits. Because I work for a state university, I am considered a state employee and therefore eligible for the teacher's retirement program in my state as well as significant contribution from the school towards medical benefits. One of the other things to consider is that you will probably be working the school year, meaning you will have time off in the summer and on holidays. You may also be able to work PRN at the ER to keep up with your clinical skills. I agree with the previous poster who recommended at least going to the interview to feel it out, but also see your orientation through. You don't want to burn bridges that you may have to cross again later.

pugmomrn · Jan 6, 2010

School nurse here- I'd advise to get a few good years of experience under your belt before you do school nursing. We really do work in a vacuum-- depending on what state you are in or how much the particular district values the position, one RN can be responsible for 750-2000 students. Oftentimes, there is no other nurse in the school, let alone the district. You really need to have a solid base of assessment skills and the confidence to problem-solve, advocate and sometimes even "wing it". School nursing is much more than just tending to boo boos and checking for lice!! :nono:

MassED, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2010

School nurse here- I'd advise to get a few good years of experience under your belt before you do school nursing. We really do work in a vacuum-- depending on what state you are in or how much the particular district values the position, one RN can be responsible for 750-2000 students. Oftentimes, there is no other nurse in the school, let alone the district. You really need to have a solid base of assessment skills and the confidence to problem-solve, advocate and sometimes even "wing it". School nursing is much more than just tending to boo boos and checking for lice!!

where I sub - there aren't huge issues - a few Diabetics, a child with CF, but nothing major (as to my definition of "major." Not to diminish any school nurse out there, but I knew someone would get offended. You just can't please everyone - we all have opinions and the road we are on, for whatever reason we chose.

I realize accidents and emergencies can and do occur in a school environment, but I was comparing MY experience subbing as a school nurse and my job in the ER. I'm sure someone can and will take offense, but this is just my advice/opinion/2 cents to a fellow ER nurse looking to jump into school nursing and MY thoughts on comparing the two and likely getting bored at being a school nurse (not that it's not busy, it's just different). For instance, recently subbing at the elementary school - I saw maybe 50 students for the day, which was busy, but they were all minor things. The nurse calls me the next day at home and said "oh my god, your day was so busy, will you ever come back?" Her definition of what is crazy and difficult is not the same as my definition of crazy and difficult.

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2010

No offense taken here, there is no doubt that school nursing is different from emergency nursing. What is often missed is that subbing is much different from the being the day-to-day nurse. Subs generally only take care of the kids that come through the door, give daily/PRN meds, procedures, etc. The regular nurse will have those responsibilities in addition to vision/hearing screenings, endless paperwork, classroom presentations, attending and chairing committees (such as safety and wellness), staff development for teachers, keeping up with referrals and exclusions, entering and checking shot records and ensuring compliance, keeping up to date medical records, parent communication and teaching...the list goes on!

I can completely understand that a "trauma junkie" type would be bored in a school setting. That does not say that it is not hard, busy or fast paced, just that it is a different kind of hard, busy and fast paced. One of the wonders of nursing is that there is a specialty to fit every personality. The OP just needs to decide if the complex, urgent medical cases seen in the ER fit her personality, or if the generally less acute, but not necessarily less demanding world of school nursing suite her. To each his/her own!

IMO, there is no area of nursing that is not HARD. You just have to pick your hard.

MassED, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2010

I completely agree. Find a nursing environment that best suits your personality. It is nice to have options - I know I won't be able to do this kind of nursing forever, nor would I want to....

evangpate · Jan 7, 2010

Yes I'm interviewing for the position next week. I want to thank everyone for your advice! Although I desire both ER and school nursing I guess It's not possible to do both full-time is it? As I posted previously, I am a sub school nurse already but only subbed once and I'm itching for more exposure.