School Nurse Job or Occupational Therapy

[esla]

I was accepted for Occupational therapy School, I wanted to work in the school system. I have previously applied for school nursing jobs, but just today I was offered the school nurse position. I am not sure what to do. Should I contiune with my OT program, or take the school nurse job.Any advice will be helpful!!!

[Massmagic]

I’ve only been a school nurse going on 4 years. About 18 years ago I was in special education administration. In this same school district and in the last 2 years, the administration has hacked the OT and PT staff to half time. This is just my experience in my school district. Just 5 years ago, the schools could not find OTs and PTs, they were begging for them. I am not saying that I am for cutting these support services to students, and it was a shock to me and remains as a bad taste in my mouth. They even tried to cut RNs to LPNs until the RNs reported them to the DOE (state law that school nurses have to be RNs with BSNs). What I am seeing right now is that the “TEST” is ALL important to administration and because of that - support services are looked at as not a priority in education. This is not my opinion at all – this is the result of too much pressure from the Department of Education in this state for “High Scores” on the “TEST”. Now, the “TEST” is going to computer and it seems like no one cares if people can not read a students handwriting. The administration here does not seem to “see” the value of OT and PT services as much as academic services. This is just my take on possible future of OT in schools, and this could just be in my school district. I don’t know about other districts. I must add that I work in a small town where funds are getting extremely tight due to loss of jobs and declining homeowner. I think many small towns are facing this same issue.

I think you will enjoy school nursing. I complain many days, but love my little students. Yes, I could wring their little necks most days, but they are what make this job click for me. I find that the nurse is loved by the kids…the school nurse is someone they can trust, and go to for emotional support and comfort. Most of the time we don’t know just how much emotional support they receive from us, but I am thinking it could be huge. I look at this job as one that makes a difference in a child’s life and that difference goes on and on and on into adulthood, parenthood and beyond. I am 61 years old and I remember vividly all my teachers (we did not have school nurses back then) and all those who made a difference in my life.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

The OT in my school only works part time. She does three days at my school and 2 days at another school. It seems like this is the norm - taking 2 different part time school jobs to get to full time.

[esla]

Thank you!

[esla]

Thank you