School Nurse

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Will schools hire LPNs for their "school nurse" positions?

Thanks!

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Specializes in geriatric/LTC, Urgent Care.

I don't know about other states but WV requires school nurses to have a BSN and school nurse certification. Our schools hire LPN aide's to work as like a "teacher's aide" but I'm sure every state would require something different.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

try posting on the school nurse section of allnurses.

you will find a wealth of information there. good luck !

praiser :heartbeat

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Specializes in LTC.

I works as a school health assistant in MD. I'm a CNA. I plan to get my LPN soon... They will let me work with my LPN license, however the pay and my title will stay the same. Some schools, however do hire LPNs to work and they get paid LPN wages. My particular county only hire RNs to be a float school nurse... and RNs with BSN to be a supervisor over the school nurses.

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Specializes in LPN.

I've always wondered why schools don't seem to hire LPNs as school nurses and had been meaning to ask this. Schools are known for being low-paying, and I don't believe school nurses do anything I am not qualified to do. I can assess people, perform wound care, manage common conditions such as diabetes and asthma, trach care if needed, etc. I have over a year of experience with developmental disabilities that includes some pediatrics, so I can work with special needs students.

Schools in my area do seem to hire LPNs, but only as a "health assistant" and it pays around the same as a typical aide. I assume we cannot actually be a school nurse because LPNs must work under the supervision of an RN. However, I have worked in situations where that "supervision" is more distant. It seems to me that if a school system had an RN in an administrative office where they could be contacted at any time and available to go out to a site as needed, couldn't LPNs work as school nurses in that way?

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.
I've always wondered why schools don't seem to hire LPNs as school nurses and had been meaning to ask this. Schools are known for being low-paying, and I don't believe school nurses do anything I am not qualified to do. I can assess people, perform wound care, manage common conditions such as diabetes and asthma, trach care if needed, etc. I have over a year of experience with developmental disabilities that includes some pediatrics, so I can work with special needs students.

Schools in my area do seem to hire LPNs, but only as a "health assistant" and it pays around the same as a typical aide. I assume we cannot actually be a school nurse because LPNs must work under the supervision of an RN. However, I have worked in situations where that "supervision" is more distant. It seems to me that if a school system had an RN in an administrative office where they could be contacted at any time and available to go out to a site as needed, couldn't LPNs work as school nurses in that way?

School nurses do a WHOLE lot more than bandaids and booboo's. And not all school nurses are hired through the school system- I work through public health, which is why I am required to have my BSN and my NCSN within a certain amt. of time. Some states require that the schools nurses have certain degrees and certifications.

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Specializes in ER, education, mgmt.

Many states require RNs because of the amount of screening, education, planning, assessment and evaluation that is required. Many states that require RN also require BSN. Alot of the screening involves some interpretation of findings. hope this helps.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Contact your state department of education to see what your state wants in particular. My state (NJ) wants an RN with a BSN and certification as a school nurse. Subs and sometimes office assistants are RN's. The only LPN's I have seen in my state are individual student nurses who work with one student with a need for skilled nursing all day.

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Specializes in just about everything.

Our district has all LVN's and I am the only RN in the district. The other districts around us hire only RN's with bsn, and hire aids to help with the work.

It is up to the district, I guess.

Every state or city I have ever worked before only hire Bsn nurses. I guess it is up to the district.

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