school nurses salary

Published

I was wondering what the rate of pay for school nurses are compared to hospital nurses. I am interested in school nursing, but I didn't know how the two compared. Any help would be appreciated.

Oh well, it sure beats working your ......off, and killing your back in a hospital setting, just to make more money. There's more to life than money, like happiness, and feeling well. 32,000 for only 8 months of work, at 6.5 hours/day is not bad at all!!!! And you can always pick up more money doing other thing's. That's the beauty of nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in pediatric, geriatric, med-surg.

I agree 100%! I'm much happier being at school than in a hospital setting! I'm curious though...what are your hours? I work from 7:45 to 3:45. Is your salary divided up to pay you over the summer, or just during the school months? What are the requirements for school nursing in Mass? I'm trying to get a listing up of states that will allow you to work as a school nurse being an LPN.

Oh well, it sure beats working your ......off, and killing your back in a hospital setting, just to make more money. There's more to life than money, like happiness, and feeling well. 32,000 for only 8 months of work, at 6.5 hours/day is not bad at all!!!! And you can always pick up more money doing other thing's. That's the beauty of nursing.
Up Vote Up Vote ×

The hours range from 8:10 to 2:30, or 8:40 to 3:00. I am not sure how they are going to pay yet. I'm hoping it is just for the months working, so I can get a better pay check. But, you do have to have a BSN in order to work for the school department. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in pediatric, geriatric, med-surg.

Ok...thanks for the info :)

The hours range from 8:10 to 2:30, or 8:40 to 3:00. I am not sure how they are going to pay yet. I'm hoping it is just for the months working, so I can get a better pay check. But, you do have to have a BSN in order to work for the school department. :)
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

I work in a special needs school system..pay is not great but i wouldnt trade it for anything..gave up an management position and beaucoup bucks to be with "my kids"...we do hire LPNs to work in our classroom settings with multi disabled kids..i also do home health to supplement, and i work in our summer program..so it evens out..especially on snow days!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree with almost everything on this thread. In my school district, the starting out pay works out to around 26.63/hr. Yes, you make less but remember you work a lot less. As someone said earlier, you can always pick up extra work. I love the hours, the lack of hospital stress (my heart had this heavy-feeling when I was working at the hospital (we had codes on our floor nightly). I worked 7pm-7am. I hated it soooo much.

Some of the kids and I put up the Christmas tree in the clinic. I was thinking as I was putting up the tree. Wow, I'm so lucky. I'm getting paid to put up a tree. The employees there value my opinion and education. You won't find this amoungest the hospital employees or the MD's. Last week, my daughter got sick while at school. I was able to leave and go pick her up and stay with her. Let's see this happen at a hospital setting. Oh and there has not been one day of staying late, and they have never called me to come in on my days off and work. I love the autonomy I receive with this job. Yes, I think it's safe to say unless I'm an independent nurse contractor I will never go back to hospital nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do any of you who work as a school nurse have prn jobs at hospitals or work in the summer time? I have a friend who has two small children and is thinking about school nursing when she graduates. She is not sure they will be able to afford it right when she graduates though since she has a lot of loans, but she wanted to talk to someone about it. How do you go about finding job openings in your state? We live in the north GA/south TN area. Thanks for any help.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This job is like any other. It can be great, not so great, or awful. I work from 7:45 until 4 or 5 everyday. I have been sent to meetings on my days off, and I am put on every committee ever heard of. I do grant work on my own time, have been callled at home on my sick days, and even had a staff member send a parent to my house when I was off on a personal day! I am required to do summer school and most of my CEU meetings are during the time I am supposed to be on vacation. I have done this for 10 years and am just now making what I was making when I left my last job as weekend supervisor at a local SNF. I have decided it is time to listen to my husband when he tells me that the longer I do this, the more responsibility I am given, the more is expected and the pay stays the same. Right now I am the only RN for three small districts, we are partially funded by a grant, I have to apply for, and write the grant each year, and then do everything the BOE wants, plus meet all the goals the state sets. I guess it depends on how much money your district has, the hours you work, and if you take stuff home. I have WAY more work now than I ever did at the hospital, and at least as much as when I was at the SNF. Janet

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in pediatric, geriatric, med-surg.

:o

I don't think that is a situation I would tolerate well. MY time is MY time, and I'm very selfish with it. I can't BELEIVE that a teacher sent a parent to your house! I would not tolerate that at all and would have spoken to the principal right away. I hope this is not an ongoing thing!

I also do not take work home. Now, I may do some research on the web about something at times, but that is about it. I don't have to write grants, maybe the RN in charge of us LPNs does that.

I think if they are going to make you do all that extra work they need to pay you it. Do you get paid extra to work summer school? I took this job to be on the same schedule as my son, I don't know if I would stay if they asked me to do that. I took a large pay cut to work for the school system as it is!

This job is like any other. It can be great, not so great, or awful. I work from 7:45 until 4 or 5 everyday. I have been sent to meetings on my days off, and I am put on every committee ever heard of. I do grant work on my own time, have been callled at home on my sick days, and even had a staff member send a parent to my house when I was off on a personal day! I am required to do summer school and most of my CEU meetings are during the time I am supposed to be on vacation. I have done this for 10 years and am just now making what I was making when I left my last job as weekend supervisor at a local SNF. I have decided it is time to listen to my husband when he tells me that the longer I do this, the more responsibility I am given, the more is expected and the pay stays the same. Right now I am the only RN for three small districts, we are partially funded by a grant, I have to apply for, and write the grant each year, and then do everything the BOE wants, plus meet all the goals the state sets. I guess it depends on how much money your district has, the hours you work, and if you take stuff home. I have WAY more work now than I ever did at the hospital, and at least as much as when I was at the SNF. Janet
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing.

I've been doing school nursing for 13 years now. When I first started I made $12,000.....I now make $ 31,000. I work 35 hrs. per week, and have holidays and summers off. It's a great job and I would not trade it for anything in the world. It's also a great job if you have kids.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion