Holy pay cut shock!

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  1. Do you get paid way below average as a school nurse?

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I'm sure this has been up here before...but I've never browsed the school nurses as I recently became one. I'm an LPN of 2 Year's, prior medic, and medical assistant. My job I just left at a rehabilitation hospital paid 28/hr...when they offered me the school nurse job she said 15/hr!!!! Minimum wage here is 10! I was kind of, well, offended! I got them up to 17.85/hr plus all breaks paid off, regular benefits, and a pension plan. Just curious...did everyone else experience this incredibly low pay in school nursing? I couldn't believe they could ever fill the position at 5 dollars over minimum wage!?

Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.
What are do you live in???

Im surprised you made 28/hr as a LPN. But, yeah Im going to assume there isn't much room for errors compared to working in the hospital setting.aside from the few glucose checks and maybe some insulin. other than that you're giving icepacks and lollipops out.

What a condescending and ignorant thing to say. I'm not a school nurse, but I know what they do and it's a hell of a lot more than you're implying. Chronically ill and medically fragile children do go to school. Who do you think is monitoring their well being? Please lose the attitude and if you have children, be thankful there's a nurse at their school.

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So, I think in a lot of areas we all take pay cuts - probably about 10 to 15% overall to get into school nursing with the thought that with summers off and knowing that you get paid holidays and a pension that it will eventually all begin to somewhat even out. However, some areas and districts still treat their health services as little more than baby sitting for the kids that are vomiting. Then again, these areas are often the same areas that don't have their nurses in their unions and on their teacher's salary guides.

Yes, I think 15/ hr is low for a school nurse. I think 17 and change is better, but still low, especially given that minimum wage was just raised to $13 in NY. But These factors are also influenced heavily on what part of the country you're in, so the same $17 /hr may get you a lot father than in my home state.

Many of us take summer work on - i work summer school, mostly because the rate of pay is ridiculously high and i end up getting ahead for september. (and it's only 4 hrs a day, AND i can come in my shorts and sneaks!) but I have worked home care for the summer, have worked with various agencies, and hospitals. I have even done some non medical things. I have even taken some summers off.

Good luck, should you decide to take the position. Contrary to what some may believe it's not all bandaids, ice packs and lollipops. We get sick children integrated into our school with real medical issues. We get hundreds of children, some of us thousands, that we are expected to be familiar with off the tops of our heads. We get argumentative parents and end up with a darned if you do darned if you don't situation more often than we would please. We have massive amounts of paperwork and followup with the state, but it's not all just medical related. No, that would be too easy. We have educational standards that we ourselves must comply with so we must complete inane tasks like student growth and benchmarks which are really hard for us to properly assess data when we see the students not as a pack, but as individuals. You will do great should join us - and though school nursing is typically a solo sport, you are never truly alone. We're just a click away.

You know what a crush I have on you...

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Specializes in kids.
What are do you live in???

Im surprised you made 28/hr as a LPN. But, yeah Im going to assume there isn't much room for errors compared to working in the hospital setting.aside from the few glucose checks and maybe some insulin. other than that you're giving icepacks and lollipops out.

Do you really think that is all school nurses do? Curious as to your nursing background?

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Specializes in kids.
I have a lollipop for ya.

Bend over, and Oh... welcome to AN, newb.

Dying over here!!!!

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In my area we are fortunate - I am on the teacher pay scale. For working 187 days out of the year, no call, no holidays etc I feel I make a decent wage for what I do. I think it all comes down to what you feel is important in your life and what works for you. I LOVE my time off - sure I can make more money in a different setting but the trade off would be fighting for the time off - I spend my summer weeks traveling, camping, hiking, backpacking etc - no way I would be able to do that at a typical nursing job.

I only wish that my daily work life is all about ice packs and lollipops - we have a few medically complex kiddos along with the usual diabetics, seizure etc. My days stay steady busy for the most part.

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I'm sure this has been up here before...but I've never browsed the school nurses as I recently became one. I'm an LPN of 2 Year's, prior medic, and medical assistant. My job I just left at a rehabilitation hospital paid 28/hr...when they offered me the school nurse job she said 15/hr!!!! Minimum wage here is 10! I was kind of, well, offended! I got them up to 17.85/hr plus all breaks paid off, regular benefits, and a pension plan. Just curious...did everyone else experience this incredibly low pay in school nursing? I couldn't believe they could ever fill the position at 5 dollars over minimum wage!?

I like you was previously making 28/hr and 33/hr on weekends as an RN though at my previous and first nursing job. Started this school nurse position in September of 2017 and they offered me 50,000 which I thought was really low so they renegotiated to 54,000. I'm salary. It is still lower than what I was getting paid before but it's decent enough to pay the bills. I plan on asking for more $ before I sign on the contract for the new school year after my current one ends in May. The perks of the position help outweigh the low pay. I loved having all that time off during the holidays and being pregnant the ease of the work itself makes up for the low pay in a sense. But I still need to be able to pay my bills and save up for my baby so don't let them low ball you either. 15/hr is unacceptable in my opinion. But I live in Massachusetts where the cost of living is high so I wouldn't survive nor accept a position offering that amount. Hope this helps!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
...aside from the few glucose checks and maybe some insulin. other than that you're giving icepacks and lollipops out.

Well yea! That's why I like school nursing. But I let my let my health aides do the glucose checks and give the insulin, another aide hands out the ice packs, and I just hand out the lollipops; when I'n not taking a break or at lunch.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
You know what a crush I have on you...

I've kinda taken a "liking" to her too! If that's ok...

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I've kinda taken a "liking" to her too! If that's ok...

I'm sure we can play nice.:blink:

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

You guys are making me blush!

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Specializes in School Nurse, Pediatrics, Surgical.

I get paid the same as a teacher. I have no interest in working in a hospital again, even with the $40 plus an hour. Thankfully there are folks that will take over of that for me and folks that will work as school nurses! Thanks be to all!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I get paid the same as a teacher. I have no interest in working in a hospital again, even with the $40 plus an hour. Thankfully there are folks that will take over of that for me and folks that will work as school nurses! Thanks be to all!

AAAAAAAMEN!!

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