School Nursing Certificate needed to become School RN?

Flare, ASN, BSN · Mar 16, 2012

it depends on the state and the district. In my state (NJ) you must be an RN with a BSN and possess a school nurse certificate. Schools can hire RNs but only for 1:1 or as assistants in the office.

Other states have different requirements. Some will allow LPNs, some simply want a warm body in the health office on occasion.

100kids, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2012

Depends on the state. NY state does not require certification. I think they should because it really would be helpful to take classes directly related to school nursing before starting. I would have taken them on my own but they are difficult to find in NY because certification is not required.

schooldistrictnurse · Mar 16, 2012

Certification not required in WI

rn4life2009 · Mar 16, 2012

In tx it varies by district. I haven't seen the certification requirement but some districts only hire BSN RN.

nursebooboo · Mar 21, 2012

I thought about getting certified after my first year of being the school nurse. I wanted to make sure that I enjoyed it enough to pursue that certification. Then I found out that I would not get any compensation for going back to school to get certified... I only have my ASN and need a BSN to get the certification. No more money = no more school

Supernrse01, BSN · Mar 22, 2012

In Ohio, certification is required for permanent licensing. It is possible to work as a school nurse if you have a BSN and complete at least 6 credit hours a year, toward the certification. Simply stated, you work on a temporary license until certification is complete.

HazelLPN, LPN · Mar 27, 2012

Is a school nursing certificate/credential required to become a school nurse? I know some universities offer these credentials, but is it really necessary to go through those programs in order to become a school nurse? Do most schools require it in order to be hired, or will you BSN suffice (RN license)? Will schools hire new BSN/RN grads?

As everyone else says, it depends on the state.

IMHO, I do not think its appropriate for a new grad to be hired as a school nurse because one has to be able to work independently and good nursing comes with experience. In the hospital, there are plenty of people to talk to and to look at your patient. When I was working in the PICU, we were constantly asking each other questions. Working in the school setting, there are no docs, no change nurses, no house supervisor who can take a look at the kid with you. Its all on you.

If you wish to do school nursings someday, I'm going to suggest you may want to work in peds acute care first...even better would be PICU. Many of my colleagues who are school nurses are often former critical care nurses...NICU, PICU, or even adult ICU or ER. These units require you to develop exceptional assessment skills....which I have found very helpful in school nursing. You also get a lot of medically fragile children in the schools that you wouldn't see years ago and school nurses must have skills that were once thought reserved for acute care nurses. You won't be titrating drips or doing complex dressing changes, but you might have to care for a kid on a vent with a trach, give a GT feed or even start TPN. Once you have gained experience in acute care and become the nurse who others come to for help or advice, than you are ready for school nursing. In someways, the school nurse acts as a primary care provider as they may be the only medical professional that a student sees on a regular basis and they coordinate care with other health care professionals.

Best to you,

Mrs H.

allnurses Guide · Apr 3, 2012

In California you can only be hired if you are have a BSN and will commit to completing a credentialing program in 5 years.

The state gives you a temporary credential in order to work.