School Nursing

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What made you take an interest in school nursing? Was it difficult to find a job in school nursing? What is the most rewarding and most difficult part of your job?

Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

I haven't read previous comments yet-sorry if any of this has already been said.

I worked in a peds office for three years and also on a med-surg/peds floor of a hospital for 6 years. I had babies, hubs was a teacher. I wanted something that could give me a schedule that allowed me not go 14 hours without seeing my family (sometimes more if the babes were asleep when I got home). Something that allowed me to be off on weekends and holidays. Something that allowed me to be off on breaks with my husband. This job was perfect for me. And I never imagined that I would ABSOLUTELY love it as much as I do.

Now, it's not just the schedule, it's the relationships I've formed with kids, their parents, the staff. The school I am at honestly feels like a family. They are amazing. There might be catty drama, but if there is I never hear about it. I do my own thing. What I say goes for the most part ;) When I have to miss a day, I am not guilt tripped about it or forced to make the day up.

It sounds completely cliche, but the saying "Find a job you love and you'll never work another day in your life" is true. Don't get me wrong, there are days when a teacher goes over my head, or keeps sending the same snowflake over and over, but the "stress" here is nothing like what I had at the hospital. Some school nurses have it a lot worse than me as they don't have support from their admin. Some people think we have easy, cushy jobs, but it's just a different environment. I am the only medical professional for almost 500 students, and things can go south quick. I love my littles.

This job is 100% the most rewarding job I've had. Seeing a newly diagnosed diabetic kiddo go from terrified to even poke their finger, to counting carbs and giving their own shots...that's good stuff there. One of the best decisions I ever made was applying for this job.

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Specializes in NCSN.

What made you take an interest in school nursing?

In Nursing school I was able to do a community clinical with an elementary school nurse and I loved it. After graduation I did hospital nursing and HATED it. I spent so much time behind a screen and passing meds, being emotionally blackmailed into working triples, and it was all about "patient satisfaction" instead of actual health outcomes. I spent so little time being a real nurse, I was starting to doubt the profession. Then I went into the community nurse side of things and never looked back. Every day I make a difference.

Was it difficult to find a job in school nursing?

The better districts are hard to get into. I was very lucky with my position because I actually interviewed for their float nurse position a year prior and ended up taking a different position elsewhere. They contacted me when this one opened up, and it was very much a right place, right moment time in my life so I jumped on it. I interviewed and started the job the same week.

We have a middle school position that opened up monday, and we have over 80 applicants already.

What is the most rewarding and most difficult part of your job?

Rewarding: As many have said above, the schedule. I get to spend time with my hubby and daughter and not be a zombie from working 3 twelves in a row. And I enjoy being hands on with the little ones, teaching my diabetics how their body works, talking to my asthmatics about their triggers, identifying real health concerns for parents to be aware of. Every day is different.

Difficult: Abuse and Neglect. I'm still a newbie, and I know it comes with the position. But my first case I had to report, I cried the entire way home. Even thinking about it now hurts my heart.

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1. What made you take an interest in school nursing?

My kids and the stress of ICU. I LOVED critical care when I started but after a while I felt like I was doing more harm than good especially patients who could not be "fixed" but family insisted we keep trying. At one point I was cleaning up an intubated/sedated patient who had awful breakdown from so many loose BM's. Every time I wiped their skin it would start bleeding and they would physically pull away from me. I just started crying at the bedside. Nursing burnout is real.

And let's be real: Not having to coordinate crazy day care schedules over breaks and three day weekends is amazing. So is making it to school/sport/dance events. Also, I no longer battle nurses at the end of the year for Thanksgiving/Xmas Eve/Xmas/New Year Day off.

2. Was it difficult to find a job in school nursing?

Not really. It's difficult to find a good paying school nursing job around here because they are coveted and require a credential. I have the luxury of not needing to work so taking a low paying, part-time, non-credentialed position that popped up (just to see if I liked it) was doable for me. Now I have my foot in the door, I'm working on the credential and my boss knows I'm waiting for someone to retire.

3. What is the most rewarding and most difficult part of your job?

The most rewarding is the ability to go out and do my job, be a nurse, yet I still have the time and energy to do everything else. I make kids feel better, I build relationships with a lot of them, I help a lot out AND I still have balance with the rest of my life.

The most difficult is frustrating parents who don't want to pick up legitimately sick kids or are just plain unavailable for anything.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

When I was in nursing school, I graduated in 1990, we got to pick our last clinical and it had to be "community based", my friend was a school nurse, so I did my clinical with her, and I was the only one who chose school nursing. I loved it! But I knew I needed to work in the hospital, which I did for 20 years, and then I just got sick of the hospital politics and everything, i was stressed and miserable! I quit my job, and started to sub as a school nurse in town, mainly because it worked well with my kids school schedule and I could still drive them to after school activities and evening things.

I love it, I am full time (not in the town we live in) and it is PERFECT!!!

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Specializes in Sub-Acute, School Nursing, Dialysis.

I love children. But ironically was never interested in pediatrics. I don't want to work with really sick children or deal with cranky parents. I was a former preschool teacher for years and I always thought I would be a kindergarten teacher (still kind of wish I was!). I'm also a mom to five little ones so my life literally revolves around taking care of kids. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking (teasing, a little!!).

Anyway, I have always been interested in several areas of nursing, school nurse definitely being one of them. I honestly got this job as a fluke. I work at a small Catholic school and the previous nurse before me was a friend of mine from nursing school days. She mentioned me to the principal and just like that I had an interview a few weeks later and was hired on the spot after answering a few questions. "Trained" the same day for four hours and the rest is history. I am still a new nurse (in my eyes) and this is my second year in the school. I love it most of the time.

Pros: the children are the best and bring smiles to my face everyday. They absolutely appreciate what I do for them and that is such a nice thing to feel appreciated at work. And I have to say it, the schedule. It's definitely not the money. As mentioned before, I have a boatload of children at home and nothing compares to no weekends, holidays, summers, early dismissals and snow days! The PTA is amazing and definitely shows their appreciation to the staff.

Cons: ONLY medical professional in the building. Parents who do not listen, don't send in doctor orders, medications, parents who are overbearing, over paranoid or just plain mean. The pay or health insurance isn't the best. No advancing, no tuition reimbursement (I need my BSN). Very limited in what I am able to do.

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Specializes in Sub-Acute, School Nursing, Dialysis.

Also want to add that I can pretty much take off at my discretion which helps with doctor appointments, school events for my kids, etc. Downside, I have to find my own sub but it usually works out most of the time.

I have never worked in a hospital yet (not sure I ever will but would love the experience) but have worked in a sub acute which was just awful!! There is stress in every job but the stress here is a different kind of stress. I don't know if that makes any sense but basically what all the other school nurses are saying...that it is not like hospital stress or like having a patient that is life or death.

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Specializes in Sub-Acute, School Nursing, Dialysis.

By the way, I love reading everyone's stories about how they got into school nursing!!:)

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Specializes in Vascular Access.

School nursing seems like a hoot! I wish I could join in on that fun but it seems as though our school system hires LPN's. Sorry, not gonna take a pay cut.

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Specializes in kids.

I was aproached by a parent (who was a teracher) to advise me that the school nurse was retiring and I should apply for the job. I did, and to my surprise, I got it! It was never on my career trajectory at all, but here I am all these years later doing what I love and loving what I do!!

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I loved my kids' school nurse and I hated my current hospital job so I thought I would try it out. I got a sub nursing job at a high school and I hated it; I was bored out of my mind. Months later I was out on medical leave and the principal of a small private school found me on Linked In and asked me if I was interested in a 20 hour/week position for a preK-8 school. I interviewed, I got the job, and have now started full time. I LOVE it! I'm the only RN here and I always loved to work independently. The kids, teachers, staff, and parents have all been wonderful! I'm busy most days but there is zero stress! Good luck!

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What made you take an interest in school nursing? Was it difficult to find a job in school nursing? What is the most rewarding and most difficult part of your job?

Welcome, almost new nurse!

I came here for the schedule. If I leave, it will be due to the money.

I love the kids. They are the reason I'm here every day. I know I make a difference for many of them.

The parents are the mist difficult.

The drug kids are both difficult and sometimes rewarding.

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I started out in inpatient psych. Quickly transitioned to youth psych and realized I liked working with kids. Worked at a couple residential facilities too. The school nurse schedule is, IMHO, the best nursing schedule you can have.

For me, yes. School nursing jobs are not common and in MT, schools do not legally have to employ a nurse or anyone in the medical field. Most districts are very small.

Rewarding: The kids. Coming into work and having littles wave and say "Hi Nurse *first name*!" Seeing kiddos around town and having them come up to me to talk, to introduce their siblings, to introduce their parents. Kids are pretty awesome little people usually.

Difficult: Dealing with abuse and neglect. Mandatory reporting. Not being able to swoop in and save kiddos from situations that you know aren't good, but aren't bad enough for a CPS call.

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