Schooling for school nurses

[Clementine1]

Hi Everyone! I've been a nurse for almost two years and am considering eventually becoming a school nurse. I have my RN and will have completed school for my BSN at the end of the month. I have looked into the qualifications a school nurse must have and while most websites say you need at least a school nurse certification, others have programs for an MSN in school nursing. I have heard I can do substitute school nursing before earning a certification, but am looking for guidance to see what you've done and/or what certifications or degrees are required for this job. I live in NJ and know this may vary by state. Ultimately, I hope to one day work in the NJ/NY area. Thank you!

[OldDude]

No school nurse certification is required here. Generally, if a hospital nurse worked the same number of hours that a school nurse works the school nurse would make the same or a little more than the hospital nurse. I'm not talking about critical care/nights/weekends etc. We're on par with teacher salary in my district, which is 44k this year. I picked up an additional 15K last year working pool for a pediatric urgent care and still had Holidays, 2 weeks at Christmas, a week for spring break and 8 weeks off during the summer. I'm good.....

[rbytsdy]

It definitely depends on the district! Some districts pay really well and others, not so much. I work for a low paying district. If I look at yearly salaries, I make a lot less than working at a hospital. But if I actually calculate out my hourly rate, it's not much different. Plus I don't work weekends, holidays, or nights. I get snow days and I work my kids' hours. There are advantages and disadvantages.

I supplement my income by teaching classes at the local hospital. Quite a few school nurses work summer school or summer camps to supplement their incomes.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

NJ school nurse here - you don't need the MSN - it's nice to have as it bumps you up the pay scale once you're working, but all you need to get started is an RN, a BSN and school certification (and not necessarily teacher of health - some colleges will enroll you and tell you you HAVE to do that.. not always the case though).