seriously, i get paid for this???????

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ok no need to bash, i know there are a ton of ppl out there looking for work................ just venting.......... so i am a new rn and a school nurse. we just got over a bout with the flu so i do know how hectic and bz it can get..... its just that it is afternoon and i have seen one student............ i get paid for this? and really good $$$$$? i guess i just feel GUILTY! i am not used to sitting around doing nothing. i have cleaned and organized and now i am twiddling my thumbs........... what can i do educational wise for myself to make good use of this downtime? any ideas?

ps i have learned very quickly that at this school, the school nurse should be neither seen nor heard from unless they call for you........... so in the health room i sit.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

i am not that busy today also. hey, i would rather be busy for sure ! makes the day go by faster ! i feel guilty reading a book, but my goodness, sometimes there is nothing left to do :yawn:

praiser :heartbeat

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I work in a middle school as a Speech & language Assistant (while waiting to hear soon about nursing school myself) I know our school nurse gets involved with groups in our school. Around the holiday, helping families (either kid's families or even staff) collecting food/clothes/gifts who are in need. You could set up a bulletin board with tips about flu, importance of washing hands, or wearing helmets, depending on what season it is, or what topics are important to the age group of your students. You could make powerpoints educating the staff about allergies or emergencies that could arise during the school day. I hope these are helpful...?!!!

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very true praiser, very true............. happy turkey day to all

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Specializes in LDRP/Nursery/Peds/Gyn, school nursing.

My official answer is: NASN has some nice little online tutorials; look for any outdated policies that need updating; make a cute health-related bulletin board; see what books your library might have for you to read to the classes.

My unofficial answer is: enjoy it while you can-- consider it the calm before the storm!! Google stuff! Post replies to every thread on here! Send Praiser some good jokes! Tuck a People inside a MacGill catalog!! Count the days till summer vacation!!

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I'd LOVE to have your problem. The teachers at my school send EVERYONE & ANYONE to my office. Sometimes it's an invisible 'itch' other times a 1/8 of a millimeter paper cut, other times it's a runny nose. My office usually has a line of kids sitting OUT OF CLASS just waiting to be seen for trivial things that are ridiculous.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

If i get a moment between students I usually jump online and try to knock off a few CEUs at medscape, catch up here at allnurses or just catch my breath.

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Welcome to nursing and school nursing!!

There is a thread in the green area above the new forums called "boredom on the job". It has a lot of the activities and projects in the scope of your role that you cannot get to when the office traffic is so fast and furious.

It is hard when you are new and not working with a mentor to fully grasp the broad scope of the school nurse role. School nursing is a subset of public health nursing, so the job entails prevention and health promotion and case management of chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and anaphylactic food allergies and partnering with community agencies. We get so busy responding to the kids walking in the door and answering the phone that we forget that those episodic visits are not where the real power of school nursing is in influencing health and academic outcomes.

If you did not get a copy in your orientation (don't laugh, some people do get a formal orientation!! and some states offer them each summer) the School Nurse Scope and Standards of Practice is available and your office should have a copy - so look around. If it does not, I'd suggest using your office budget to buy one: https://nasn.networkats.com/members_online/members/viewitem.asp?item=S001&catalog=MAN&pn=1&af=NASN

The Journal of School Nursing, the NASN School Nurse and the NASN Weekly Digest are good for catch-up reading during lulls: http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=142

If you have not already, go the the NASN website and read the position papers and resources. http://www.nasn.org

Good luck!

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Enjoy it! There are days that i can barely get a minute to go to the bathroom! I usually think the opposite " I don't get paid enough to do this!" But I do LOVE my job and the Holidays!!

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Enjoy it! There are days that i can barely get a minute to go to the bathroom! I usually think the opposite " I don't get paid enough to do this!" But I do LOVE my job and the Holidays!!

My unofficial answer is: enjoy it while you can-- consider it the calm before the storm!! !

My thoughts exactly! :yeahthat:

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