Should I go for it?

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So I've been an RN since 2012, worked in the hospital on a Med/Surg floor and have worked in Public Health for the past 3 years. I have an interview on Monday (phone prelim interview) for a school nursing position. My big problem is that now I make 50k per year and I would be taking a pretty good pay cut.....but the hours are great (M-T 7:30 to 2:30) and I would eliminate afterschool care for my kiddos.

I would love some input from you who may have taken a pay cut to get into school nursing and if you have been happy with that decision.

Thanks!

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I took a pay cut. I have had to cut on luxuries but the fact that I have normal hours, no nights, no weekends, no holidays, summers off is totally priceless. I have a young daughter who is almost 6 and so it really is nice to save on child care expense during summer!!!

I am am a divorced mom and receive no child support or anything and I'm surviving!

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That's my struggle, I already have no nights, holidays or weekends with the health department. I'm still going to interview, just have to weigh my options í ½í¸Š

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Only you can decide what is best for you, but if you are a mom, it is great to have the summers and holidays off. And for me, it is a very rewarding job. You get to follow the kids as they grow up, get to know the families and really make a difference. That is one thing I felt like I was missing out on when I was in acute care.

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Thanks! I am a mom to two kiddos (6&8 years old) so it would definitely eliminate after school and summer care ($$$$)

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You could always make a quick little budget to make sure it will work for you. Obviously you can't count the benefit of having better hours in general, but I would want to make sure that with a pay cut I would be able to make ends meet. Things would go from good to bad really quickly otherwise.

At the very least I would subtract that amount that you spend in childcare from the amount that you made last year and see if that is close to your new salary. Then you'll know if some other changes in your life will need to be made.

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Specializes in School, Camp, Hospice, Critical Care.

Mine is a similar story. Lifestyle-wise, it was the best decision for my family as I was able to be home summers and the afterschool hours (at the time, I had two teens and a 10yo). Though I took a 20% pay cut, it was a much less stressful gig and I did supplement with a bit of per diem work during weekends.

After 10 years, I now make a bit more at school than I would have if I had stayed at the hospital.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

School nurse positions don't come open often. If you get an offer, take it. There are all kinds of opportunity to supplement your salary...at your convenience; if you need to. You'll be surprised how much you net by not paying for childcare and having to make the trips to and from.

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Wise advice from OldDude. Most of us stay until we retire. It is hard to get a school nurse job.

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Specializes in Peds, Neuro, Orthopedics.

I'm probably not the best person to answer this because I actually got a pay increase going into school nursing (yea Minnesota!!!!), but I dove in expecting a cut. As others have said, you will have time to supplement your income. Have you looked into camp nursing? Some camps pay well, plus your child can go for free. Lots of camps in upstate NY and PA. They also pay for you to get a license in their state.

Don't forget the pension you'll get (if this is a public school). A pension these days is priceless.

Good luck on your decision.

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I'm a former teacher who is now an RN. I've been on nights since I graduated (2014) and hate it. The whole "working nights, working weekends, and working holidays" is NOT for me after 20+ years of teaching. I stumbled across a job posting at the children's hospital where I used to be a CNA and found a job that sounded too good to be true: 5a-2p, 4 days a week (Mon-Fri), no nights, weekends are on call (only 5 weekends a year), holidays are on call rotating (usually every 3 years you'll end up with a big holiday like Christmas). The downside is it's a HUGE pay cut. The hourly rate is about $2.00 less an hour. I won't get any shift diff for nights or weekends (which is A LOT). Very few opportunities to pick up extra shifts. Benefits are worse than my current employee. HOWEVER, knowing that I'll be home in my own bed every night and have every weekend (minus the 5 on calls) free? PRICELESS. I said YES as fast as I could!

Only 3 nights shifts to go!

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I had an interview for a school nursing position early last week and expect to hear if I will be offered the position sometime this week. I currently work a 12 hour day/night rotation at a pediatric hospital and every 3rd weekend. Although I love my work the rotating shifts and the looooooong days and nights I spend at work, not to mention working every single holiday, is starting to take a toll on myself, my marriage and my family. Luckily for me moving from the hospital to school nursing is a lateral move in terms of salary. I was prepared to take a pay cut though because having a working schedule that is more in line with my husband's work and my kids' school schedules as well as the ability to spend more time at home with them is priceless. My husband and I did sit down and crunch the numbers though to make sure that we could afford just my new salary because, unlike the hospital, I won't have the ability to pick up extra shifts for some extra money. Good luck to you whatever you decide!

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