Should I be a School Nurse?

angel337, MSN, RN · Mar 19, 2004

Hi! I'm thinking about going to school to be a school nurse. I'm a 31 yr old stay at home mom of 2 girls, 4 & 6. My 4 yr old turns 5 this summer and will going to school next year, which would be the perfect time for me to start going to school.

Here is my thinking for this career path, and someone PLEASE tell me if I doing this for the right or wrong reasons. I always been interested in nursing but never wanted to spend the time going to school to pursue it. When I had children I definately didn't want to do that and miss out on any part of their lives. Now that they will both be in school next year, I could go to school when they are at school and be home for them in the afternoons which is perfect. Then, after schooling, being a school nurse would also be perfect because I'd work the same hours they are in school. Is my thinking right on here or am I missing something?

Also, I'm having trouble pushing myself foward after doing a little research. Here in the Dallas area, most school districts require a BSN, and I can't imagine going to school for 4 years or probably even longer in my case. Although I was an a student 13 years ago in high school, I hated studying and now that I don't HAVE to go to school, I'll have to MAKE myself go to school and do this work, and I don't know that I want this bad enough to do this.

Maybe I just need to focus on the good things this will bring instead of all the bad things, and just deal with it and move forward. Any words would be appreciated.

Thanks!

going to school for nursing requires alot of motivation and desire. it's important that you explore other reasons of why you would want to become a nurse other than convenience. being a school nurse is great for some, but most school districts would like candidates to have at least one year of hospital/acute care experience. are you willing to do that? you are very young and even if you did pursue your BSN it would not take as long as you think if you have your mind focused on your goals. i have a friend that had six months experience before she became a school nurse and she likes it very much. school nursing is not for everyone. i personally couldn't do it, but you know what you want and i think you should pursue it. just be prepared for the life changes that come with being a nursing student such as studying ALL the time, getting up at dawn for clinicals, and in a lot of cases not having as much time as you would like to spend with your family. i think it would be wise to sit down with an admissions counselor at the school you are interested in so you could get a more realistic view of what to expect. this will help you make the right decision. good luck!!

angel337, MSN, RN · Mar 19, 2004

Hi! I'm thinking about going to school to be a school nurse. I'm a 31 yr old stay at home mom of 2 girls, 4 & 6. My 4 yr old turns 5 this summer and will going to school next year, which would be the perfect time for me to start going to school.

Here is my thinking for this career path, and someone PLEASE tell me if I doing this for the right or wrong reasons. I always been interested in nursing but never wanted to spend the time going to school to pursue it. When I had children I definately didn't want to do that and miss out on any part of their lives. Now that they will both be in school next year, I could go to school when they are at school and be home for them in the afternoons which is perfect. Then, after schooling, being a school nurse would also be perfect because I'd work the same hours they are in school. Is my thinking right on here or am I missing something?

Also, I'm having trouble pushing myself foward after doing a little research. Here in the Dallas area, most school districts require a BSN, and I can't imagine going to school for 4 years or probably even longer in my case. Although I was an a student 13 years ago in high school, I hated studying and now that I don't HAVE to go to school, I'll have to MAKE myself go to school and do this work, and I don't know that I want this bad enough to do this.

Maybe I just need to focus on the good things this will bring instead of all the bad things, and just deal with it and move forward. Any words would be appreciated.

Thanks!

going to school for nursing requires alot of motivation and desire. it's important that you explore other reasons of why you would want to become a nurse other than convenience. being a school nurse is great for some, but most school districts would like candidates to have at least one year of hospital/acute care experience. are you willing to do that? you are very young and even if you did pursue your BSN it would not take as long as you think if you have your mind focused on your goals. i have a friend that had six months experience before she became a school nurse and she likes it very much. school nursing is not for everyone. i personally couldn't do it, but you know what you want and i think you should pursue it. just be prepared for the life changes that come with being a nursing student such as studying ALL the time, getting up at dawn for clinicals, and in a lot of cases not having as much time as you would like to spend with your family. i think it would be wise to sit down with an admissions counselor at the school you are interested in so you could get a more realistic view of what to expect. this will help you make the right decision. good luck!!

bergren · Mar 19, 2004

I have to agree. Going to nursing school is something that will dominate your life. Although you could keep much of the work within the children's school day, if you are going to school full time, many nights and weekends you will be studying. When you get to the clinical portion of the program, you will be putting in one or two days per week on 6 - 8 hour shifts in the hospital, plus all the studying.

I agree also that you should not drop this goal - you have been thinking of it for a long time, but to make it happen, you are going to need more drive and motivation than you have right now. Do make the visits to the local educational programs - both community college and BSN. And then just plain get started! Find out about some of the prerequisites - and just start taking them slowly, one at a time, just 3 hours a week (that is not much time away from your kids) as soon as this summer. You might find you enjoy school more as an adult and as the children get older, your desire to finish may grow and then you will take 2 or 3 courses at a time. Think about what you would want to do 40 hours a week if your life changed suddenly. If something happened and you were faced with having to support yourself, your children, and perhaps your husband, what would you be able to do? What would you want to do? If you think you would be happy nursing and miserable (and poor) working at a minimum wage job, you should start working toward that goal now - your are still young. Plus being in school while your children are in school would be great role modeling for them. Would you like your daughters to attend college? The highest predictor of a child's success in school is the educational level of the MOTHER.

If you never start, you will never finish....

bergren · Mar 19, 2004

I have to agree. Going to nursing school is something that will dominate your life. Although you could keep much of the work within the children's school day, if you are going to school full time, many nights and weekends you will be studying. When you get to the clinical portion of the program, you will be putting in one or two days per week on 6 - 8 hour shifts in the hospital, plus all the studying.

I agree also that you should not drop this goal - you have been thinking of it for a long time, but to make it happen, you are going to need more drive and motivation than you have right now. Do make the visits to the local educational programs - both community college and BSN. And then just plain get started! Find out about some of the prerequisites - and just start taking them slowly, one at a time, just 3 hours a week (that is not much time away from your kids) as soon as this summer. You might find you enjoy school more as an adult and as the children get older, your desire to finish may grow and then you will take 2 or 3 courses at a time. Think about what you would want to do 40 hours a week if your life changed suddenly. If something happened and you were faced with having to support yourself, your children, and perhaps your husband, what would you be able to do? What would you want to do? If you think you would be happy nursing and miserable (and poor) working at a minimum wage job, you should start working toward that goal now - your are still young. Plus being in school while your children are in school would be great role modeling for them. Would you like your daughters to attend college? The highest predictor of a child's success in school is the educational level of the MOTHER.

If you never start, you will never finish....

autokate · Mar 19, 2004

Thank you...I think I will speak with an advisor soon. I agree that I really need to decide if this is what I really want. Maybe there's something else out there for me - I'll need to think hard on this one.

autokate · Mar 19, 2004

Thank you...I think I will speak with an advisor soon. I agree that I really need to decide if this is what I really want. Maybe there's something else out there for me - I'll need to think hard on this one.