Transitioning to school nursing

Farawyn · Feb 12, 2016

Are you still in NY?

The pay is not good.

Are you in the hospital or clinic right now?

Lgarza · Feb 17, 2016

The specifics vary from state to state and even district to district. Overall, I'd say it's a very satisfying job and contrary to Farawyn's answer I'd say we're paid pretty well. If your district accepts some or all of your previous nurse experience (if they want you they will) and you don't accept a starting teacher's pay (I would never recommend) then pay is reasonable and sometimes comparable to other RN positions out there in the job market (factor in summers off and paid holidays). The quality of life factor is the highest for me.

As far as your interview I would focus on your time management skills, attention to detail, and your ability to easily relate to people. If you have community health experience this would come in handy and make sure to highlight. The typical questions will be situations such as with diabetics, how you would handle angry parents, (listen, try to solve and then defer to admin), how your services will impact/improve education (it's a school after all). I hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!

kidzcare · Feb 17, 2016

The specifics vary from state to state and even district to district. Overall, I'd say it's a very satisfying job and contrary to Farawyn's answer I'd say we're paid pretty well. If your district accepts some or all of your previous nurse experience (if they want you they will) and you don't accept a starting teacher's pay (I would never recommend) then pay is reasonable and sometimes comparable to other RN positions out there in the job market (factor in summers off and paid holidays). The quality of life factor is the highest for me.
As far as your interview I would focus on your time management skills, attention to detail, and your ability to easily relate to people. If you have community health experience this would come in handy and make sure to highlight. The typical questions will be situations such as with diabetics, how you would handle angry parents, (listen, try to solve and then defer to admin), how your services will impact/improve education (it's a school after all). I hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!

What state are you in?

In IL we are union for the most part so there is no wiggle room on pay and they won't pay for experience and (unless you are certified) the pay is about 78% that of a teacher.

Lgarza · Feb 17, 2016

I'm in CA and we are union as well. Some districts will take only up to a certain amount of years (I've seen 6-8 max). We're nurses after all and just because you weren't in education doesn't mean you're not experienced as a nurse. In CA you have five years to obtain a credential, which is about a years worth of classes. You are considered a credentialed school nurse, however, the day you start working even though it's on an interim basis. Other than years of service you can also get bumped up on the salary schedule if you have units towards a master's degree (preferably in the field). As I mentioned it varies from state to state but I think that's true in most fields not just nursing.

kidzcare · Feb 18, 2016

I'm in CA and we are union as well. Some districts will take only up to a certain amount of years (I've seen 6-8 max). We're nurses after all and just because you weren't in education doesn't mean you're not experienced as a nurse. In CA you have five years to obtain a credential, which is about a years worth of classes. You are considered a credentialed school nurse, however, the day you start working even though it's on an interim basis. Other than years of service you can also get bumped up on the salary schedule if you have units towards a master's degree (preferably in the field). As I mentioned it varies from state to state but I think that's true in most fields not just nursing.

I do wish that was how it worked in IL! At my old district, I was on our negotiating team for the union and I was shot down hard on asking for more money for the RNs. We were told that since they have no problem keeping nurses at the current rate, they saw no reason to change it. So I left for a district that offers more room for growth- I am currently finishing my bachelor's and then I will become certified and get the bump in pay. However, I will start at the bottom of the teacher pay scale (with a stipend). Then I can move up as I receive more education.

OldDude · Feb 18, 2016

Good luck on the interview.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Feb 18, 2016

Keep us posted! Then jump in the pool with us, we are way fun!