Trying to find my "niche", School Nurse or Case Management

Published Oct 20, 2013

34 Posts

Specializes in School Nursing.

I've been licensed now for about a year and a half. I've been blessed with the opportunity to TRY a few different specialties. I've done psych, school nursing, public health, and case management. I have learned important things from each of them...and each one has made me a better nurse, taking bits and pieces from each and making me grow into a more rounded individual.

My problem is I want to SETTLE into one and work long term in something I enjoy, but I find I'm always comparing the PROS and CONS of each.

Currently I am trying to decide between the School Nurse position and the Case Management.

School Nurse: Love working with the kids.. Full time 40 hrs a week, M-F, no weekends/holidays, great pay + benefits, BUT summers off with no pay is kinda scary to think about...Don't think they allow you to collect unemployment in summer.

Case Management: I work with MRDD. Full time pay at part time hours...no benefits, some holidays and weekends, a lot of paperwork, always bringing work home. ALWAYS driving here and there...no mileage reimbursement. More stressful, but year round..

I don't know what the best path for me is....

The case management job gives me MORE time at home, which is important because of my children. But it also has a lot of negatives....

So frustrating....