What are the possibilities for a school nurse to get a job at a hospital?

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Hello everyone, I would love some input from either school nurses who later worked in a hospital or hospital nurses who either themselves came from school nursing first or have coworkers who did. My issue is, I recently graduated from nursing school (with my Masters, I did a direct-entry program) and was offered a position this week for school nurse. Ideally I'd like to work on an in-patient floor one day, but the way the job market is in my area, it is almost impossible to get a decent hospital job straight out of school with no experience. My question is, do you think if I got ~ 1 year of school nursing experience, that would be enough experience for the minimum 1 year hospitals seem to be looking for?? Or is it not "clinical" enough experience. I know school nurses do a LOT in regards to meds, diabetes management, handling respiratory emergencies, etc., but do HR departments and nurse managers in hospitals see it that way??? The position sounds wonderful and I feel lucky to have been offered it, I just need to know if I will still be able to transition to hospital work eventually. Your input would be much appreciated!

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Specializes in ccu.

You have a Master's and you're going to be a school nurse?! Yikes. I don't want to be rude, but you are going to be making peanuts for your education!!!

Anyway, I work PRN in the hospital along w/my school nurse job, BUT I had the hospital job first and dropped from an FTE to PRN when I got the school nurse job. I'm not sure that hospitals would count school nursing for the precious first year. They are just SO DIFFERENT. You are using very different assessment skills, and typically, everyone under your care is more or less healthy.

Good luck!

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Has anyone started working part time or PRN in a hospital after becoming a school nurse? This is my first year as a school nurse, and only my second year as an RN, so I was considering trying to do weekends PRN for a local hospital once I get used to the groove of things at school. I don't want to lose any skills I'm not using at the school -- and I could use the extra money as well. But I also don't want to over-commit myself too early.

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Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

When I was a school nurse, I worked per diem for a psychiatric hospital. The hours worked perfect for a school nurse, as the shift went from 4 p.m. to midnight, rather than 3 to 11. I held the per diem job for 3 years and would often work full time hours during the summer. It can be done.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

New school nurse here as well, and I would LOVE to get a part time-weekend job at any of the hospitals near me. I'm just not sure if they would even take me at this point and if I would get enough "me-time" to de-brief from school/hospital work. I went with a student to the Emergency Room and it made me realize how much I miss hospital nursing.

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I'm in the same boat. School nursing was my first job. Weird but places I put applications in last year are calling now. The problem is that as school nurse's I'm finding that we can't do the orientation. The nurse educator on the hospital only work monday - friday 8-5. And the few places I talked to said fill out a new application in the summer. Only one LTC said they would see what they could do If I was to get the job, I don't think I got that job.

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Specializes in kids.
You have a Master's and you're going to be a school nurse?! Yikes. I don't want to be rude, but you are going to be making peanuts for your education!!!

Anyway, I work PRN in the hospital along w/my school nurse job, BUT I had the hospital job first and dropped from an FTE to PRN when I got the school nurse job. I'm not sure that hospitals would count school nursing for the precious first year. They are just SO DIFFERENT. You are using very different assessment skills, and typically, everyone under your care is more or less healthy.

Good luck!

Not necessarily, I got my Masters while working in my school nurse job and the result was a 6K raise....:cat:

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