Hello everyone! I was trying to give my friend some insight on reasons not to leave school nursing for her first bedside nursing job. She is not a part of this wonderful community so I will have to show her your responses.
She says she loves school nursing (4 yrs), but says this is an opportunity too good to pass up. I told her consider her age (44 yrs, not old just being realistic) and how hard bedside nursing is on the body, plus it is a night shift.
Before starting working in acute care I was offered a school nurse job. The only reason why I accepted the acute care position was money - I make more than double I would be making as a school nurse. And I am single and on my 40's and I started on nights. It can be done. It all depends on what is important to you. If was I married and had someone to help me raise my kids and pay for half the bills I would have taken the school nurse job - no holidays or weekends, tons of time off.
Maybe your friend is making a really hard decision but one that she feels she needs to make at this point in her life. She can always go back to school nurse if it does not work well for her.
As a current school nurse, who hates it, I say more power to your friend! School nursing is mundane, with more "mommy" skills than nursing skills required. The time off is not worth it if you hate going to work everyday. Maybe she wants a more exciting line of work, probably wants much better pay. Just because she is in her 40's doesn't mean she can't do her job at a hospital!
I have worked 40 years as a nurse, inpatient , home health, LTC, and at the end of my career I would've loved working as a school nurse. Having summers off and normal sleeping hours are worth it, unfortunately I didn't have a school certification. I did do school nursing under a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and liked it. Night shift was hard. I felt like all I did was work and sleep.
I get a PENSION. In my state, school nursing can pay into teacher's retirement and that is worth it's weight in gold. In MA, school nursing pay isn't great, but to be honest, prior to nursing I worked in higher ed administration. I make 25%+ more than I made in higher ed as a school nurse and I get summers and school vacations off.
I know my schedule. I'm married, with no kids (unless my dog and cat count). But I have an active social life and do a lot of theater in my downtime and could never do with an unpredictable hospital schedule.
Plus, I started the health education program at my charter school. I love teaching health. Love it. And the kids. I love the kids.
Of course, I'm preaching to the choir for many here. To each their own. OP - glad your friend is sticking around for another year. But as someone else suggested, she can try picking up another job. If she likes school nursing, she can try and get a camp job this summer - especially if she is single and willing to travel.
I don't know why this is such a bad idea. Isn't part of what's great about nursing the fact that you can change areas/specialties without going back to school for another degree? My mom could totally do that (she's got more energy and caring in her than half the nurses I've worked with, which is saying something!) so maybe this lady's the same way too!
Maybe if she could shadow first to try to really get the feel for the job, that would be a good idea. However, I don't think discouraging her is the way to go. Maybe she's found her niche and will do that until she retires and be insanely happy about it. Even she won't know until she tries so I don't think it's fair of me to assume she can't handle it.
I don't know why this is such a bad idea. Isn't part of what's great about nursing the fact that you can change areas/specialties without going back to school for another degree? My mom could totally do that (she's got more energy and caring in her than half the nurses I've worked with, which is saying something!) so maybe this lady's the same way too!
Maybe if she could shadow first to try to really get the feel for the job, that would be a good idea. However, I don't think discouraging her is the way to go. Maybe she's found her niche and will do that until she retires and be insanely happy about it. Even she won't know until she tries so I don't think it's fair of me to assume she can't handle it.
xo
School nurse positions are tough to get, and because she has no acute care experience, her chance at doing it on the side is non existent. Once she leaves, her opportunity to come back is really gone. The schools know they can pay less because they know experienced nurses have lived the horrible schedules out there. This is a school nurse forum, so the view is from those in this discipline.
Seventeen years med surg. Would rather live in a cardboard box than go back. One of the things i love most about school nursing is that I feel like I really make a difference in these kids lives. I'm with them 4 years. I know them and their families. Hospital nursing, I was just a cog in the wheel.
RNbubu
72 Posts
Before starting working in acute care I was offered a school nurse job. The only reason why I accepted the acute care position was money - I make more than double I would be making as a school nurse. And I am single and on my 40's and I started on nights. It can be done. It all depends on what is important to you. If was I married and had someone to help me raise my kids and pay for half the bills I would have taken the school nurse job - no holidays or weekends, tons of time off.
Maybe your friend is making a really hard decision but one that she feels she needs to make at this point in her life. She can always go back to school nurse if it does not work well for her.