Would this be a good fit for me? (School nurse vs. inpatient hospital nursing)

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Specializes in PICU, peds, nursing instructor.

Hello to all, I am looking for some guidance/help with my experience and possibly interviewing for a school nurse position....

I am currently a PICU RN in a suburban hospital, we have a small unit (8 beds) and have a fairly high patient acuity and patient population....we have been averaging 6-8 kids since mid-September, both chronic and acute illnesses, and ages from newborn-18 years. I have been working nights here for 12 years, and most of the time, I like my job and coworkers, love our docs, like the patients and families, and feel good as a nurse here. I am usually the charge nurse, sometimes preceptor to new nurses, and a member of the scheduling committee. I have a lot of seniority, get a schedule I ask for 90% of the time, and we work every third weekend.

My second job is a pediatric clinical instructor, and I work one day per week with nursing students in another area hospital. I really enjoy my students, I like teaching nursing, and it seems a good fit for me. Not really ready to enter teaching full time (I have had two job offers so far, but both are for med-surg, not pediatrics, and both would be 4-5 days a week of teaching clinicals.) and don't have my MSN, so couldn't do classroom teaching yet.

A friend of mine had approached me about a school nurse position in a district close to home, supervising IEP's and working with special needs students (I assume autism, trachs, feeding tubes, etc.) This would be 20 hours per week, and I could continue to teach one day per week or stay contingent in the PICU at my current job, which would be working 3 shifts per month.

I have almost 20 years at my current hospital, and I would hate to lose my seniority, my benefits, and my retirement plan, which would "freeze" if I go contingent. I would have to pick up another pension/retirement plan at the new job. On the flip side, I am slowly burning out of peds traumas, child abuse cases, and the constant stress of working with really sick kids and parents, being short staffed often, and leaving work exhausted and mentally drained.

Another caveat to a school nurse position would be aligning my schedule with my husband and kids, finally, after all these years. My husband is an elementary teacher (different school district entirely) and my kids are both school aged (one in middle school, one in elementary) and maybe this is a good time to switch? I have worked nights since forever due to my family, and flex my shifts opposite my husbands work meetings, my kids sports, and make sure all bases are covered at home. With my teaching plus working, I am gone 2 nights a week and one full day shift (6am-6pm) and while it works pretty well, it is not perfect and my sleep takes a backseat to cleaning the house, chores, groceries, dinner, kid drop-offs and pickups,etc.

Sorry this was long, but wanted a few different perspectives before I decide to interview. I did finish my online application on Friday.

I do think it would be a "good fit" job for me, given my history, but I am sure it will pay less than my current position, and not sure what my options would be.....

Thanks in advance for listening! Appreciate any/all input! :)

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I couldn't add anything to your own explanation. You already know the answer. You only get one shot with your kids. Welcome to school nursing.

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I couldn't add anything to your own explanation. You already know the answer. You only get one shot with your kids. Welcome to school nursing.

Yup.

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Other than absolutely loving what I do the schedule is part of the perks! For a working mom the schedule is AMAZING! Just FYI You will still go home emotionally and mentally drained some days, you will still have child abuse on occasion to deal with, and parents well they are sometimes difficult!

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

I do both acute care on the weekends and school nursing during the week. I would love to be in a position to only do the school. I, too, work nights and have for 28 years, but I appreciate the week when I get to sleep at night and be on schedule with my kids. My wife, alas, works nights. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would continue doing the school as volunteer, I love it that much. I work for tuition, so there is a need to work my acute care position, which I do like. Good luck on coming to a decision. Like others, I think we can read it in your post.

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I do both acute care on the weekends and school nursing during the week. I would love to be in a position to only do the school. I, too, work nights and have for 28 years, but I appreciate the week when I get to sleep at night and be on schedule with my kids. My wife, alas, works nights. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would continue doing the school as volunteer, I love it that much. I work for tuition, so there is a need to work my acute care position, which I do like. Good luck on coming to a decision. Like others, I think we can read it in your post.

Okay, I don't love it that much.

If I win the lottery tomorrow I'm buying a pony.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
Okay, I don't love it that much.

If I win the lottery tomorrow I'm buying a pony.

My kids go here and it is a laid back attitude. The school will never be bigger than 250 kids, so I don't see as many stressful situations as schools with twice the population or more. Went to our local high school to tour their health suite and she told me she is doubling in size next year to 1500 kids d/t school closures. I don't think I would volunteer there.:no:

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Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..

jp. Go for it! As you can tell, it helps to be (just a little) crazy... welcome to the playground.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Okay, I don't love it that much.

If I win the lottery tomorrow I'm buying a pony.

"Wildfire"

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"Wildfire"

*gets out the chaps*

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
*gets out the chaps*

This might cause us to stray off topic...

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
This might cause us to stray off topic...

That would be a first.:sarcastic:

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