Would you do it?

[Hooligan]

OK, so here's my situation....

I'm currently on Bedrest/Maternity leave with baby #2. Due mid January, I am currently on leave from a part-time position on a very busy adult med-surg/peds unit. This is the end if my 1st year nursing after nursing school and the thought of going back to that unit makes me want to cry. I have a rare good night but most of them are atrocious!!! I feel staffing is unsafe and most nights feel as though I was fortunate that I passed all my meds and left all my pt's breathing. This is NOT what I had in mind when thought of Nursing. We have lost many seasoned nurses and have a high turnover rate with new employees. I feel like those leaving are fleeing like rats on a sinking ship and wondering myself if I should jump ship. So here's my dilemma....

My Aunt works for a school district as their head learning disability honcho and alerted me to an opening for a School nurse at one of her schools. It's a junior high school in a rougher neighborhood. The principal is not a very authoritative figure but is being replaced after this year. The current school nurse is resigning because she's decided she doesn't want to work any more and since her husband is a pharmacist, she doesn't need to. Anyway, the position will be available around the time I'll be finishing my maternity leave. Here's the thing....the school does not want a certified school nurse....which I'm not. I'm assuming it has to do with the fact that they wouldn't have to pay as much. I know school nursing jobs are hard to come by so I was thinking that this would at least be a foot in the door. I could then work on getting my certification and eventually move to a better school at a later date. Any thoughts on this? I know the obvious pros to school nursing, time off, no weekends, holidays etc.... The cons I've come up with are the pay cut, need for daycare during school year for 2 children (one a newborn), working more hours during the work week, the unknown....I know very little at this point about school nursing. I've worked in the professional world prior to nursing and am eager to resume those hours again but financially, the pay cut will be hard right now. Are School nursing jobs really that hard to get that it would be better to get in now and take the hit just to get the foot in the door and get experience while waiting for a more desirable district to become available? Also, what about the fact that the school does not require a certified school nurse? Is this a red flag I should be alert to? Any thought, input, advice would be welcome. Thanks in advance!

~Michelle

[MommyandRN]

I don't have any school nurse experience, just thinking about it for the future. But I think you should go for it. Even if it is just for a year to try it out and get experience. I do think it is weird that they specifically want a non-certified nurse... I guess for financial reasons. If you can swing the child care it might be worth checking out.

[tleigh7097]

GO FOR IT!!!

I have been a school nurse for the past 5 years. I took a huge cut in pay, at first, and started only working 6 hours a day. I am the nurse for our school district's profoundly handicapped children. Since then I also obtained an additional 2 hrs per day as a medication nurse for the high school. It was the smartest move I ever made! As for me, I receive the same yearly raise that the teachers vote in. Which is always good. There was no School Nurse certification required for my positions either. It would not make much of a difference as far as pay anyway.

Most importantly it is a nursing job that allows you to work independantly, collaborate with other professionals, build a retirement, and NOT have to worry about short staffing, heavy patient loads, etc.

Give it some thought! Good Luck!

Tammie

[bergren]

I agree - at least go for the interview. Nothing ventured......

Sounds like you need to get out of the situation you are in one way or another. If you like it, you can get certified and go elsewhere. Find out if you like it. Aside from loving the work, the rhythm of the hours is a good one for YOUR health and your days may not be a full 8 hours.

Wish you had said something about loving to work with kids, but, heck, you are on your back!!!!

[Hooligan]

Thank you all for your replies! I will definatly submit my resume. Thanks again!

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

If you go for the interview, see if you are being hired as a nurse or "nurses aid" Make sure of the pay. In my school district, we have RN's who are considered aids and the pay isn't great and there are no benefits. That's how I started in school nursing, though and it worked out for me. I now have my certification and a full time position. When my kids were real little though, I was better off staying in the hospital, even though I had the same c/o you stated, I could work a couple evenings a week, be home with the kids during the day and make as much as I did at the school as a nurses aid. I started working in the school after both my kids were in elementary school so I didn't need any day care.

That being said, school nursing is the best job I ever had. I really feel like I make a difference. I love the people I work with, they're not all miserable. I love the hours and even the pay isn't that bad.

[okschoolnurse]

I send all new school nurses and those thinking about school nursing to http://www.homestead.com/snp/contents.html there aer some great articles for new school nurses down the page. Also, for our standards of practice go to http://www.nasn.org.

This is probably already posted somewhere else, but here it is again.

Good Luck.

[MommyandRN]

Keep us posted on what happens! I am a mom of little ones too and want to get into school nursing too so I am curious how it goes for you.

[EvelynRN-BSN]

I am curious as well. I went to two interviews. I am waiting to hear back. One said I should hear something by the end of next week. If I get it I will let you know what I think of it!