How is school nursing; the cons and pros? I know the pay is not as well as floor nursing. Any suggestions and or advice?🤔
Both are extremely rewarding, hospital nursing is fast paced, exciting, offers a wonderful learning experience, but stressful to your mental and physical health. The pay can be very good, well over $100,00 year depending on area in which you live. 12 hour shifts afford you several days off in a row, accumulation of time. As a school nurse, the pay is much less, benefits tend to be much better, hours per day less. Depending on your situation whether you have children or are planning to, it is the perfect job for a mom. A big plus is summers off, as well as holidays when the kids are home. It is much less stressful and usually a friendly community where you can establish close bonds with co-workers. You could work in a hospital and on days off, substitute as a school nurse. See which one gives you more satisfaction. I enjoyed both, but hospital nursing was my favorite! Good luck!
Depends on the type of school and the age of the students. I'm not an expert on this, but filled in for a School Nurse when the teachers and Nurse were on strike. It was a good experience, but dealing with the parents of young Children, made me realize that I did not ever want to do school Nursing, but I'm a Med/Surg Nurse with 44yr. experience in Hospital, Homecare, Insurance RN and a short spell at a Nursing Home. Also did private duty while working in the HOspital and would go home with a patient upon request, when he/she was discharged.
26 years in nursing and I want to tell you that you never need to just "put up and shut up" when being spoken to rudely or inappropriately.
No matter what you have to say to someone, if you say it honestly and with respect, people will not just "hear" you but they will "listen".
This doesn't mean they will agree with you or even change, but that's ok. You are having this conversation not to change anyone but to stand up for yourself, when someone's actions made you feel uncomfortable.
Thank you for asking your question and I hope you feel empowered to always speak up for yourself:)
I loved the "idea" of school nursing but the reality of it was not for me. I subbed a lot in hoping to get a FT position but interviewed and didn't get the job and then found out I was pregnant for my last child and was ever so thankful. I liked the state benefits and school-matching schedule with my four school age kids. Maybe having my own office set up the way I want it etc would have made a difference, but subbing a lot was not for me.
The last time I subbed I saw 33 students in the office by myself. The frustrations are mostly the parents who want you to keep their child vomiting or with a fever "laying down" for the rest of the day so they don't have to leave work. Or the parent who won't pick up their kid with lice found bc "my child can't possibly have lice". I had a teen amputate his thumb and I couldn't reach the parents for many hours. The kid had a standing order for Tylenol or Advil or for pain. He was anxious waiting but "OK", I work ED in my real job and did the proper prep of the thumb. His nosey buddies kept going by the office and saying thumbs up buddy and he would hold the cup up
(Continued from previous). He would hold the cup with the amputated thumb in it back to them, laughing. Then the parents wanted to sue everybody bc their child wasn't run with 911 to the hospital. The hospital couldn't have reached the parents either!
And finally some states have laws that a school has to have a certain number of nurses per certain number of students. And some states have no laws regarding it and office secretaries are giving the Adderall and insulin shots. It would be worth a shadow experience before you spend time and money on the certification to be a school nurse. Most schools don't want to pay a competitive "nurse wage". Also colleges and universities have an infirmary and some operate on a school season with holiday and summer breaks.
Flip side some school nurses LOVE their position. Shadow!
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