Schools Need Registered Nurses!

 

School Nurses Never Stop Learning and Never Stop Caring

Did you love school so much that sometimes you wished you could just stay in that environment forever – without having to be in the student role? For those who love the environment of schools, a school nurse just may be the perfect job. All across the country school nurses play an important role in the lives of students while they’re attending school in just about every kind of environment you can imagine.

A school nurse will aid students who are having problems that range from a learning disability to difficulty in breathing. They are the first responders in an emergency situation that may arise on school grounds. At times, they must be able to follow doctor’s orders, work well within a school environment, keep up on modern technology practices and medical related knowledge to help students stay healthy and, as always, prevent disease and accidents if possible. If you want to be a nurse, help people and love the schooling environment and the perks that come with it, being a school nurse could be the perfect career choice for you. Besides, do you know any other nurses who get summers off?

What Exactly Do They Do?

School nurses obviously work in schools, but there are all sizes and forms of educational institutions to choose from. And choosing a school is a very important decision for a school nurse. The type of school that you choose will determine what age range your patients will be and ultimately what types of different skills and knowledge you will need. Different types of schools include:

  • Elementary and Pre-schools
  • Jr. High, Middle and High Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Universities and Colleges
  • Vocational Schools
  • Alternative Schools
  • Parochial Schools
  • Medical and Nursing schools

If you are forever young at heart, then working at a pre-school or elementary school would be not only fun but rewarding as well. If you’re ready to take on the challenge of the unpredictability of teenagers – who sometimes fake illnesses to get out of school – then a high school nursing position might be your calling. Maybe you’d like to create a career for yourself that also allows you to be around people with the same religious beliefs as you – then a parochial school might be a great fit.

School nurses, regardless of the facility in which they work, have as their main objective always creating a healthy and safe environment for their students. This can be done in so many ways. Being a school nurse is one of the only nursing positions that will allow you some creativity in your job, as you’ll be required to find what works best in your specific school environment. Not only will you be sitting around waiting for sick and injured students to come to you but you can go out into the school and make assessments, all the while bettering the learning environment for all. Simply put, in a school nurse career, you can make as big of an impact as you want.

What’s the Pay?

Compensation for school nurses varies across the states and is based on many different factors. Annual salaries will depend on the type of school you’re working in and of course their overall resources. The state in which you work factors into the earning potential, as well as your years of experience and specialized training or certificates you may hold. Like most nursing jobs, if you love what you do every day and love making a difference in people’s lives, the money is never the driving factor for becoming a nurse – there is simply no price for such happiness. Please refer to our Nursing Employment Guide for a more complete discussion of salaries.

How To Become a School Nurse

First, the National Association of School Nurses requires that all school nurses, have a minimum of the following:

  • Nursing experience in the field
  • Have a certification as a school nurse
  • Earn a Nursing Degree equivalent or equal to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
  • Be licensed as a registered nurse (RN)

Once you meet the requirements listed above you can sit for the school nurse certification exam. The more experience you have the better, as schools prefer that you have at least three years experience in the field, but it’s not always a requirement.

School nurse courses cover topics that are needed specifically in their special line of work. Courses teach school nurses about mental health, public health and pediatric nursing as well. There are four basic requirements at the heart of all school nursing courses:

  • Human Growth and Development
  • Public Health Nursing
  • Mental Health
  • Social Science

After you have completed the required courses you will be ready to head into the field and find the job of your dreams. Armed with the specific knowledge every school nurse needs to start making a difference, all you’ll need to do is find a job. Bu that won’t be difficult if you look on our comprehensive job board – in fact, we often have knowledge of many positions that aren’t open to the public.

So, are you ready? Are you ready to start training to be a school nurse and wake up excited to go to work? Can you imagine loving your job so much that you don’t dread Monday mornings but actually look forward to them? Like all nursing jobs, being a school nurse is so rewarding because you can truly make a difference in people’s lives every day. When students of any age get sick at school, you’ll be the first person they’ll turn to for help. Students will trust you, look up to you and rely on your knowledge to help them get better. As soon as you’re ready, we’re ready to take that first step with you and help you reach your goals.

More on School Nursing…

Learn More: Become a School Nurse

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