School Nurses: Tips for Getting a Nursing Job at School

Why not go back to school, as a school nurse?

While every registered nurse has known a school nurse, he or she may never have considered the possibility of a nursing job, at a school. Employment at a school offers a registered nurse the unique opportunity of seeing a different side of nursing. For children and teachers alike, a school is a busy place, but a relatively healthy and pleasant work environment for a registered nurse.

School curricula is well organized, with positive and constructive activity involving students, teachers, parents, as well as others. At times, it includes the school nurse, too. Something is always happening at school, so it can be an exciting place to work. Working with children or teens, can present a challenge, but it is fun.

There are three ways to get a nursing job at a school.

A registered nurse can work through an agency, with just one student. Or, he or she can work directly for the school system and take care of a large body of students. He or she can be employed in a school setting that involves different kinds of school programs, hosted by various organizations that require the services of a registered nurse.

Here are some tips for finding employment as a school nurse.

To find employment that involves one-to-one nursing care of a student attending school, begin by making inquiries at various community nursing agencies, about school age patients who require nursing care, while at school.

Community nursing agencies have specific patients with special needs, who are able to attend school, as long as they receive nursing care through the day. A registered nurse may be employed as a private duty nurse, to administer the nursing care needed. This allows the child to attend school, whereas otherwise he or she would be confined to a hospital or home environment. This is an excellent job for a pediatric nurse.

For example, a registered nurse may work in a school setting, with a ten year old student, who has severe, cerebral palsy. His nursing care may include medical treatments of various kinds, administration of medications, tube feedings or various kinds of physiotherapy and physical care.

The second option involves a registered nurse, who works directly for the school system. There are different kinds of schools and high schools that require a school nurse trained to assume the responsibility for the health care needs of a large student body.

If you are interested in this kind of work as a professional registered nurse, contact your local school board or board of education. Place an application for employment, to let them know that you are available and interested in working as a school nurse. Find out what jobs are available and the academic or nursing requirements for school nurses in your area, as these vary.

You will need to have First Aid and CPR certification. Other, more highly specialized school nursing certificate or degree courses on the college or university level, may be required. A registered nurse who wishes to work in a school environment can obtain a teaching certificate or a degree that will allow him or her to work in the capacity of a part time teacher, as well as a school nurse. You may prefer to become nurse practitioner and work in a school setting.

Watch for new school openings or job openings that advertised in your local newspaper. You will find a broad range of schools, with a wide range of student health care needs. Do online research to learn what schools are employing registered nurses and in what capacity.

For instance, in a large city, there may be a new, high school with a lot of alcohol and drug related problems. As a registered nurse, you may qualify for employment, but having taken counseling courses in alcohol and drug abuse counseling, is more likely to lead to a job as a youth counselor for that school.

You might be able to find a small, private school or a high school in your area, that needs a school nurse. Or you may find a preschool or a school for disabled children, that will hire you as a registered nurse. A military-oriented school may prefer to hire a registered nurse, with a previous military background. A church school or high school may be interested in hiring you.

Every full time school nurse needs time off, so contact local elementary schools and high schools in your vicinity, about working as a replacement for the regular school nurse, when he or she is away on vacation or needs time off, for an illness or a family emergency.

Make inquiries into a school's future needs. Perhaps the current school nurse wants a temporary or permanent leave of absence, or must be replaced as he or she is moving, seeking other employment or ready to retire. You might find part time work as a substitute teacher, in a health-related area.

The third option is that of being involved in various school settings, with other agencies or different kinds of school nursing programs.

Watch for special education or alternative education programs advertised for local schools, as they may require the part time or full time assistance of a registered nurse.

For instance, in the area of children's mental health, you may be able to find a specialized program that offers employment for a registered nurse, in a school setting. Many programs deal with special needs for disabled or handicapped children, teenagers or adults.

You might consider developing a new health and safety related program for a school. Talk with the teachers, where your own children attend school and see if there are new, health-related programs they want introduced into the school curriculum, like how to prevent the spread of the flu virus.

When there is no employment for registered nurses in an area, it may be possible to create a new job. For example, you may find a school that needs a registered nurse to teach topics that are specifically for teens, like teen pregnancy or the prevention of AIDs.

Acknowledge an existing need in a school community and develop a health-related educational program to meet that need. Obtain permission to create and introduce new, health-related programs for schools, like weight loss/weight management. Offer the course to other schools, as well.

Become involved in community programs that regularly send registered nurses to schools or other schools in more remote areas, to do vision and hearing tests or immunization programs.

Offering to work as a volunteer in a school scenario allows the teachers, parents and others to see the advantages of having a registered nurse present, in a school setting. Volunteer to be a nurse on school trips, at school picnics or special outings and this could turn into a permanent part-time job.

Another possible option might entail checking course curricula at schools, where summer classes are offered. The regular school nurse will be on vacation and you may be able to fill in for him or her.

As a registered nurse, you may be invited to introduce recruitment programs that encourage high school students to train as registered nurses or other medical professionals.

Remember that nursing is not always bedside nursing and registered nurses are professional educators, in health-related areas.

There are many possible options that you can consider, if working as a school nurse is your goal, so why not go back to school as a school nurse?