Why Become A School Nurse?
There are many benefits to working as an RN in the school environment. The most obvious being a normal workday with weekends, holidays, and summers off. Many school nurses have mentioned to me they chose this career as it allowed them to have the same schedule as their children. Wonderful for the working parent as well as decreasing the number of ‘latchkey kids’. One friend of mine chose to work at a University to get free education for her children. With college education costs skyrocketing over the last few decades, this could save parents and young adults thousands of dollars. And then you have those individuals who became school nurses because they love kids and want to help them thrive. Healthy students learn better. School nurses make that happen.
A drawback to school nursing is the lower salary compared to other specialty areas within our field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the median wages of registered nurses to be between $75,330-80,010 (Registered Nurses (bls.gov)). However as of November 2023, Salary.com shows the median School Nurse salary is $55,280 (School Nurse Salary | Salary.com). That is a significant difference.
A hurdle I, personally, couldn’t make. I have always been interested in teaching and guiding the young and impressionable. Before becoming an RN, I passed the California CBEST (California Educator Credentialing Exam). I also worked as a substitute teacher. Ultimately, I decided teaching k-12 was not my true passion. Once I became a nurse, I was drawn to school nursing for obvious reasons. Although I checked salaries frequently hoping for an equalization in pay, as a single woman and sole earner I simply couldn’t afford such a drastic drop in my salary to go into the specialty field of school nursing. Unfortunately, I know many school nurses who have side jobs at hospitals to make up for the difference in salaries. I sincerely hope this changes in the future.
So, what does it take to become a school nurse? Well, first you must pass nursing school and the NCLEX (RN licensing exam). Next, you need at least 1-3 years of experience as a pre-requisite (for most employers). The reasoning behind this requirement is the very nature of the school environment means you are often the only licensed healthcare personnel on campus and you need to be confident and skilled in your critical thinking and assessments. The only way you achieve this is through experience working as a nurse. You have a great deal of autonomy as a school nurse which can be either a benefit or a detriment depending on your skill level and patient acuity. The current trend in most states is to require a BSN to be a school nurse. Although, I am against this for many reasons, it is a requirement for many employers (a story for another day). If a school or school district allows the ADN RN, they will often pay much less or require you to enter into a BSN program and graduate within a specified time period. It is recommended that you also attain the certification for school nursing (often allowed after hire). Each state has their own requirements. New Mexico requires licensing by the NM Public Education Department. The NM Department of Health also offers a Foundations class on the basics of school nursing in the state. And that’s it. If your dream is to become a school nurse, you can do this! I believe in you! Don’t give up. Follow your dream. Find your nursing niche.
I finally found the perfect compromise between my desire to work in a school environment, nursing, and my need for a higher salary. My current position as a School Health Advocate in public health nursing allows me this opportunity. I found my nursing niche. It took me a couple decades to find, but it was worth it.
If you haven’t discovered your place within nursing yet, be patient. You will find it. I hope I am able to help as I discuss various areas within our nursing practice. An absolute positive to nursing is the wide range of opportunities. Every nurse can find their nursing niche. I did. So can you.
