School Nurse: Career, Training, & Certification

School Nurse

A school nurse is essentially a pediatric nurse, providing all means of health support for children, but in an academic setting. These duties can include a wide range of activities, including emergency care, health counseling, education, vision and hearing screening, and community relations. When there are children in school with special needs, it is the duty of the school nurse to attend to these, monitoring the child’s health throughout the school day and doling out medication if requested by the parents. They strive not only for keeping the students healthy, but also instilling lifelong healthy practices within them, by educating them about proper nutrition and sanitary practices. Patience, a love for children, and good communication skills are all essential to this job, as it requires working not only with the children but with their parents as well.

Salary Outlook
 
Salaries will vary depending on education and experience, as well as what type of institution one is working in.

Average Annual Salary
$48,090

Salary Range
$33,970-$69,670

Work Environment
 
School nurses can work in any type of educational institution, ranging from public to private. They can cover all different ages of students, up through college age, or down to preschool. The wide variety of children’s ages and needs can mean that this could be a very specialized field, or very general, depending on a person’s career goals. Because they are tied to an academic calendar, many school nurses will only work for nine months out of the year, though with the increased popularity of summer school, many will continue working year-round.

Requirements

To become a school nurse, first one must pass the licensing requirements to become a registered nurse, or RN. This is required now by all 50 states, and includes the need to attend an official state-approved nursing program, as well as the licensing examination. These programs include options ranging from an Associate’s degree to a Bachelor’s, depending on what type of certification a nurse is interested in. School nurses must also be certified by the National Association of School Nurses in many states.
 
Career Outlook

Registered nurses of all varieties, including school nurses, hold a significant sector of the workforce at the moment. They are only set to increase in numbers in the coming decade, as there is a higher and higher demand for qualified health care professionals. It’s estimated that approximately 3.5 million new jobs in this industry will be created in the next five years alone.
 
Professional Organizations
 
National Association of School Nurses
8484 Georgia Avenue
Suite 420
Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA
Phone: (866) 627-6767
Fax: (301)585-1791
www.nasn.org
 
American Nurses Association
8515 Georgia Avenue
Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492
Phone: (301) 628-5000
www.nursingworld.org