Salary is lower but school nurses enjoy many perks not available to private practice nurses
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The shortage of nurses in the hospital setting represents a longstanding concern for the healthcare industry. It has also affected school nursing positions.
“We are always hiring,” said Christopher J. Dailey, superintendent of schools for Gates Chili Central School District.
He suspects that the reason for the shortage is that many nurses “can make significantly more working in private practice.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wages for hospital nurses is $78,070; school nurses make only $61,780.
But school nurses enjoy a few perks.
“Many choose to work in schools due to the 10-month calendar and breaks when their children are off,” Dailey said.
Hospital nurses usually work irregular shifts and hours and are often called upon to work longer shifts.
He views school nurses as “the frontline with keeping students and staff healthy and ready to learn,” he said.
Marquis Youmans, the school nurse coordinator with Greece Central School District, said that her district has openings like everywhere. “There is a need for school nurses. It’s not a profession a lot of people look at. It’s also hard because it’s such a different type of experience. You have to work with kids. The triage skills are different than a hospital.”
The summers off can be challenging because that’s two months’ less pay than elsewhere and the district typically does not have enough seasonal summer positions for everyone. Some nurses work short-term nursing assignments elsewhere during the summer.
The school nurse’s duties are manifold and in many ways are quite different from hospital nursing tasks.
“It’s past applying ice packs and Band-Aids,” Youmans said. “There are complex needs for all kinds of things.”
She listed Type 1 diabetes, propensity for seizures and children who take maintenance medications as a few of the issues that school nurses help manage every day.
“A lot of kids need medication,” Youmans said. “Nurses are responsible for getting orders through the doctor and making sure their paperwork is up to date and being a liaison with the family about the amount of medications they take at the school.”
School nurses also help track the state-mandated immunizations and required physician screenings for school athletes. They perform hearing and vision screenings. For children whose families cannot meet these needs, school nurses work to find resources like clinics.
In addition to these medical issues, school nurses also provide a “safe space” for children’s social and emotional needs. Youmans said sometimes children stop by the nurse’s office just to stay hello or to take a break during an emotionally stressful day.
“A nurse is a big supporter of students, so they know it’s a safe space,” Youmans said.
Children evidence their trust in nurses by asking health questions or bringing up concerns that they may not want to with teachers or at times with their parents such as when a girl begins menstruation during the school day.
“Over the years, I think the role of a school nurse has changed a lot,” Youmans said. “They’re a part of the team within the school system to help students, faculty and staff to help make the whole experience a positive one. They’re there to provide support and help these students in any way they can, not just medically. I’ve been doing it seven years and I love it.”
Previously, Youmans worked at Rochester Regional Health.