School Nursing: Education and Career Opportunities

School nurses provide a bridge between students, parents, and teachers to address the physical, mental, emotional, and social health needs of students so they can thrive in the classroom.

Steps to Become a School Nurse

Use these steps as a guide to pursue a career as a school nurse.

Decide if School Nursing Is Right for You

Like any new career journey, you’ll need to decide if school nursing is right for you. Talking to current school nurses and potentially shadowing them while they work is one way to get a firsthand perspective of the role before you invest time and money in training.

“I have found that this role is much like being an ER nurse in that you have often very little information and supplies and have to make do with what creativity you can come up with,” says Hunter. “You never know what’s going to come in your office—is it a bellyache because we hate math or is it a kid who punched glass and needs stitches? A pregnant teen or a kid that fell and maybe has a broken bone?”

In addition to being able to respond in any situation, it also helps to have certain personality traits. “I think the personal characteristics needed for this role would include organization skills, time management skills, and the ability to be flexible and adapt,” says Hunter. “You have to be able to see through some stories and get to the real issues at hand.”

What You’ll Do

While your role may vary depending on the size and type of school, here are some common responsibilities and duties of a school nurse:

“School nursing can be extremely rewarding. There is so much more than giving out band-aids and ice packs—that’s the easy part!” says Hunter. “We have to be ER nurses, special ed teachers, mommies, counselors, and even teachers.”

Work Environment

School nurses serve as an important link among students, teachers, coaches, and parents. This requires effective communication and collaboration.

In addition to handling everyday injuries and illnesses, you’ll work to prevent a student’s medical issue from interfering with their ability to learn.

“If the student also has educational issues in addition to the medical issues, then the nurse will be on the IEP (individualized education program) team to help manage the medical accommodations,” Hunter says.

In addition to handling everyday injuries and illnesses, you’ll work to prevent a student’s medical issue from interfering with their ability to learn.

On a broader level, a school nurse contributes to the school environment by educating staff and students on a range of health care issues, including infection control, recognizing signs of distress, and first-aid.

Salary

While the BLS doesn’t report salaries by specialty for RNs, earning a BSN and certification may increase your salary potential and help you stand out among job candidates, especially in a field that values advanced education. Where you work, your experience, and other factors also can influence your salary. Here are median annual RN salaries by state.

Job Outlook

Pursuing a nursing career may be a wise investment of your time and money. The BLS predicts a 6.2% job growth for RNs through 2031, slightly above the average growth for all occupations.

Your employment opportunities as a school nurse will vary depending on the school districts in your area. While some districts hire nurses part time and pay lower salaries, others employ nurses as part of their teachers’ union and pay them on a scale that aligns with teacher salaries, Hunter says.