School Nurse

Nursing is one of the most promising professions in the United States. Despite the not so good job market recently, the health care sector has not been affected as much as the others in terms of job availability. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job outlook, employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 26 percent in a decade (2010-2020). This is faster than the average for all other professions. In addition to the promising employment opportunities, registered nurses’ median pay in 2010 was around $64,000 per year.
Moreover, nursing is quite a challenging profession as well. Registered nurses provide patient care, in addition to educating patients and general public on various health issues. They also provide emotional support and advice to patients and their families. They work in hospitals and clinics. Registered nurses are also hired by the military, correctional facilities, summer camps and schools.

A school nurse provides emergency care in illness and injury to students and staff members. School nurses educate students and staff about various prevalent healthcare issues like seasonal allergies, safe-sex techniques, etc; prepare health-related reports for the school’s management; maintain healthcare equipment and supplies; assist during pre-registration; hold conferences with students and their parents when appropriate; conduct vision and hearing tests; maintain infirmary care facilities and maintain all student health records.
In order to enter the profession, one must be formally educated. There are three ways of becoming a registered nurse:

• Diploma from an approved nursing program
• Associate’s degree in nursing (ADN)
• Bachelor’s of Science in nursing (BSN)

Furthermore, school nurses must also be licensed to work in a particular state. A school nurse must pass the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-RN, in order to become a registered-licensed nurse. Licensing requirements may differ from state to state.
If you have the following skills then you may want to pursue a career in nursing:

• Critical-thinking
• Effective communication
• Patience
• Organization
• Emotional stability
• Detail oriented

In addition, if you have an aptitude for working with children then there are plenty of school nurse jobs for you.