How Much Should School Nurses Make?

[Rumpus]

I have a SIL who is a school nurse. She has been in that position for 18 years. She has her BS in Nursing. She has attended multiple courses on school nursing, seminars, etc. She has to be at school one week before classes start in the fall, assembling medical records, checking on immunizations, planning for children who attend school with various and sometimes serious medical issues. She must remain at school one week after school gets out, getting records in order, checking incoming freshmen's records, etc. She cannot leave until 30 minutes after dismissal and must be at school prior to the arrival of the first bus. She is paid $37,000 per year. An entry level teacher in the same school, first year with a BA/BS starts at $42,000. per year. The average salary in her school is $60k with teachers who have been there more than 15 years making $80, more than twice her pay. Opinions?

 

[daughtersrus]

I have a SIL who is a school nurse. She has been in that position for 18 years. She has her BS in Nursing. She has attended multiple courses on school nursing, seminars, etc. She has to be at school one week before classes start in the fall, assembling medical records, checking on immunizations, planning for children who attend school with various and sometimes serious medical issues. She must remain at school one week after school gets out, getting records in order, checking incoming freshmen's records, etc. She cannot leave until 30 minutes after dismissal and must be at school prior to the arrival of the first bus. She is paid $37,000 per year. An entry level teacher in the same school, first year with a BA/BS starts at $42,000. per year. The average salary in her school is $60k with teachers who have been there more than 15 years making $80, more than twice her pay. Opinions?

This is another thread that is only going to show that there is no right answer.

In our district, nurses are paid more than teachers. Sub nurses are paid more than sub teachers. SLP, PT and OT are paid more than nurses and more than teachers.

I'm not saying that any of them deserve more or less than the other. I'm just saying what it is like in our district.

Our teachers are paid more than the average so that may give you an idea about what the others are paid as well.

Edited to add...

The starting salary for a first year teacher in our district with a BS and having TRS is just over $45,000. With IRS instead, it is just over $42,000.

 

[allison443]

I have a SIL who is a school nurse. She has been in that position for 18 years. She has her BS in Nursing. She has attended multiple courses on school nursing, seminars, etc. She has to be at school one week before classes start in the fall, assembling medical records, checking on immunizations, planning for children who attend school with various and sometimes serious medical issues. She must remain at school one week after school gets out, getting records in order, checking incoming freshmen's records, etc. She cannot leave until 30 minutes after dismissal and must be at school prior to the arrival of the first bus. She is paid $37,000 per year. An entry level teacher in the same school, first year with a BA/BS starts at $42,000. per year. The average salary in her school is $60k with teachers who have been there more than 15 years making $80, more than twice her pay. Opinions?

Are we going to have these threads for every single job/profession now?

Looking at it from the employer's point of view, they are paying enough to have a person with 18 years experience in that job.
She probably would make more if she worked in a hospital setting, right? So I guess there are other reasons she stays there, right?

 

[tzolkin]

I would have assumed they would get paid about the same as any other nurse. Or at least averaged out with the number of hours they are expected to work.


I just looked up our school online and they do not list the nurses' earnings. Are they not paid by the school district?

I also did a general search of "school nurse salary" and found a median salary of around $44,000. For a staff nurse, the average is over $60K

 

[postage stamp]

sigh

 

[Kellydelly]

Are we going to have these threads for every single job/profession now?

Looking at it from the employer's point of view, they are paying enough to have a person with 18 years experience in that job.
She probably would make more if she worked in a hospital setting, right? So I guess there are other reasons she stays there, right?

Yes, nurses in hospitals usually make more than in a clinical setting. I think that being a school nurse would be a cakewalk. I work in the hospital and juggling up to 8 pts at a time who could all go south on you at any time is no picnic. Being a school nurse should pay less!

 

[wvjules]

sigh

As much as the kool-aid can tolerate.

Wait that's not what I quoted! lol

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I agree school nurses should make less. The school nurse I know makes about $10,000 a year less than me.

She works great hours and all daylight (ok I do too) But I don't get snow days and I have to work my summers.

School nurse jobs around here are few and far between so obviously somebody wants them and when they get them , hold on for dear life.

 

[Disney Doll]

It's sort of a well known nursing thing that school nursing doesn't pay as much as other types of nursing. I think the steady day shift & the amount of time off sort of skew the salary.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

In my school, the nurse is considered a teacher in every aspect. Same hours, same pay-scale, same union.

 

[Kimberly]

As much as the kool-aid can tolerate.

Wait that's not what I quoted! lol

 

[MM27]

In my school, the nurse is considered a teacher in every aspect. Same hours, same pay-scale, same union.

Yep, same thing here. Our school nurse is a part of our union and is on the same scale as the teachers.

 

[castleview]

I agree school nurses should make less. The school nurse I know makes about $10,000 a year less than me.

She works great hours and all daylight (ok I do too) But I don't get snow days and I have to work my summers.

School nurse jobs around here are few and far between so obviously somebody wants them and when they get them , hold on for dear life.

Man you're obsessed with snow days and summer. Anyway, school nurses deal with IVs and catheters far more than they used to along with seizures. Top it off with kids faking illness and girls trying to get out of gym class because they have their period. No thanks!

 

[shaylyn]

Your city still has a school nurse?

We live in a large suburb of Portland, OR. There are no nurses at any of our schools.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Man you're obsessed with snow days and summer. Anyway, school nurses deal with IVs and catheters far more than they used to along with seizures. Top it off with kids faking illness and girls trying to get out of gym class because they have their period.

Not obsessed but when its a perk and we're talking salary IMOP it should be mentioned.

 

[Rumpus]

Are we going to have these threads for every single job/profession now?

Looking at it from the employer's point of view, they are paying enough to have a person with 18 years experience in that job.
She probably would make more if she worked in a hospital setting, right? So I guess there are other reasons she stays there, right?

Yeah, I am going to do olive pitters next. That is a boring job.

She could be making a lot more but the plus side is, she has summers off, every snow day, weekends, holidays, school vacation. Those are real pluses when you have kids. While it is "stressful" at times, it is far less stressful than hospital nursing.

 

[Rumpus]

Yes, nurses in hospitals usually make more than in a clinical setting. I think that being a school nurse would be a cakewalk. I work in the hospital and juggling up to 8 pts at a time who could all go south on you at any time is no picnic. Being a school nurse should pay less!

There are issues with parents, with brittle diabetics, ADHD kids, asthmatics and PARENTS but compared to what you do, it is indeed a cakewalk. I remind her of that every time she thinks about leaving and heading off to the hospital. I don't think you can justly compare school nursing pay to hospital nursing pay but perhaps with teachers? Yes. They both have a BS/BA.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

o boy...here we go again!!! I see flashbacks of the "how much should teachers make" thread.
I don't know, BUT what I DO know is....this will NOT end well. LoL

Next thread....how much should dentists make?

 

[Rumpus]

Man you're obsessed with snow days and summer. Anyway, school nurses deal with IVs and catheters far more than they used to along with seizures. Top it off with kids faking illness and girls trying to get out of gym class because they have their period. No thanks!

You are right about that. They are some sick kids attending school that require a lot of attention. I think that they should be on par with teachers. Teaching is a part of their job on a daily basis. They don't have the luxury of a lesson plan however. Just part of the job.

 

[twinboysmom]

An RN here. I think they should make the same pay as a teacher in their district. And the same benefits as well.