Any school nurses?

[Bumble1993]

I’ve been offered a job as a band 5 school health nurse - it sounds perfect. Just the job for me. Public health really is my jam.

However, I’d love a warts and all assessment from any of you ‘in the know’

Especially
1 - what does a typical day look like
2 - best bits of job
3 - worst bits of job
4 - any huge considerations to make prior to committing
5 - does it provide a good work/life balance
6 - are you happy in your job/ would you recommend it
7 - what are the stress levels like
8 - and an odd one - just because I don’t know - do you wear uniform or not
9 - anything else at all

Thanks on advance!

Hi OP sorry you haven't had any responses.

I am not a school nurse but work with them.

I think it has the potential to be a great job, but I imagine your workload will mostly be made up of emotional health needs and safeguarding in the current climate. Unless you are employed by a particularly well staffed and funded trust there may not be much grass roots public health work.

Will your employer look to fund your scphn training eventually?

Your employer will tell you about uniform, but they don't wear uniform in my trust.

Have you been able to shadow or spend any time with a school nursing team to find out what the day to day is like in your trust?

Good luck with the job!

Congratulations on your job offer.

I'm a band 5 school health nurse, I've worked in this role for 5 years now, so I'll give you my ten pence worth. But please be mindful that every team and area is different. I was attracted to the role because public health is my passion, but the opportunities to actually promote public health and support children and their families have massively reduced over my time in the role. To answer your questions...

1. If we are in schools immunising children then that's pretty much the whole day. That's a part of the role I love, we don't actually see many kids otherwise! But we and most other school nursing teams have a separate immunisation team now so those days are less and less. Most days are desk based, attending meetings via teams (Child protection conferences, strategy meetings, child in need meetings, team around the family). Obviously before covid we would be attending in person, mostly in schools and with children's social care - all safeguarding related stuff. Writing reports is a huge part of the role, again for safeguarding purposes.

We also have a duty desk and that is typically one day every week or so - this involves dealing with phone calls and emails into the service, advising parents over the phone and liaising with and sharing information with other agencies. We also run a drop in service at the local high schools, dealing with mainly emotional health and well-being.

1. Immunisations for me personally, supporting a child to overcome their fears. Children/teens trusting you enough to share information with you. I like the people I work with, we're a pretty close knit team.

1. The constant report writing, the work load, the lack of mental health services available for children and young people, how underfunded everything is. We are massively short staffed and our service does not seem to be able to retain staff. I miss delivering growing up talks and healthy eating talks in schools - this is not something we do at all anymore due to capacity but that's the sort of thing that attracted me to the role. I miss actually seeing children.

1. I guess just to be aware that you will hear some terribly sad and upsetting things in the role, it's massively opened my eyes up to what is going on around me.

1. Mostly, yes. Particularly in Nursing anyway. We have our own laptops and phones and can work from home. There is flexibility around children etc. Due to the pressures and workload I find it hard to switch off, but I don't work evenings, weekends or Christmas, which is not possible in many nursing jobs

1. Not particularly happy no, but I can't say I wouldn't recommend it either. If safeguarding is something you love, and you can handle the pressures of a large caseload then it may be great for you. If you have kids and want to be at home at the weekends etc, that's another plus point.

1. It ebbs and flows but as a service we are very short staffed and very stressed. Morale is low. But I work in a deprived area and we have a large amount of safeguarding and families needed lots of additional support. Covid has really impacted on our service and even though it was stressful and heaving going pre-covid, everyone just seems so much more stressed. Although this could be the same for many roles?

1. Only to immunise. The rest of the time the general rule is " no denim".

Just seen what the pp said, unless your trust is very well staffed and funded, public health promotion seems to be the first thing to go, sadly. Actually shadowing someone would be a perfect way to see if the job is for you!

Hey guys - thanks so much for the honesty.

Sounds like a job not for the weak hearted!

I’ve accepted it - I’m feeling positive as they talk about re-structuring completely. They talk about getting back to school nursing roots which they describe as true public health nursing.

Let’s see!

Thanks so much 😊

In my trust all School Nurses are band 6.....the band 5s are Community Staff Nurses...it’s a big responsibility for a band 5 wage....carrying all that safeguarding .

Any SCPHN School Nurses studying or studied at the University of Surrey? Just wanted to know more about the placements & the course…, hoping to start this month - thanks