School Nurses

Employers

School nurses are employed by private and public schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. They also work in parochial schools, vocational schools, and preschools. The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) reports that school nurses also work for departments of health, public health departments and agencies, hospitals, and hospital districts. This organization has nearly 20,000 members.

Starting Out

Many new nurses gain practical experience in a non-school setting before they apply for employment as a school nurse. Nurses can apply directly to hospitals, nursing homes, and companies and government agencies that hire nurses. Jobs can also be obtained through school career services offices, by signing up with employment agencies specializing in placement of nursing personnel, or through the state employment office. Other sources of jobs include nurses' associations, professional journals, newspaper want ads, and Internet job sites. Additionally, the NASN offers job listings on its Web site, https://jobs.nasn.org.