School nurse
School nurses work with schools and families to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
Also known as: Specialist community public health nurse
- Starter salary£31,000 a year
- Experienced£50,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
In this role you could:
- raise awareness of health issues like smoking and drugs
- promote healthy living, including sex and health education
- give immunisations, vaccinations and carry out screenings
- train teachers on healthcare issues and advise on school health policy
- support children with medical needs like asthma, diabetes, epilepsy or mental health issues
Working environment
You could work at a school, at a pupil referral unit, in the community or at a college.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of medicine and nursing practices
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- sensitivity and understanding
- a desire to help people
- the ability to work well with others
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a school nurse
You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or by working towards this role.
Apprenticeship
If you're a qualified registered nurse or midwife, you might be able to do a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship.
This usually takes a year and 6 months to complete and is a mix of learning at work and study at an accredited university.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- to be a registered nurse
Work
You can apply to become a school nurse if you're a registered nurse or midwife.
You'll usually need to do an approved programme in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - School Nursing.
This approved programme can take 1 to 2 years to complete.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
You'll usually need a driving licence for this job.
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- become a team manager or community matron
- become a manager of a service
- work in education or research
Career tips
You might have an advantage when applying for courses or jobs if you have:
- experience in health promotion or working with children in the community
- knowledge of child protection and family planning issues
- an understanding of school children's health needs
Registration
- you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Guides for this industry
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- Job roleHealth visitor
- Job roleDistrict nurse
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0