Last Updated on November 30, 2021
July is here, and summer will be over before you know it — is your educational facility prepared for the year ahead with a fully tested, highly versatile school staffing plan? When it comes to school nurse staffing, having a well-thought-out plan can ensure success for your facility.
From staffing school nurses and other clinicians to preparing for surges, consider these three important factors in order to tackle the new year with confidence.
3 Crucial Considerations for Your School Nurse Staffing Strategy
#1: Understand that the Best Strategy Goes Beyond School Nurse Staffing
As critical as it is to make sure that you find the best nurses for your school, it’s important to remember that nurses are just one part of a balanced school staffing plan. Schools also need psychologists, PTs and OTs, speech therapists and other professionals — ideally, all balanced together in a comprehensive and scalable workforce strategy.
Instead of placing the burden of finding, hiring, training and managing the payroll for all these workers on your administrative staff, consider turning to a specialized school nurse staffing and clinical workforce solutions provider for assistance with these critical tasks. And if you do turn to an expert for assistance, it’s important to find a staffing partner who provides not just school nurse staffing, but a full complement of other clinical specialists, too.
> Don’t Miss: 9 Reasons to Partner with a School Nurse Staffing Agency or Clinical Recruiter
#2: Have Pre-Screened School Nurses & Clinicians
When you choose to partner with a clinical workforce provider to help manage your school nurse staffing needs, you’ll save your team many hours of sourcing and hiring candidates. In addition, if you choose the right partner, you’ll also be ensuring that the nurses and clinicians you staff are fully screened. This includes a full background check, credentialing and licensure.
At CareerStaff, we’re proud to provide pre-screened clinical workers to schools across the United States. We ensure that our nurses and clinicians are thoroughly familiar with applicable federal and state guidelines, in addition to the following qualifications:
School Nursing Professionals
- Active license in state of practice
- Completed & passed appropriate NCLEX exam
- 1+ year of verifiable nursing experience
Physical Therapists
- Active state license in state of practice
- Bachelor’s or Doctorate degree from an accredited program
- Successful completion of the NPTE
- Knowledge of pediatric practices within PT scope
- 3 years of verifiable physical therapy experience
Occupational Therapists
- MS in Occupational Therapy from an accredited program
- Holds an NBCOT certificate
- Active state license in state of practice
- 2 years of verifiable occupational therapy experience
Speech-Language Pathologists
- Active state license/school certification in state of practice
- Clinical fellowship completed
- ASHA certified
- 1 year of SLP experience (clinical fellowships in a school setting qualify)
School Psychologists
- Active school certification in state of practice
- NCSP certification
- Completion of school psych program through an accredited university
- 2 years of verifiable experience as a school psychologist
#3: Be Fully Prepared with Contingency Staff
Research shows a vast increase in school nurse utilization and responsibilities since the pandemic. Therefore, it’s always best to have a plan in place. Even if you don’t need additional clinical workers to round out your school staffing plan for the year ahead, you can still improve your ability to stay fully staffed by partnering with a clinical workforce partner. Just like in any setting, surges can occur, school clinicians can get sick, go on maternity leave or request other unexpected leaves of absence.
With a contingency staffing partner, you can have a backup plan in case the unexpected should occur. And with CareerStaff, you can know that your clinical staffing partner is standing by with a full network of workers who are fully experienced in educational settings and passionate about working in a school.
Set Your School Staffing Plan Up For Success
At CareerStaff, we’re proud to have extensive school staffing plan expertise. Featuring a wide network of nurses and clinicians who are available full-time or part-time, we can find the best match for your school’s unique requirements. Additionally, we specialize in offering the healthcare professionals you need to quickly stabilize your team in case of a vacancy or other absence, planned or unplanned.
To learn more about how we can help you meet your school nurse staffing needs, contact us today. We’re standing by to help at any time — but with summer winding down, it’s a good idea to get the ball rolling soon!