Substitute/Per Diem School Nurse, Salem Public Schools SY2024-2025

About Salem Public Schools, where belonging leads to opportunity.

Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history.  Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district enrolling nearly 4,000 students across our 11 schools. Our vision is to ensure that all students will be locally engaged, globally connected, and fully prepared to thrive in a diverse and changing world. We hold dear our core values of belonging, equity, and opportunity in everything we do. Over the next three years (2023-2026), we are committed to the work outlined by the four core priorities in our strategic plan: 1) Elevate Learning; 2) Empower Educators; 3) Center Belonging; and 4) Strengthen Our Foundation. We seek individuals who are passionate about urban education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement for all students, regardless of ability, economic status, gender/gender identity, language, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other backgrounds. Applicants who have experience working in urban schools and settings and are bilingual are strongly encouraged to apply.

What You’ll Do:

Substitute/Per Diem School Nurses work as needed throughout the school year. The Substitute/Per Diem School Nurse may perform, or assist other nurses in performing, the day-to-day operation of the school health office during the school year. In addition, Substitute/Per Diem School Nurses may be asked to attend field trips with students whose medical condition requires that a School Nurse accompany them on excursions. Candidates must be flexible, self-directed, innovative thinkers, willing to learn, passionate about improving health services for all learners, and continually looking for ways to improve processes, programs, and outcomes.

Role Responsibilities:

The general Substitute/Per Diem School Nurse's duties are to administer prescription and non-prescription medications according to school policy and in compliance with 105 CMR 210, perform required school health screenings, perform prescribed procedures for students with special health care needs, provide first aid, maintain electronic health records, document the activities of the school health clinic, assess and care for ill or injured students, and perform other related nursing duties as needed in the school setting as directed by the Director of Nursing and Health Services.

What You’ll Bring:

We are looking for candidates who have diverse backgrounds and experiences, are inspired by our mission, and are highly motivated to change children’s lives through education. You’ll be right at home here if you are a reflective practitioner who values collaboration with colleagues and pushes yourself, your work, and the people around you to the next level. We expect our SPS employees to:

• Hold a deep commitment to students and families and value diversity - The SPS community is vibrant, diverse in background, ethnicity, language, and perspective. You embrace and affirm the backgrounds of all members of the SPS community and view our diversity as a powerful resource that supports us each in learning and doing our best work.
• Hold high expectations for yourself, students, and colleagues – You see potential in all, especially our SPS students, and maintain high expectations for achievement while providing the support necessary to meet that bar. You hold yourself to high expectations, modeling SPS values and seeking opportunities to continuously improve.
• Build authentic, caring relationships with colleagues, students, and families – You build strong relationships across students, families, and colleagues that are collaborative in nature and contribute to the individual and collective success of SPS. You partner with families and colleagues to make decisions in the best interest of students and learning.

• Embrace feedback – You are a reflective practitioner who learns from failure, using mistakes and challenges as opportunities for growth. You model persistence and growth mindset and thrive in a culture of feedback.

Job Requirements:

• Current License by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing as a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
• Current certification in CPR/AED and First Aid
• Experience in School Nursing, Pediatrics, Community or Public Health a plus
• Experience with electronic charting
• Strong desire to work with students in an urban setting
• Ability to work effectively with teachers, support staff, and parents and advocate for children in order to effectively problem solve
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills and ability to work with all stakeholders
• Flexibility

Salary/Pay Rate:

Substitute/Per Diem School Nurses are paid at the substitute rate as determined by the Salem Teachers Union collective bargaining agreement. The Substitute/Per Diem School Nurse reports to the Director of Nursing and Health Services.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Salem Public School District is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal-opportunity investigation.