Making the transition from acute care to school nursing.

School nursing is an interdisciplinary specialty demanding diverse nursing skills. Many of these skills might best be acquired through experience in other settings. The school population presents many nursing challenges, and there may be no supportive circle of specialists and peers readily available to the new school nurse. Further, in some states there is a shortage of educational opportunities and practicums specific to school nursing; therefore, most school nurses enter school nursing with education that is not specific to the school setting and with skills acquired in other settings, often in acute care. The main challenge for many new school nurses is effectively transferring those skills to an educational setting. This article shares observations and ideas on ways that the new school nurse can effectively make the transition.