School Nurse Fired After Refusing Assignment; Investigation Questions Staffing and Scope

A small-town newspaper headline blamed a school nurse for delaying classes. The real story is much bigger. In this investigative episode of Nurse Converse, nurse journalist Jana Price sits down with Moriah Benjamin, a Pennsylvania LPN who was fired after refusing to work as a school nurse without proper supervision — a violation of her scope of practice under state law. Moriah shares what happened the night she called off, the 95-page school board hearing where she represented herself, the charges that changed between letters, and the closing statement that's now rallying nurses everywhere: "I'd rather lose my job today than my license tomorrow." A must-listen conversation about scope of practice, license protection, school nurse staffing, and what it costs to stand up for what's right.Jump ahead:00:36 – Jana introduces the investigation and guest Moriah Benjamin, an LPN and former school nurse in Millville, Pennsylvania02:15 – How a local newspaper headline sparked a months-long investigation — and why the paper never got Moriah's side05:27 – Moriah walks through April 16th and 17th: the coverage gap, her repeated concerns, and the proper call-off09:05 – Jana reads the original news article and breaks down Pennsylvania's LPN supervision laws and PDE guidance for school nurses13:16 – The "backup" nurse in the neighboring district turns out to be another LPN14:29 – Life as a single mom on $28,000 a year with no benefits — and where her ten absences really came from18:41 – The 95-page school board hearing: Moriah represents herself after a $250 consult was all she could afford23:22 – Approved to work the summer program on April 20th — then served with charges on May 4th25:59 – Testimony changes three times on whether a CSN was ever made available30:58 – The safety math: one CSN, two LPNs, two districts, and up to 1,500 students per nurse38:09 – The charges that changed between May 4th and May 9th — and the objection that got shut down44:03 – "This was retaliatory": why Moriah believes the hearing was never about attendance50:25 – The closing statement: "I would rather lose my job today than my license tomorrow"52:57 – Life after termination, Studio 143 Designs, and the call for accountability in Millville and beyond59:06 – Moriah's message to nurses: stand firm, protect your license, protect your patientsThe investigation this analysis grew out ofSchool Nurse Fired After Refusing Assignment; Investigation Questions Staffing and Scope — Jana Price, Nurse on the RecordSchool Nurse Fired After Refusing Assignment: "I'd Rather Lose My Job Than My License"School Nurse RulesPart 1: School Nurses Must Refuse Unsafe Work. Few States Protect Them When They Do.Part 2: School Nurses Are the Lowest-Paid LPNs in the Country. Here's Why.Part 3: A School Nurse Ratio Can Be a Floor, a Ceiling, or Nothing at All (you are here)More on school nursingSchool Nurse SalarySchool Nurse Burnout and Retention ReportFor more information:Full transcript and videos: Nurse.org/podcastJoin our newsletter: nurse.orgInstagram: @nurse_orgTikTok: @nurse.orgFacebook: @nurse.orgYouTube: Nurse.org