[manna1qd]

How about this? We did an emergency drill for the county today. We had a haz mat situation at the school. Some of the highlights:

They kept calling the nurse on the phone and asking the nurse to call the office when the walkie talkie was used. (yea, dag on it, i got time to use the phone on the wall to call for emt backup and what to do about parent phone calls while I was taking care of anaphylaxis).

The nurses were initially asked to call local physicians when it was apparent no emt personnel was available. I told them I don't have time to make phone calls, get somebody else. They wouldn't let the docs in the building because it was contaminated.

My favorite: they made an announcement that faculaty and staff would be decontaminated - school nurses last, in case there were any other casualties. Duh!! By now, we would have been dead! We were the first that should have been decontaminated and rotated back in to treat the casualties. The called for faculty and staff and anyone else who needed decontamination. Guess what? Never called the nurses! I left the office with the first announcement and got in at the end of the line. I told the other nurses: they won't call you, they will forget about you!

Let me tell you ladies, if it happens tomorrow, I am not taking care of the dying. We are responded to by another county. It took one and a half hours to get the decontamination team set up and then they left us to the end (excuse me, they left us to die! in an empty building). Go to H E double toothpicks! I am jumping out the damned window and going home. Nobody gives one iota about us because they really don't think we are there for anything except dumping on daily or in the face of tradgedy.

They may take some feedback but they won't take it all. It will be "oh, but this; yea, but that. And they will have alot of feedback for us. Kiss my nursing cap. I am calling in sick on Monday. Truly, I want to vomit. I hate that place.

And yea, I hate myself. Thank God for Southern Comfort.

[GooeyRN]

Now thats a bad day.

[manna1qd]

Originally Posted by GooeyRN

Now thats a bad day.

I have to admit, that response made me chuckle!

[Praiser]

Manna,
God Bless You Sweetie ! I feel your frustration. I do not blame you one bit for feeling so down. I have no good answers for you, but do want you to know that I am sorry for the way it all went down. Take Monday off and be good to yourself.
I have had crappy days too, so you are not in this alone.
Hugs to you Manna


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Praiser

[manna1qd]

Thanks. And you know what I don't get? I realize we are just one piece of the puzzle but aren't we the significant piece? The reason there is an emergency is the students are ILL and it's contagious! I guess I need to keep my mouth shut and do my job. It's pretty disheartening though, when you know nobody is going to think about you. I feel like the nurses are the doers of the work and yet are dispensable. It's a crappy feeling. Why would I spend several thousand dollars and my precious time to become a certified school nurse? In the school system, educators rule, nurses drool. And don't get me started there. Teachers generally seem to not like nurses. What's up with that? I have met some of the most self serving, self centered, self righteous, full of themselves people among the teachers I have work with. I stopped going out of my way to help them recently. I don't want to get started, that's a whole other scene. I am so burned out and I have only been in this district six months!

[Praiser]

I have been doing school nursing for 16 years now, and believe me, I have seen a lot of teachers' treat me like crap. At first it got to me, but now I have learned to let it roll off my back. You just have to develop a tough hide.
I see teachers who are control freaks and they have 20 kids that they rule over......this makes them think they can dictate to us as well. They never recognize that we are educated and certified to do our particular jobs. They are all about control.
I do hope things get better for you. I do understand how you feel. Hang in there, because summer is on the way !!

Good luck to you Manna


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Praiser

[firstaiddave908]

you got that right a bad day. Good luck to you Manna.

[manna1qd]

You all know about burnout and bad days so I appreciate your understanding.

As I have slept on it, I realize that it is certainly not personal. Teachers maybe have the occupational hazard of controlling. They must "control" thirty kids all day. It does spill over to the rest of us.

I also know that TLC for the staff is needed. Some will accept it, some will not. I don't want to turn into the aggressive, rude person I deal with as the nurse. I need to keep perspective.

I also realize how much we have to teach ourselves. Little by little, we can instill healthy habits. Physically, emotionally, mentally, even spiritually by the way we conduct ourselves.

I need to pick myself up and figure tomorrow is a do over. I have learned more than I wanted to this weekend. I am better for it. I hope to be the encourager next time around.

[luvschoolnursing]

I'm sorry you feel so unappreciated. The staff I work with does not always understand me or what I do but I feel they treat me with respect and as part of the educational team. As nurses in an educational environment, we need to join their team, they're not going to join ours. We are the only medical professional in our buildings and we need to advocate for ourselves and our students, but that does not necessarily mean isolating the rest of the staff. I'm sorry you're so frustrated. Hope things improve for you.

[GRAMMYTAB]

Wow, you did have a really bad day!! So sorry that it turned out that way.
I do understand how we as the medical professional feel isolated in the school system. I just finally had to get used to it and suck it up!! I go to work each day and do my job "for the kids".
And, each year as we near spring...i do get burned out....am hanging in there till it is the end of May. ....by August I will be begging to come back!!!
Tabitha