Administering eye drops to uncooperative kid

Specialties School

Published

Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

:banghead:

That about sums it up. I wasn't able to do it. Kid is in first grade and was refusing to uncover his eyes with his hands. It is just OTC allergy drops but the kid looks miserable and the mom went to pharmacy to get them, drove them here and filled out all the papers and left. I am not gonna call her and make her come back now to do the drops. Just frustrating. If it were my own kid I would have just say on him and forced them in :blackalien:

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And that is why I DO NOT have patience for the littles. :no:

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Oy. Perhaps an impertinent question but why the need for dosing at school?

This is why I love high school nursing. They'll lie to you but they can put in their own eye drops!

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sounds like that kid's not gettin' eye drops.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Don't get frustrated. Calling mom is the EXACTLY the thing you need to do. Let her decide; come to school and give him the drops or he doesn't get them if he doesn't cooperate. No big deal.

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Specializes in School nursing.
Oy. Perhaps an impertinent question but why the need for dosing at school?

This is why I love high school nursing. They'll lie to you but they can put in their own eye drops!

They will? What high school do you work at? None of my HS kiddos can put in their own eye drops. But I'm no nonsense about it with them - slightly different approach than with a 1st grader :).

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

UPDATE: He was so miserably itchy that he came back a few minutes ago and said "I'll hold still, I promise". It still took a little coaxing but I got them in and now that he knows they don't hurt and actually help, he will hopefully be better in the future :)

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I won't force a kid to do anything; too many litigious parents out there. If snowflake is being uncooperative, it's up to parent to deal with. Or they can take snowflake to a doctor to deal with. I like my license as-is.

Parents KNOW if they have a difficult child or not.

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I am not allowed to give the first dose of any med- antibiotic, drops etc......in case of an allergic reaction. So, I would've had the mom give the first drops anyways.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
None of my HS kiddos can put in their own eye drops.QUOTE]

You raise a good point. I have these single size preservative free saline bottles (tiny things). I hand them to the teen with instructions. The kid ends up wearing a good bit of the saline but usually s/he "reports relief felt."

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I actually don't put the eye drops like in the middle of the eye. I learned this trick a few years back when my kid wouldn't let me put in the eye drops at the ophthalmologist and the MA there told me there's a way and it's putting it on the corner of the eye, near the nose and dropping them there. And just tell the child to blink and the eye drops will go in. No need for fuss. I done this with all my kiddos and they do feel the drops go in their eyes, so it's easier for me and them.

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