Bypassing Nurse? HELP!

DEgalRN · Mar 13, 2017

Ill students are generally kept in my office until a ride arrives. Occasionally I will have a student wait in class, but I let the main office know when I do that. So, usually the office will call me when a parent comes and if I let them know that I haven't seem them, last year, they would give them a detention because our school does not allow cell phone use at all. I'm not sure that they're doing anything this year. I was up annoyed last year, but this year, I'm much more, que sera, sera about it.

ohiobobcat · Mar 13, 2017

Ultimately it's the parent's decision as to whether the student should go home or not. If the parents want to pick up their child because he or she is "sick", that is the parent's prerogative. It is NOT a nurse dismissal if I did not assess the sutdent. It is a parent dismissal and is marked accordingly in the attendance log.

It's frustrating, but if kids are not going through the proper channels to be dismissed if they are sick, it becomes an administrative issue in my book.

OldDude · Mar 13, 2017

I've had other posts about who is responsible for student health if the nurse is not involved...otherwise this is an administrative issue and completely out of your control. Don't waste your energy on it.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Mar 13, 2017

I have similar issues with my kiddos. It's either that they used their call phones and called themselves or called from the office. I suggested to the office staff that they start a phone log so we could at least track that, but so far it hasn't been enacted. Perhaps i'll mention it again. They might have forgotten.

I don't allow for excused absences for kids that I didn't send home. And the parents that call to challenge me as to why Junior is calling from the bathroom and why I didn't call them - I just tell it like it is. I didn't see them and they can't be on their phones during school hours. And No, the absence will not be excused, but that it is the parent's right to pick up if they wish.

OyWithThePoodles, RN · Mar 13, 2017

I would let the parent know that the child did not come to see you, therefore unless they see a doctor or use a parent note-if your district allows-then it will be unexcused. I would also ask how they knew the child needed to be picked up. If they were using their cell phone against policy I would let admin know so proper discipline could be handed out.

NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Mar 13, 2017

I agree with the others. I check the sign out roster at the front desk towards the end of the day and if there are discrepancies I let the attendance secretary know. She takes great pride in keeping the absences marked appropriately so she never gives me any grief when they are marked "nurse dismissal" and they were not. Beyond that, I don't waste time worrying over it.

Farawyn · Mar 13, 2017

This is a battle you cannot win.

I used to care more.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Mar 13, 2017

This is a battle you cannot win.
I used to care more.

Right??!!

So frustrating, especially when the same parent who allows their child to text and picks them up with out ? (bypassing me) calls and wants to know what is going around? And gets huffy when I say I have no idea, I lose to many kids out the side doors as I do not know why they are sick.

SchoolNurseTXstyle · Mar 13, 2017

I used to care but have learned to let it go. Like someone else said, it is a battle you won't win.

I have had parents tell an administrator they left sick when they get in truancy issues. I always grin when the administrator checks with me and I have no documentation on that kid because they have circumvented me. They are all on their own then!!!

Flare, ASN, BSN · Mar 13, 2017

I used to care but have learned to let it go. Like someone else said, it is a battle you won't win.
I have had parents tell an administrator they left sick when they get in truancy issues. I always grin when the administrator checks with me and I have no documentation on that kid because they have circumvented me. They are all on their own then!!!

I get asked regularly and will usually offer up a shrug. No charting kept because I never saw the child. The parents keep home the next day thinking it will be excused because they picked them up from school. Uh- nope, I didn't see the child so how could i excuse them? No worries, no strife. The parents can't argue it.

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2017

Feast or famine. My problem is getting ahold of the durned parents to pick up the kids who really NEED to go...