Difficult Principal!

bergren · Dec 6, 2003

I have ever had an experience as bad as yours. In fact, I am lucky - I ahve had very spoortive principals and supervisors.

You are right, she is wrong. Unfortunately, she will never believe that or if she did, it would not matter to her. Get a transfer.

Contact your state school nurse organization: http://www.nasn.org/affiliates/governancemap.htm You are held to your license. She is not a physician, she cannot diagnose ADHD.

re legal: get the (2001). School health records and documentation. In N.C. Schwab & M.H.B. Gelfman, Eds. Legal issues in school health services. North Branch, MN: Sunrise River Press. www.schoolnursebooks.com

Worth every penny - reporting to her absolutely does not protect you if you violate your professional standards and the nurse practice act in your state. You could buy her the book, but I doubt she would read it. She already knows everything.

BRANDY LPN · Dec 7, 2003

I am not a school nurse, however couldn't you report her behavior to the school board? I hate to see children pressed to meds. even those who are dianosed w/ ADHD by an actual doctor and always feel that behavior modifacation and diet changes should be given a fair shot before precribing meds. We try it w/ most other diseases/disorders ei. diabetes, hypertension, high cholesteral to name a few. Meds are just not the answer in every case IMO

schoolnurse/dr · Dec 10, 2003

You are right and she is wrong! I'm a school nurse in the same kind of school, poor socio-economic condtions, 99.9% minority. My new principal told me recently that I'm too direct with the parents and students. Tell your nursing supervisor if you have one, or go to her boss. In our state we can't even suggest a child might need medicine. And we sure can't get them treated without a doctor's diagnosis. I agree, get a transfer.

Josie K · Dec 12, 2003

I agree with the replys referring to both the ethical and moral standards for public health care.

I see this as abuse - a child protection issue. If it happened in the UK it would hit front page media coverage.

Who gives consent to medicate a minor? Do parents have any say?

How about if further down the line a kid decides to sue?

'The Principle said' will be no defence for a nurse with professional acountability.

Your Nursing Board or supervisor & Teaching Board / Education Dept. need to be informed, as well as child protection agency/ social service dept.

LisaRN2B · Dec 12, 2003

Oh MAN! I'll tell ya who needs the medication, and it's not the kids, it's the principal!!!!

I am not a nurse (yet), but I am a parent, and if I found out this was going on in my child's school or in reference to my child I would be LIVID!

I would have to agree with the other posts, turn this woman in to someone and do not do anything to jeopardize your license!

I agree 100% that not every child who does not pay attention has ADHD, and quite frankly through personal experience feel that not every child with ADHD is medicated properly or may not even need meds.

Don't let this woman push you around! Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers...

LydiaNN · Jan 14, 2004

Your principal is a bloody liar. Her teaching certificate is not the "same" as your nursing license- this is why nurses go to nursing school and teachers major in education! She also clearly has no legal training and yet she is offering you legal advice too! I have not dealt with a principal like this as a supervisor, but I have as a parent. Is there something about female elementary school principals that make them mistakenly believe they are Mary Mother of God? You wouldn't believe two of the lulus that have helmed my son's school (who, by the way, is on its 4th principal in 5 years. The good news here is that if you don't like the principal, all you have to do is wait a while, and we'll have a new one!) The only suggestions I really have are to document, document, document, see if you can find an ally on the school board, and continue to perform your job in an ethically and legally correct manner. Oh yeah, and find some activity you enjoy that involves smashing something and pretending it is her face- in my younger days, I played racquetball and pretended it was a professors face hitting the wall; these days I bake bread and take out my aggression on innocent balls of dough that have never done a thing against me.

kilbylake · Feb 5, 2004

Sounds exactly like my former principal, but I don't think she moved to Texas! Maybe it has something to do with the gender thing, and trying to prove herself. Anyway, you didn't mention if you belong to a union or not. This is one area where unions are so valuble, when I had my trouble I had my union behind me and she didn't dare harass me anymore. You are doing the right thing by writing everything down, but go one step further and never ever have a conversation with her of any substance without a witness present. In addition, notify your school administrator that you are being harassed and you have written documentation of what is being said to you. You must nix this right away, and let her know that you will not put up with harassment, plain and simple. If you don't, she will damage your credibility, not to mention your self esteem, and no job is worth that. I know how hard it is, I'll bet she makes you question your abilities and knowledge (that is her goal!). But don't stay silent on this, make your complaints (but don't make it personal) and have the documentation and witness to prove them. Stay calm, stay professional, and she will look like the harasser that she is.

Nur_1996 · Feb 10, 2004

I am a school nurse in FL, I rotate to three different schools. One of the principals is kind of a hard head. The first week I was here she tried to check on me and challenge me a lot, The following week we had a boy with asthma that needed EMS, I was also challenge on that but, I do have the nursing licence and did what was right! Fortunatly EMS also agreed with me, I think that gave her what she needed, for me to prove myself to her, and to let her know, as I told her one day, "I may be a new school nurse, but I'm not a new nurse"! She is pretty pleasant with me when she sees me now

kestart30 · Oct 19, 2004

I agree with the other postees. Take one more step and seek legal advice. Because if you do not transfer she is going to make your life a living hell now and later. Contact your local United states Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and talk with an invesstigator if things don't get any better. But to be safe the next time she calls you in the office to tear your head off get a mini voice recorder and ask her if she minds if you record this conversation? See what she says? and also have a witness there as well so if she refuses to talk in front of the recorder you still have another back up. And Document Document document follow all chains of command and once she sees you are not going to put up with her crap she will stop this foolishness. Some people think that just becase they are queen of the hill every thing goes and it could but that does not make it right under Federal and State Guide lines.

angel34 · Oct 23, 2004

I have a similiar situation with a new school assignment. I ignore the principal lack of knowledge of professional school nursing, by providing professional school nursing services. A student at this school had been environmentally deprived. The school decided to evaluate, I was asked to do the vision, I wrote that the students' vision was best evaluated by OD and that the health assessment needed to be completed to gain more information about the students' cognitive abilities. The principal informed me that I should not have write that on the form, (vision report was mine). I could have argued with her, but choose to continue to obtain the OD report. After obtaining the report, which indicated that the student was legally blind in one eye due to congential glaucoma, that action spoke for my professionalism. The principal was upset because some miss informed individual thought the school district was going to have to pay for the exam. They didn't ask so I didn't bother to explain, that a student wearing glasses and with a obvious blue spot on the iris was under care, with parent permission the report could be obtained. In reference to the ADDHD and medication, there is a law now that schools can't recommend. I would remind the principal that the parent and the medical provider would have to make the decision. My evaluation of my situation is a lack of knowledge by the principal. I have informed my supervisor of the situation. Do a google search or Thomas legislative search engine. Do you have a supervisor?

Scuppernong · Nov 18, 2004

I suggest you request a meeting with the school district attorney, appraise him/her of the situation before a legal problem arises. He can set her straight as far as the legal issues go. DO NOT PUT YOUR LICENSE IN JEPORDY.

Does anyone who works in school nursing have experience dealing with a mean principal? I have been at my elementary school for 3yrs and this woman does NOT like me. She is making me miserable. She tries to use me to push Ritalin on way too many kids because she thinks since I am an RN I have an "in" with the docs and can get kids treated. She is very competitive and lives for making the highest scores on the big state test with the large numbers of low socio-economic student population we have. She has asked me to do many things over the last 3 yrs that I have questioned her on. Things that are just plain unethical or very close. She called me in the other day and really let me have it. I was shocked and didn't take notes during but did write everything down after. She said I didn't fit in to "her School" because I question her. She told me not to question her but to do as I am told when she tells me something. She said the teachers do not like me but wouldn't say who or why. ( I think I have a pretty good rapport with most of them). She said in 18yrs no nurse has ever questioned her. She said my license is the same as her teaching certificate and I can see and do anything she tells me to without putting myself in jeopardy legally.
I was told by a co worker when I started there not to ever decline to do anything she asked of me or I would catch her wrath. Well, I ignored that and am paying for it. She said it is none of my business what goes on with any of the children concerning ADHD and if she says they are ADHD, then they are and I am not to question her "diagnosis". My job, according to her, is to get them treated. When I tried to explain my views which are that not every child who does not pay attention in class is ADHD and that there are many other factors that can contribute to various behaviors, she didn't let me finish (she never does, she talks 100 m.p.h. and interrupts constantly), she waved her hand at me and said she knows what is best for her school and I do not.
There are many things I could go on about, but I will stop ranting now. Just wondering if any of you all have had experiences like these in your schools?
Thanks for listening.