Do you keep clothes in your office?

Specialties School

Published

I'm sorry, I'm sure that this has been addressed before.

I had a girl come in yesterday about 15 years old, overweight and wearing TIGHT pants. You could see everything. And I don't think that was the look she was after. She wasn't sent to me, she came down for ice.

I know she is lower income and may not have appropriate clothes. I did talk to a SW about it, and she said the old nurse had clothes in her office.

Um...whose? Should I bring clothes in?

And how would you broach it- with the parent?

OldDude

1 Article; 4,787 Posts

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

When I took over this job 13 years ago there were enough clothes packed into filing cabinets to stock a Salvation Army outpost. I'd go rifling through all that stuff, finally find something to fit, and then get a "I DON'T LIKE THAT." I got out of the clothing business immediately. Parents can send extra clothes in the kid's back packs or come to school to change them in cases of potty accidents, bloody noses, spilled milk, playground mud, dog poop, etc. etc.....

Rubor

117 Posts

Specializes in School Nurse, Pediatrics, Surgical.

I agree. We have a very limited amount of clothing but they get lost and we spend so much time searching. Some of this is parent responsibilities and I really try not to be an enabler! Although I am on maternity leave for the rest of the year so I am slightly afraid what changes I will come back to! :/

Wave Watcher

751 Posts

Specializes in Community Health/School Nursing.

I do not keep clothes in my clinic. Our guidance counselor keeps items in her office and handles any situations where clothing is needed. I also do not allow children who have wet/soiled their clothing to sit in my office. I realize this is not your situation. I have to put down rules and stick by them or before I know it teachers will be calling me to the classroom to clean up poop/pee. Not doing it. I just don't have the time.

amnesiac1c

56 Posts

I do keep a small selection of clothing, mostly in the most frequent potty accident sizes. My PTA parents bring me their hand-me-downs. I dont have much in my big kid sizes (5th-6th grade) though - for that I'd have to call parents most likely.

ohiobobcat

887 Posts

Specializes in ED, School Nurse.

We have a " Closet" that accepts donations of clothing, shoes, school supplies, water bottles, etc. If a kids needed a change of clothes for any reason, I would use the "closet". I work in a rural, low income area so the "closet" gets used quite a bit by kids in need. I don't have room to store extra clothes in various sizes in my office, and luckily, I haven't had to use the "closet" for anyone yet, but I know it's there if I need it.

fetch, BSN, RN

1 Article; 481 Posts

My situation is a lot like amnesiac1c's. I get donations from various parents and staff when their kids outgrow it, but that is ONLY for bodily fluids on clothing AND when the parents can't come in to bring clothes for the kid. Mud, water, milk, etc - sorry Charlie! It's not spreading diseases, you can tough it out or have your teacher call mom.

I send home a note saying "please wash and return clothes" but get about 40% returned only. So I definitely don't try to keep it fully stocked for the whole school, and kids who complain about not liking the clothes get shut down real fast.

Flare, ASN, BSN

4,431 Posts

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i keep some clothes here. mostly hand me downs from my own daughter's closet and a few of the teachers and a few things left in the gym lockers at the end of the year. The result is that i currently have clothing and underwear changes for children (girls) smaller than my daughter (who is big for her age of 6), i have some t shirts and gym shorts for the older kids and some various other clothing. I tend not to have anything for little boys, as parents usually don't want their little boy sent home in cinderella underpants. But i'm faced with the same issue - clothing lent out does not make its way back. so i figure once it's gone, it's gone. Of the clothing i weed out of my daughter's hand me down's, i do TRY to pick out more unisex type t shirts and pants that could be worn by either in a pinch. But people still have the false notion that I run a small satellite Gap Kids store out of my office and that I should have everything at my disposal at all times.

Specializes in School nursing.

The clothing closet is right outside my office and I manage it. Student wear uniforms and the closet has hand-me-downs/donations from parents, with the occasional purchased clothing items. I work with several lower income students and give out clothing more times than I wish I had to. We have a fund for this because the need is that great.

I also stock new underwear in my office; I work with MS/HS kids and have had a LOT of period accidents this year. Calling home for a change of clothes/underwear can be frustrating and embarrassing and after I had to send yet another student home/couldn't reach a parent because no one could deliver a change of clothes/underwear (and it was student that could not afford that absence), I got a green light to purchase underwear for my office.

Farawyn

12,646 Posts

Thanks, all, for your replies. I think this is more of a social issue. She literally was showing everyhting and it was not intentional. It was income/ situational.

I like the underpants for the periods, I will put that in my budget.

The other I will have to ponder. I just felt so bad for this girl. I wanted to take her home and slap some big baggy sweats on her.

Red Kryptonite

2,212 Posts

Specializes in hospice.

Goodwill has 50% off everything on some Saturdays. I bet you could get quite a bit for not much money by being strategic.

coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN

1 Article; 709 Posts

Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

Our discipline office keeps a stack of old PE uniforms and other donated items we use for students who violate dress code or have accidents (mostly bloody noses or period accidents) and their parents can't bring them a change of clothes. The school also will put discipline marks if the student does not return the clothes.

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