E-mail for teachers!

Farawyn · Feb 7, 2017

"It's not in their contract to handle illness."

Teachers. Scared of paper cuts and bloody noses.

BeckyESRN · Feb 7, 2017

This thread should give some great places to start: https://allnurses.com/school-nurses/middle-school-clinic-1088576.html

SchoolNurse91, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2017

This thread should give some great places to start: https://allnurses.com/school-nurses/middle-school-clinic-1088576.html

I just read that thread. I took one of the long suggestions and tweaked it a tad. I'm hoping this will help!

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2017

I've begun to lose it. I told a 5th grader that I left my want at Hogwarts and can most assuredly not cure the common cold. Another child showed up while I was dealing with actually sick kids and announced "I can't breath through my nose." (Common cold.)

I advised her to breathe through her mouth.

Vacation, where art thou??

NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Feb 7, 2017

I had a kid visit twice today for his cold "because those cough drops don't help it go away". Right. I told you they were to help you feel better for A LITTLE BIT. As he left his teacher was actually walking up the hall and I heard the teacher say "hey, it is what it is dude, you gotta live with the cold". I wanted to run out there and hug him. Most of the teachers are overly concerned and coddling, plus they want the kid out of the class and home with mom so they don't have to listen to it. So I see them repeatedly until they are over the dang cold.

KKEGS, MSN, RN · Feb 8, 2017

OMG so much this! We saw 80 kids in the health office on Monday! 80!

shark_nurse14, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2017

I sent a reminder to teachers that it's the season of the flu and to only send kids who seem very sick or injured as to cut down on spreading anything that might be in my office....I even gave them the example that the other day I had a little one vomiting with a 103 fever in my office when a 7th grade boy came in to ice an "injury" (nothing visibly wrong) from 2 nights before. I always think examples help them understand a little better :)

foggnm · Feb 8, 2017

We have times with a lot of small complaints where I have had thoughts like yours. However, I think it isn't the best idea to tell another professional "don't do xyz." Instead, if you're having a hard time getting your work done, close your office for 15 minutes twice a day for 'admin time' and put a sign on the door that you'll be back in 15 minutes (if emergency see....). Remember the nurses office is not an emergency room and students can live for 15 minutes without the nurse. I also try to educate the students (not the teachers) that their complaints are not significant enough to be leaving class for. For example, when the come with a small scratch or something that happened a day before at home, I say "Is this something you think is bad enough to leave class for?" Or "when you have small things like this, why not wait until lunch time to come see the nurse, you don't need to leave class for small things." Or "does your teacher not have band-aids, let me give you some to take to them." Or "you don't need to see the nurse for a small scrape, just wash it with soap and water." I try not to 'control' other professionals by telling them what to do/not to do. Instead use education as your weapon and/or block off some private times for admin work/lunch breaks/etc.

Amethya · Feb 9, 2017

I'm not even allowed to ask for that, because that would be "Denying service". So I turn the kids away in my office, if I deem the request ridiculous. "I need an ice pack." "Why?" "I bumped my head 2 nights ago." "Did you tell your mum?" "Yes." "Then if she knows, there's no reason for an ice pack. Plus I'm low on that, so you can survive today without one."

KKEGS, MSN, RN · Feb 9, 2017

I just got the go ahead from our lead district nurse to send an email to the teachers advising them to keep minor cuts, sore throats, etc. in the classroom. We saw 150 elementary children on Monday and Tuesday of this week! :arghh:

I have been told I can tell the teachers the following: If the child has a small cut or scrape with very little bleeding have the child wash with soap and water and give them a bandaid. That's what I would do in the health office anyway. If the child has a sore throat have them get a drink of water. That's what I would do in the health office anyway. I do not have cough drops to hand out. If a child comes to the health office and says they don't feel well but are not vomiting or in obvious distress they will have their temperature taken and will be sent straight back to class.

Hoping it cuts down on the number of unnecessary visits each day.