First Angry Call

Specialties School

Published

So just tell me I'm being silly and shake it off.

Had a sub today and easily got a 20% increase in visits today. Plus lunch time kids are just pouring in. I assess to make sure it's they're not bleeding, or if there's an emergency and send them on their way to get a pass from teacher.

Today had a student, what looked like a scratch on face. She told me it was a scratch, it looked like one. So I clean wound, abx ointment. Instructions not to touch. Bell rings, I get a call from mom. "It's not a scratch, its a bruise, its purple! Didn't you put ice? Don't you call parents? Why wasn't I informed, I live close by I could've gone to check on my baby!"

I'm stunned because I sent a kid home today because he had a sizeable hematoma forming on his head, I called parents, I assessed him till mom got there, etc. And this lady is yelling at me about a scratch that I patched up and sent back to class.

I explained what I saw, I explained that sometimes wounds change over time (it's been 4 hrs), I explained if she rubbed on it there might have been more chance of bruising but from what I saw I treated as I needed to.

Needless to say I'm going to make a note to call for every sniffle she comes in for. Tell me I did ok. I feel crummy. :blink:

OldDude

1 Article; 4,787 Posts

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

You did fine...don't worry about it.

abc123RN

506 Posts

Shake it off. I would have done the same as you.

Cattz, ADN

1,068 Posts

Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..

Just chalk it up to one of those types of parents. Do what you do because you know what you know.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, School Nursing, OB.

You did nothing wrong. Every school has one or two of those types of parents. Just make a note to inform them every single time their child sees you for anything. I get a secret satisfaction knowing they are getting irritated at me but how can they argue? "I knew you would want to know I saw your precious angel today for...falling down, getting hit with a ball, stomachache, loose tooth, bandaid, tripped again, fell down again, headache, etc. The parent then realizes their child is not made of glass and will chill if you're lucky. That and tell their kid to quit bugging you because they're tired of phone calls!

I've had a couple parents this year actually call the superintendent because they were mad I made them pick up their child for being sick! I'm sorry but fevers and diarrhea qualify as being sick! The superintendent backed me up but as you can see some parents just crazy and there is no pleasing them so don't lose sleep over it!

MrNurse(x2), ADN

2,558 Posts

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

She is one of those. We have 6th grade drama in my son's class and a mother has inserted herself in it. I told my kids that I will not do that, they need to work it out. Younger parents are overinvolved in their kids lives, totally ridiculous. She is the problem, not you. I know school nurses in my day didn't call for everything and you shouldn't have to either. Honestly, what do these parents do at home, ice everything?

Flare, ASN, BSN

4,431 Posts

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

oh, my god!!! You didn't drop what you were doing to call because her precious snowflake got a scratch??!!

Haven't you seen that mom? that family can't tolerate ANY discomfort:

attachment.php?attachmentid=23232&stc=1

Specializes in School nursing.
She is one of those. We have 6th grade drama in my son's class and a mother has inserted herself in it. I told my kids that I will not do that, they need to work it out. Younger parents are overinvolved in their kids lives, totally ridiculous. She is the problem, not you. I know school nurses in my day didn't call for everything and you shouldn't have to either. Honestly, what do these parents do at home, ice everything?

No, that's just it. At home they do nothing. I have parents like this and when I ask what happens at home when a minor incident/injury this this happens and the kid shrugs and says "nothing." But if you don't treat it like life & death at school...:banghead:

BeckyESRN

1,263 Posts

Got an angry call as I read this! Mom is upset because her child told her that he came to see me yesterday 10 times! for ear pain. I saw him once, as soon as he got off the bus, he ran in and said "My ear hurt in the middle of the night, but it's all better now" No fever, felt fine, never saw him again. Mom says that I call her "all the time for stupid stuff" I've called her once because her child had a croup sounding cough with wheezes in all lung fields. I love starting my day with disgruntled parents! Deep breaths and TGIF!

MrNurse(x2), ADN

2,558 Posts

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
No, that's just it. At home they do nothing. I have parents like this and when I ask what happens at home when a minor incident/injury this this happens and the kid shrugs and says "nothing." But if you don't treat it like life & death at school...:banghead:

The Monday parade of weekend injuries always reveals that no one ices anything at home. There is never ice at any of my kids sporting events. Ice has magical qualities inside schools.

MHDNURSE

701 Posts

Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

Parents suck sometimes. My OWN son is a frequent flier and he has a new nurse working this year. She called me at least 4 times the first two weeks of school. I finally told her "look, I'm not one of THOSE parents. YOU are the expert here, use your judgment and I will trust you that you made the right call.". She was very relieved, saying that so may parents expect a call each and every time a kid comes in. If we did that, we'd never have time to actually SEE anyone!

BeckyESRN

1,263 Posts

She was very relieved, saying that so may parents expect a call each and every time a kid comes in. If we did that, we'd never have time to actually SEE anyone!

Exactly! When we had a temporary principal, he said that he called for every kid that came to his office and he thought that I should do that same. I asked him how many kids he saw in his office and he said usually between 3-6. I said that I average 60 a day. 5 minutes a call x 60 kids= 5 hours on the phone and no time to do anything else.

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