Ice Packs

Specialties School

Published

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Quote from Flare...

"it's kind of a balance for me between allowing the ice for the invisible injuries that the kids will hold on there for 5 seconds and scooting the kids out the door after looking at the afflicted body part and saying "ok, i'll make a note of it". Either way - ice packs do not leave my office unless you've got a really good reason."

We were chatting about the use of ice packs a few weeks ago and the last sentence of Flare's post jumped right off the screen and hit me between the eyes, "Either way - ice packs do not leave my office unless you've got a really good reason." I literally smacked my own forehead and asked myself, "WHY AREN'T YOU DOING THAT YOU DUMB A**!?"

For 15 years I've been "handing out" ice packs. So, the day I read Flare's post I started holding the kids in my clinic with them holding the ice pack over the booboo. It's remarkable how must faster they are "healed" while sitting here away from the action and not able to sport their "immunity idol" in front of the class. Of course there are the attention seekers that will never feel better and for those I call their parent and see what they want to do about it. There are many more advantages to keeping the kids in the clinic for ice packs but for brevity I'll stop here.

If you are not utilizing this methodology I strongly suggest you start.

So, thank you Flare, for teaching an old dog a new trick!!

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

My pleasure! I glad to have repaid you - lord knows i've collected many a pearl from you, my friend!

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I thank you for that too, I think you wrote this down before on a post like this. I been keeping my ice packs because I'm literally out of ice packs.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Yes, I learned this from the other ice pack thread! Prior to the change, I was seeing 30-40(!!) ice pack visits a day. Now, the range is more like 10-20. I think it helps my overall numbers as (1) other students don't have that visual reminder that the health office exists, (2) students don't come just so they can parade around their ice pack, and (3) teachers may realize they can't just send students to the H/O with an "ice pack" order form. Not to mention, I have not lost a single ice pack since I implemented this. Before it, I had just lost 20 in a month!

One of my students asked about why students can't take them out of the office anymore and I told her, "ice packs don't help THAT much after those first five minutes. If I just send a student away with an ice pack, I can't tell if it really helped them or not, but if they sit here and wait, then we can decide together whether it's OK or not. This way, we are safer, plus we don't lose ice packs anymore. Can you imagine if you hurt your head badly and came here just to find out I was OUT of them?" I also have stopped using them on old bruises, old scrapes, or injuries without cause. (I know it's kind of bad that I ever did, but my school's staff--though great--say "just go get an ice pack" for EVERYTHING)

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

I'm going to have to start doing this. Last week a teacher said: blah, blah, blah..."I gave him an ice pack I had in my freezer" blah, blah, blah. I didn't hear anything after because my brain said, "Wait a minute...that's one of my ice packs...why are you keeping my ice packs?"

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Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

I don't have reusable ice packs, I have to make mine with ice cubes and ziplock bags. I usually put 1 cube in a snack size bag. I send the kids back to class and it doesn't last long. I should mention, I don't use regular ice cube trays, I only have a mini fridge, so it is those silicone ice trays which I have in heart shape and pumpkin shape, so truly these cubes are small. BUT it works well, as kids are not always too happy to get once scrappy ice cube! LOL

I do have instant ice packs for use for true big injuries.

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.

I have gotten away from my standard wait-in-the-office approach and have been losing ice packs left and right. I will have to get back to it.

My excuse to the kids (and teachers) is that when we chart, we have to chart effect/outcome...how do I know the ice pack worked if the student leaves with it? Also, I try to impress upon the students that if the injury is bad enough for ice, it is bad enough to sit for 10 minutes. I think once word got around that ice means sitting still staring at the nurse my ice pack requests slowed down.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I been getting my ice packs back though, the ones that disappeared... they seem to be appearing in random places. I think by the end of the year I'll get them back.

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Specializes in school nurse.

I just hand out iced saltines and kill two birds with one cracker...

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Specializes in Peds, Oncology.
I don't have reusable ice packs, I have to make mine with ice cubes and ziplock bags. I usually put 1 cube in a snack size bag. I send the kids back to class and it doesn't last long. I should mention, I don't use regular ice cube trays, I only have a mini fridge, so it is those silicone ice trays which I have in heart shape and pumpkin shape, so truly these cubes are small. BUT it works well, as kids are not always too happy to get once scrappy ice cube! LOL

I do have instant ice packs for use for true big injuries.

I put ice in ziploc also. I put three cubes in if I'm feeling stingy, and four if I'm feeling generous. Now I'm thinking I should cut back, haha!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I just hand out iced saltines and kill two birds with one cracker...

Nurse Barb G would kiss you on the lips!!

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Specializes in Sub-Acute, School Nursing, Dialysis.
I just hand out iced saltines and kill two birds with one cracker...

Love this, lol!!!

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