Meds in schools

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 19, 2006

Have you involved the kids' parents?

bergren · Sep 19, 2006

Can you make the kids part of plan? Beeper or watch that beep or right before lunch and the child simply tells teacher they are leaving?

Agatha · Sep 19, 2006

What's the age group? Can the student be given the responsibility?

As a math teacher, I was never officially informed of my students meds, a privacy issue perhaps. My students, 5th - 12th, would just go when it was time, return to class, and remind me where they'd been. Within a few weeks, I caught on to their schedules.

About the only system I came up with for scheduled activities was a sticky note reminder on the student's desk and another on my clipboard, which I have with me always.

Good luck!

Agatha (hoping to become a nurse and an ex-teacher)

Keepstanding, ASN, RN · Sep 19, 2006

Thanks for the good ideas. Yes I tried the post-it-note on the desk, but that didn't work. The teacher says she will try.....but 4th week into school and she is not living up to her end of the bargain. This is a 5th grader and they are old enough to know. Also been taking this med for all of their life.

I guess it may be a case of teacher apathy and student rebelion...whatever.

I still feel very responsible. As Eric stated, I guess I need to get the parent's involved.

sabradie · Sep 20, 2006

Tell your principal! I also tell the teacher this cannot keep happening! Parent involvement should help if they talk to the principal. That will get them moving. In the end document your attempts.

TEXnKS · Oct 3, 2006

The kids can't always be depended upon to go when they are needed. I know my son does not always remember he needs to take his adderall at one every day. He has been on it for 3 years, so he should! I totally depend on his teacher to send him down! If I *ever* found out that he was denied the chance to get his meds, or she just decided not to send him to receive his medication I would be LIVID.

If they are not returning your email/notes, perhaps you can go face to face with the teacher(s) in question. Maybe they don't know, maybe they do, but you deserve an answer. With regards to "well I am trying" that is BS. It is not hard to write a note in the lesson plan to send little Timmy to the nurse. They are on meds for a reason, she is tampering with his health.

Personally I would try that first. If it *is* an honest mistake you will have burned a bridge by involving the principle before you face-to-faced. If it isn't, well then you can say you did all you could do for the welfare of this child when you do address the parents and or principle. Kudos to you for trying to ensure the best for these kids!

smk1, LPN · Oct 3, 2006

Parent involvement and principal involvement. When the school accepts the responsibility of giving meds on campus they also accept the responsibility for safe administration, and the liability that would come from unsafe administration. If you are not getting cooperation from the teacher and you have talked with him/her to no avail, the next step is letting the principal know about the liability issue here. If you don't want to go that route and you have time, you could always take it upon yourself to call the classroom at the designated time to remind the teacher to send the kid down to the nurses office.

seethelight · Oct 18, 2006

In my school each classroom has a phone. I have developed a system that when it is med time I ring the phone and then hang up. This gets the attention of the teacher and the student. The student then comes to the health office for the medication. This is working quite well for me. Hope this helps.

JentheRN05, RN · Oct 18, 2006

We had a senior who was skipping his meds. The counselor got involved and physically walked him down to the office to get his meds. Talked to him repeatedly, brought parents in and got them involved. Besides the school counselor walking him down to the office, another thing that worked was taking away privileges. Such as after lunch, during study hall he would play cards. It was the only thing he wanted to do. So in order for him to play cards. He had to come to the office and get his meds WITHOUT escort, and without having to be sent for (we send a note to his study hall teacher giving him permission to play cards so enforce his compliance). It has actually worked quite well, he's been like this since he was put on the meds (refusing to come down) and finally after years of trying everything else. This worked. Find something they want to do - offer an incentive. Some will cause it bribery, I call it coaxing. Whatever it takes do it. Because the alternative is a disruptive classroom in the end.

Good luck.