Most Frustrating Thing ?

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School Nurse's, I would like to know what frustrates you with your job as a School Nurse?

Me......Parents who bring in an inhaler for their child to use, because of severe asthma, and the box the inhaler comes in reeks of cigarette smoke >>>>> :eek:

So what get's to YOU ?

I have only been a school nurse for a month now, and Im a new grad (May, 2014). So, my biggest complaint is that I only had, oh... 2-3 days of training/orientation. I feel like Im completely winging it in here. I have two kids (11 and 14), so that is where most of my experience is coming from. I google the crud out of everything. lol

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Specializes in School nursing.
And yesterday.....I got an accident report from a coach. Athlete was hit in the cheek (another head) in soccer. No s/s concussion. No info from mom or dad, no complaints form student during the day. Gets to the last class of the day when the teacher calls as the athlete states "I did not do my homework because I have a concussion and I also cannot finish my test".... "Hmmm....." I say to myself. So I call mom who has no knowledge of a diagnosis of a concussion. When pushed, she would not throw her child under the bus, but could not tell me that she had any symptoms either.

Knowing the child as I do, I must say I suspect s/he played the teacher. And that I was bypassed in this situation because our policy would have the athlete out beyond homecoming games this weekend. I need to do a little investigative reporting to see in fact if s/he is symptomatic, in which case concussion testing will not take place until after the Homecoming....

Cannot have it both ways.....a concussion to avoid school work and not a concussion to play on homecoming....

Yep, yep. Last year I had three legit concussions in a row during girls' soccer games. After word got around the girls getting much needed accommodations, the kids caught on. Every head bump was a "concussion" and the reason "I can't be in class, finish my work/test." (Yet, they are fine to go to sports practice, gym...)

The teachers had been spooked by the legit concussions. I filled out many CDC observation forms... But the kids did learn that it just earned them 30 minutes of boring time with me to say they were fine and an extra 30-60 minutes of time that evening to make up the work they missed in class.

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Yep, yep. Last year I had three legit concussions in a row during girls' soccer games. After word got around the girls getting much needed accommodations, the kids caught on. Every head bump was a "concussion" and the reason "I can't be in class, finish my work/test." (Yet, they are fine to go to sports practice, gym...)

The teachers had been spooked by the legit concussions. I filled out many CDC observation forms... But the kids did learn that it just earned them 30 minutes of boring time with me to say they were fine and an extra 30-60 minutes of time that evening to make up the work they missed in class.

"Therapeutic boredom" can be very effective in certain circumstances!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

OK, I've related to everything you guys have mentioned and here's one I bet you can relate to too/also :). I've identified a condition I call "post emesis paralysis." This is a position a student becomes frozen in after they vomit and only a school nurse has the knowlege and expertise to unlock them. How many times have you been called into a room and the student is paralyzed in some awkward position over a pool of vomit, unable to move, and no one able to help them, until you come in and unlock the paralysis?????????

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Today I received a call to come down to a classroom. A student had a bloody nose. Seriously. Was sitting at the desk when I arrived with tissues. Resolved in about 3 minutes. On its own.

(big sigh)

mc3

:banghead:

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.
OK, I've related to everything you guys have mentioned and here's one I bet you can relate to too/also :). I've identified a condition I call "post emesis paralysis." This is a position a student becomes frozen in after they vomit and only a school nurse has the knowlege and expertise to unlock them. How many times have you been called into a room and the student is paralyzed in some awkward position over a pool of vomit, unable to move, and no one able to help them, until you come in and unlock the paralysis?????????

That's hysterical!! I'm gonna use that one!! In fact i see that one all. the. time. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in kids.
I had my lunch interrupted by the office the other day....The emergency? A student glasses frame were BROKEN, not a missing screw, broken over the bridge of the nose...instead of just getting permission to let her drive home to get another pair, I was called at the students insistence ( and the secretary's inability to say no to ANYTHING). I took one look at her frame, had her call her mom and she went home......:banghead:

Follow up

It turns out she actually hit her head pretty hard!!! Did not wanna fess up as she knew I the ability to restrict her playing time....conversation with parent was all about the 72 hour for retesting (ImPACT)and who sets that time frame? cant she take it sooner? Nope and when she re took the test....Guess what? She failed miserably....she is nowhere near ready to come back to play.

I love it when I am right!

:yes:

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Specializes in kids.
And yesterday.....I got an accident report from a coach. Athlete was hit in the cheek (another head) in soccer. No s/s concussion. No info from mom or dad, no complaints form student during the day. Gets to the last class of the day when the teacher calls as the athlete states "I did not do my homework because I have a concussion and I also cannot finish my test".... "Hmmm....." I say to myself. So I call mom who has no knowledge of a diagnosis of a concussion. When pushed, she would not throw her child under the bus, but could not tell me that she had any symptoms either.

Knowing the child as I do, I must say I suspect s/he played the teacher. And that I was bypassed in this situation because our policy would have the athlete out beyond homecoming games this weekend. I need to do a little investigative reporting to see in fact if s/he is symptomatic, in which case concussion testing will not take place until after the Homecoming....

Cannot have it both ways.....a concussion to avoid school work and not a concussion to play on homecoming....

Follow up

It turns out s/he actually hit the head pretty hard!!! Did not wanna fess up as s/he knew I the ability to restrict playing time....conversation with parent was all about the 72 hour for retesting (ImPACT)and who sets that time frame? cant s/he take it sooner? Nope and when s/he re took the test....Guess what? S/he failed miserably....s/he is nowhere near ready to come back to play.

I love it when I am right!

:yes:

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I love these! I can relate to them all. We need our own set of nursing diagnoses specific to school nursing.Love the paralysis after vomiting.

How about these:

1.Teacher Induced Pseudo-Illness(student has no symptoms until teacher points out he/she does not look well).

2. Milk it syndrome (started out as a valid injury/illness but does not know when to stop. Key feature, need for an ice pack 12 times daily for 4 months.

Anybody else want to add something???

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I don't have a new syndrome/diagnosis but I always say these kids need to get the "suck it up vaccine"

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Message on my phone today: (Paraphrased) I'm watching tv right now and I want to know what you are going to do about the entero virus?? It has taken over the country, it is causing polio, children are dying! The CDC just today finally started looking at this!

Before calling back, I got all my ducks in a row, contacted local Health and Human Service (aka public health), and called her back. She ranted and raved and when I could finally get a word in edgewise . .. . (um, no it doesn't cause polio. It is a NON-polio enterovirus. And the CDC tracks it every years) she kept arguing and finally hung up!

So, I sent out district-wide information about the hysteria related to this virus and also the flu virus info, including flu shot clinics.

I gathered up all the facts from the CDC and sent it home with this mom's daughter.

Sometimes, I want to bang my head against a wall. :banghead:

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Message on my phone today: (Paraphrased) I'm watching tv right now and I want to know what you are going to do about the entero virus?? It has taken over the country, it is causing polio, children are dying! The CDC just today finally started looking at this!

Before calling back, I got all my ducks in a row, contacted local Health and Human Service (aka public health), and called her back. She ranted and raved and when I could finally get a word in edgewise . .. . (um, no it doesn't cause polio. It is a NON-polio enterovirus. And the CDC tracks it every years) she kept arguing and finally hung up!

So, I sent out district-wide information about the hysteria related to this virus and also the flu virus info, including flu shot clinics.

I gathered up all the facts from the CDC and sent it home with this mom's daughter.

Sometimes, I want to bang my head against a wall. :banghead:

Oh my gosh, I think your student's mother is one of the teachers at my school! "I just heard about this scary new virus, WHAT are YOU doing to keep our kids healthy?!" Well for one thing I'm not scaring them half to death . . .

And now that there's a confirmed ebola in Texas, I just know I'm going to have teachers convinced someone here has it. Because, y'know, Virginia and Texas share a lot of border area. :rolleyes:

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