Natural remedies and school nursing

[ChristineAdrianaRN, BSN, RN]

Hello, all. In the interim of waiting to hear about my second interview, which will apparently happen after school's out May 21 (my contact at the district - the school nurse at one of the other schools, and the head nurse of the district - told me I'm one of the "top contenders"...yay!), I'm going to kill that time by blowing up your message board. =]

So I am curious if it is at all possible to incorporate natural remedies in your clinic. Obviously I know herbal remedies can be just as serious as medications, so I take that into consideration. I am envisioning having an aloe plant in the office that I could use for cuts and burns, and maybe incoporate some aromatherapy. Like in warm packs or something. Or maybe even just in a Scentsy warmer. =]

I just think it's important for kids to know that they can look to the earth for healing and not just from pills from a bottle, and have that connection, albeit a small one, to the natural world around them *hippie nurse dance* Aloe is topical, so would that be considered a medication? I know the district has a whole long list of standing orders for the nurses, and I actually think aloe is on the list. If it's not, would it just be a matter of contacting that doctor and seeing if it could be added? What about aromatherapy? Is that something that would need an order?

Do any of you incoporate natural/holistic remedies in your clinics?

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

I would not use any topical or other medication on a student, natural or otherwise, without 1) a doctor's orders, 2) district approval, and 3) parent permission. A student has a rare allergic reaction to aloe and you are in deep.

That said, I have been known to use deep breathing and guided imagery for students. I had one student with a fractured arm whose parent was an hour away. I used those techniques and she was able to hold it together until Mom got there. I have a scentsy warmer but I am careful about the scents I choose...fruity or bakes ones or peppermint. The perfumy ones can trigger asthma or migraines.

For stomachaches I have students lie on their left side to aid digestion. For headaches I dim the lights and offer a cool compress. For sore muscles from sports I might give the student simple instructions for self massage with direction to stop if it hurts. I think those type things are wonderful, and an integral part of nursing in general and school nursing in particular. But when it comes to putting ANYTHING on or in a person, we have to err on the side of caution.

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

I use aloe all the time however I have a bottle in my fridge...not a plant, I do like the idea but it would probably die in my office. You would need to be very careful with aromatherapy or scentsy warmers due to possible allergies or nauseated kids getting worse due to the smell. I have kids that are allergic to all kinds of scents. Good luck, I hope you get the job :)

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

last year i had my salt lamp in my office to purify the air. I can't say it made a huge difference- but it made me happy to have its warm orange glow. brought it home over break and am using it there - considering getting another one for here.

State won't let me administer anything that hasn't been FDA approved - so herbals and enzymes (with the exception of rx enzymes my CF kids used at meals) are pretty much out. I do have a bottle of aloe, but i use it fairly seldom.

I don't do a lot with aromatherapy - unless you count the smell of lysol from me spraying down my office on a regular basis.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Our school nurse refused to let my daughter take peppermint oil caps (which are proven to be effective in treatment of irritable bowel disorder) and fiber supplements while at school till she saw a note from our NP. She had nothing against making all possible accomodations for the quirky diet my little one has to follow, but said that letting a child to take anything not approved by FDA without permission of primary care provider is out of her scope of practice.

[amoLucia]

Our school nurse refused to let my daughter take peppermint oil caps (which are proven to be effective in treatment of irritable bowel disorder) and fiber supplements while at school till she saw a note from our NP. She had nothing against making all possible accomodations for the quirky diet my little one has to follow, but said that letting a child to take anything not approved by FDA without permission of primary care provider is out of her scope of practice.

Smart approach. And to all school nurses out there who somehow get looked over, happy nurses day to you:yelclap: