No Respect

Specialties School

Published

Hi School Nurses,

I have been here on AN for a long time and was locked out for a while, but now back and able to post here.

I've been doing school nursing for a long time. I have loved this job and pretty much dedicated my entire nursing career to working as a SN in a public school system.

I am seeing a disturbing trend with teachers and I am just having a hard time adjusting to this new waved of younger teachers who show no professional respect to my position.

In the earlier years, I never had this problem. Teachers treated me as an equal, with mutual appreciation for the jobs that we all do. Respect was a normal way we treated each other.

But the growing trend that I am seeing is the older teachers are just over and done with teaching and when they get their 30 yrs. in, then they are OUT !

The new, younger teachers (22-30) have that air about them that they are superior to anything that I represent to the school and they are quite obnoxious with me. (not all, but most).

They are demanding and expect me to follow thru with whatever they want me to do for them. I have explained that I have a certain scope of nursing practice and that I will make the final decisions on medical matters.

I have explained to them that I am held to my nursing license and trust me, I will not do anything to jeopardize that. I have talked to my Administration about this and not a whole lot is changing. I realize that I am medical and they are education, but I have never seen anything like it, and it's only in the last five years or so.

Maybe it's time to move on. I would hate to do that, but every day is like I'm fighting a losing battle. So tired of never getting any kudo's or respect for the job I do.

Any feedback or positive vibes would be appreciated !

Specializes in kids.
F But they all act as if chapped lips are some sort of emergency

They are not??? huh, go figure!!

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.
Because without students coming to the office requesting one of the free packets of lip balm, Flare would instead be fielding just as many visits from kids wielding notes from teachers saying "chapped lips" asking for Vaseline.

Exactly - and the swabs in the vaseline becomes a surprisingly difficult concept for the children to master. I don't mild helping out if i'm not busy or for a little one, but by a certain age, self care really needs to kick in and the explanation process of telling a student to take a swab out of the jar... the JAR... not the drawer... the JAR - the round thing with the lid and the sticks with the cotton. and put a little on the swab and on your lips. STOP - Don't double dip. Take another swab if you need more. :banghead:

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Specializes in Peds, Neuro, Orthopedics.

When I was a kid and my lips were chapped, they just stayed chapped until I got home. I was a tough kid! :madface:

I'd also like to know specifics of what the teachers are asking for that seems disrespectful. I deal with a lot of dopey requests, but not disrespectful.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.
I was a tough kid! :madface:

The same cannot be said about this generation of snowflakes. There are exceptions and kids that won't come unless they are practically bleeding out but then there are some really fragile, precious snowflakes.

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Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
I'd also like to know specifics of what the teachers are asking for that seems disrespectful. I deal with a lot of dopey requests, but not disrespectful.

I can't speak for everyone but I know that I find notes that say "please give (medication)" or "please call mom to send home" or "sick with ______" or a return on the same day with a note saying "why is this child still here?" disrespectful. I do not appreciate my judgment being questioned by someone with absolutely no medical education or training.

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The Chapstick stuff? I blame on Napoleon Dynamite.

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Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
The Chapstick stuff? I blame on Napoleon Dynamite.

She's got like, five sticks in her drawer.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.
She's got like, five sticks in her drawer.

I'm not gonna use her's, you sicko!

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Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
I'm not gonna use her's, you sicko!

I like that when Kip says he's really busy, it's because he is grating a Price Club sized block of cheddar for making nachos.

Priorities.

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I am kind of snarky, but when the teachers try to tell me how to do my job, my rebuttal is that they can do MY job and I can go teach their class common core, as I have an app for that and it can't really be all that hard.

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I am kind of snarky, but when the teachers try to tell me how to do my job, my rebuttal is that they can do MY job and I can go teach their class common core, as I have an app for that and it can't really be all that hard.

I have told a few that since they know my job so well, maybe they can cover the clinic so I can have an uninterrupted lunch. So far, no takers!

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