Paramedic and teachers assistant being pushed to cover for a irresponsible school nurse?

[ScottyWeirdo]

Hello! Please note, I'm not a nurse. I'm a EMT-Paramedic and a Teachers Assistant.

Recently, I've been pushed to do short term coverage for the school nurse (30-45 minutes, sometimes an hour) at one of my schools, and the nurse has been gone more because she feels I'm qualified to cover.

I don't feel I am qualified to cover, and I desperately didn't want the district to make it a habit.

Any advice? Any heads up in case they do make it a habit?

(FYI I work at multiple schools, it's just one that consistently asks me to do this)

[MrsNurse08]

So...Scotty you got a lot a "splainin" to do.

OD!! LMBO!!! I'm waiting on a response too!

[WineRN]

I don't think he meant to come across as being disrespectful, an hour lunch IS a pretty long time to be away from the clinic. I'm lucky enough to have someone for lunch coverage and even then most days I only get 15 out of my 30 minutes because of the little ones needing me.

Maybe it's a busy school and the nurse is overworked and instead of going up the chain of command and asking for help, they are leaning too much on OP. He said he floats to other schools and doesn't give those nurse's breaks so it doesn't sound like this is in his job description.

I would think he is qualified, but depending on what he is being asked to do and what the nurse is doing (taking a break vs leaving campus for coffee), I can see him being taken advantage of because of his experience.

[Newbie39]

Okay, let me clarify :) :

What I'm stating is simply what I've noticed in many school districts, not what I'd prefer.

I'd prefer at the very minimum, a medical professional present in every school. I feel like a nurse (RN or LPN) paramedic would be best but that an EMT could certainly fulfill the requisites under supervision of a paramedic.

I don't think the current policy adequately covers children with emergent situations. In the past, I've been informed of children dying while awaiting an ambulance due to the trained responder (LPN, RN, EMT, Paramedic) not being present. Often an RN as I stated above, if hired, rotates between several schools within a district leaving behind a clerical support that may or may not feel comfortable providing hands-on first-aid, CPR or Epi-pen and certainly may feel overwhelmed in the case of a rapid desaturation (asthma), or other acute conditions not covered in layman's first aid. I hope that helps.

[aprilmoss]

You have to be careful with NARCAN. It's shorter lived than most of the opiates that you're likely to use it for. You better be prepared to give another dose or other intervention. It's great for EMTs that are going to have the patient to the hospital in twenty minutes. Not so good for other cases.

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[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

You have to be careful with NARCAN. It's shorter lived than most of the opiates that you're likely to use it for. You better be prepared to give another dose or other intervention. It's great for EMTs that are going to have the patient to the hospital in twenty minutes. Not so good for other cases.

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It can be a lifesaver in a school, though, where 911 is called as soon as Narcan is administered, so it is stopgap to EMS arriving (who can give an additional dose if needed).

I wish I had it, but I'm grateful for the Fire Station around the block that does have it and responds first to my EMS calls with O2 (which I also don't have) and Narcan.

But as someone else up thread mentioned, even though I don't have those tools, I have the training to recognize when I need them and how to get them. That is critical and one of many reasons why schools should have a nurse in every school building (but sadly don't).