Please take care of your little one rant

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I sent a kindergartner home yesterday who's lungs sounded like bagpipes with how much she was wheezing. It took 3 hours for someone to actually answer the phone and get her.

Today she comes into my office with her uncle's inhaler. When I asked if they went to the doctor, she said, "no mom said to just use this whenever I cough". Thankfully she had no idea how to use it and that's why she brought it to me. Lungs still sound awful, cough is still awful.

I call mom again who gets mad at ME for refusing to give her daughter the inhaler and kept repeating "She needs it to breathe, what don't you understand about that?!".

Finally I explained that I have a standing order for a neb that I can use if her cough continues, and mom mentions how they did a breathing treatment this morning. When I asked her if the student has seen the doctor recently, mom tell me no, it is actually for her but figured little one needed it too...:banghead:

I started to say that her daughter really needs to see a doctor and get her own medication because she may have asthma and need more intense treatment but then she hung up on me and turned off her phone.

And as an aside, they aren't avoiding the doctor for financial reasons. It's just laziness and that is my biggest weakness. I have a really hard time tolerating laziness.

Specializes in Sub-Acute, School Nursing, Dialysis.

Referring back to my last post...I just can't take the stupidity anymore!!!! I was presented today with an expired inhaler....three years expired!!!! I just don't understand this kind of parenting. I'm not a perfect parent at all. But even back in my pre-nursing days, I made sure my children's health was number one and had all their needs taken care of. Back when I was in college and my first born went to a lot of different baby sitters, I made sure to pack in her diaper bag a thermometer, baby medicine, a list of emergency numbers if I couldn't be reached. This was 11 years ago when I was a very young first time mom and the thought of something bad happening to my child while I was away scared me beyond belief.

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I once had a 2 month old with whooping cough whose mom gave him back-to-back adult albuterol nebulizer treatments to avoid taking him to the doctor. Lucky the little guy didn't go into v-tach. He's now living with a foster family.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Oy vay.

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I once had a 2 month old with whooping cough whose mom gave him back-to-back adult albuterol nebulizer treatments to avoid taking him to the doctor. Lucky the little guy didn't go into v-tach. He's now living with a foster family.

:no: :no: :no:

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Specializes in kids.
I once had a 2 month old with whooping cough whose mom gave him back-to-back adult albuterol nebulizer treatments to avoid taking him to the doctor. Lucky the little guy didn't go into v-tach. He's now living with a foster family.

Eeeks

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

It wasn't too many years ago that I had a kid show up with a Primatene Mist inhaler:up:

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It wasn't too many years ago that I had a kid show up with a Primatene Mist inhaler:up:

My dad used to use Primatine Mist CONSTANTLY. I was never so happy as when they finally took it off the shelves!

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I remember when my family doctor told my mom to buy that Primatene mist for me for my exercise induced asthma as a middle school student. Have never shaked so much before in my life. It was AWFUL. Thought my insides were gonna jump out.

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I sent a kindergartner home yesterday who's lungs sounded like bagpipes with how much she was wheezing. It took 3 hours for someone to actually answer the phone and get her.

Today she comes into my office with her uncle's inhaler. When I asked if they went to the doctor, she said, "no mom said to just use this whenever I cough". Thankfully she had no idea how to use it and that's why she brought it to me. Lungs still sound awful, cough is still awful.

I call mom again who gets mad at ME for refusing to give her daughter the inhaler and kept repeating "She needs it to breathe, what don't you understand about that?!".

Finally I explained that I have a standing order for a neb that I can use if her cough continues, and mom mentions how they did a breathing treatment this morning. When I asked her if the student has seen the doctor recently, mom tell me no, it is actually for her but figured little one needed it too...:banghead:

I started to say that her daughter really needs to see a doctor and get her own medication because she may have asthma and need more intense treatment but then she hung up on me and turned off her phone.

And as an aside, they aren't avoiding the doctor for financial reasons. It's just laziness and that is my biggest weakness. I have a really hard time tolerating laziness.

How do you know their finances and that the issue is laziness?

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OMG, yes, this happens all the time and drives me crazy! Kids coming in with parents or others inhalers, yes, because the parent is qualified to diagnose and prescribe someone else's inhaler!! I always call them out on it, and tell them how dangerous it is, but usually I am told the same thing "mid you business".....YES this is my business when YOUR child cannot breath at MY school!

{{{BIG WALL...HEAD BANG}}}

What do you about it? CPS?
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This is what I just finished doing. The person was kinda snippy with me (I'm sure working at those phone centers is awful) but it is done

Snippy? Did she think you should not have been reporting? Maybe she should be reported.

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Specializes in kids.
How do you know their finances and that the issue is laziness?

Sometimes, as school nurses, we really do have an inside view of the home and family life. The parent who is unavailable because they were in tennis league, or the same family has taken the kids out of school for a vacation during a non vacation week (because they have stated they don't want to be on vacation with "everyone else") or the live in a great part of town, or dad has a high level executive job and everyone, kids included are driving high end cars.

So yes, sometimes we CAN say it is not financial.

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