Talking with the principal

[joy09]

I posted once before about 100 kids a day in a school of 750. Today, we had 130. I have had it. Three girls with misquito bites: one each! Kids who "bumped my little finger on the desk", five kids from recess walk in. One was a little shaken up. The others were having a good old time. Where does it say every kid who takes a tumble has to come to the nurse? If they aren't bruised or in pain, what's the problem. Do you think they see a health professional every time at home. No! They come to the nurse the next day. A girl from gym who was feeling overheated. I mean, did the gym teacher have her stop, rest, catch her breath? Kids from hot classrooms with headaches and nausea who come the nurses office because it's cool (temperature cool!). My collegue says "bring it on" to everything. Even teachers walk in and out wanting to talk to her. A counsellor actually asked her if she would put her fax in her mailbox when it comes through! What! Would you even think of asking a teacher or counsellor to do that for you even if the fax machine was in the same room? I told the nurse and the principal and the superintendant that I do not want to be assigned there by myself. There is no time to document. Kids pull the basket of inhalers out of the cabinet because the nurse there lets them do it while she is doing other things. She watches them, but that isn't the point. A kid has to brush his teeth after lunch. Sure, come on into the nurses office! I don't mind being nice but there has to be a line drawn. Another one comes to be supervised in the bathrrom: 10 minutes messing around in there. I can't even see him. How about a staff person walking the kid to the bathroom and getting him right back to class? He usually sits down to be checked for something when he gets out of the bathroom. How about the diabetic in 11 times? I hardly notice I have too much going on at once. I have had it. I am sick and tired of being dumped on. What else is new. I left my last job for the same reason. It is not me, unless you want to say I am not taking it anymore!

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

Are you the regular nurse there? You sound like you might not be. If it's not "your" office, I'm not sure what you can do. If it IS yours, you need to start making some changes. Keep track of how many kids you see and give it to the principal with the idea of how many classroom hours are missed. You also need to talk to the teachers about appropriate office use. Another thing you can do if you can narrow it down to a regular group is call parents. "I'm so concerned about Johnny, he seems to have a stomachache every day at 10AM. I have asked if something is bothering him and he says no, have you had him evaluated by his doctor?" Sometimes that's all it takes to slow down the visits...and sometimes it backfires. Keep us updated.

[joy09]

You are a kindred spirit. I am a float nurse. This is a new nurse, first year. She will not accept that her methods are making things the way they are. She just takes it, and takes it, and takes it. She took it very personally. I tried to soften the blow but personal it is. Everyone adores her because of her welcoming tone but it is time to draw the line. The last time I addressed the principal, it was on a day I was alone there. I never mentioned the other nurses style but this time, I had to speak to both of them about it because I have to draw the line for myself. I wrote the superintendant at the direction of the principal. Now that I have spoken up, I will do a good job and if the room fills up and kids are out of class for an hour, so be it. If they want to give me a hard time for doing my job, so be it.

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

I hear ya.....been there and done that, same as you ! The staff at my school pulled this for years. No respect or thought about who, when and why they send kids to me.

I was seeing 100 each day in a 700 student school. Way too many in my opinion.

A few years ago I "got real" with my staff and told them that this number was unacceptable. Yes they got Pizzed at me, but these behaviours did slow down. Now I see the usual 35 or so....which is so much better. I witnessed total lack of respect for my position by teacher's and administration. I guess I have just gotten used to it over the years. I have also lost a lot of respect for teacher's as well. Some...not all.

Good luck with your situation.

Praiser :heartbeat

[joy09]

Update:

The superintendant came to talk to me today. He got some more information from me and assures me that not only will he see that two nurses are always there, he will start working with the principal to educate the teachers about what does and doesn't need to go to the nurse. He told me about the new computer system we are getting next year to make communication better. I think I must have been dreaming but he even said the teachers sometimes send kids to the nurse to get rid of them! Honestly, I must still be naive because that wasn't one of my thoughts at all.

This guy isn't a dream administrator only, His first calling is father to a son who has a life threatening peanut allergy! It's not what ya know, it's who ya know and what ya know about 'em!

One thing I learned here is nurses need to speak up and be the experts they are. No principal or teacher knows what nursing care is and that's our primary responsibility to the district, parents and kids. I got lucky on this one!