Tired of kids coming to the nurse...

[Nurse ABC]

I don't mean the students on meds or the diabetics or anyone that has chronic health issues or the injured, etc. I mean the line of students every day complaining of vague issues of not feeling well or want ice or a band aid for an injury that's not there. The ones that are just trying of get out of class or go home. You know the ones! I'm so tired of dealing with these ones. I'm losing all my empathy. What do you say to these ones to help them understand they do not need to see the nurse unless truly sick or hurt esp when the teachers are no help? To help them understand that just because they are a little tired or not feeling awesome they don't need to go home? It doesn't help when the teachers keep sending them back because they keep complaining. I'm getting really burnt out on this!! The teachers act like I'm trying to get out of doing my job when I complain about this. Of course they also get miffed if I want a half hour to myself to eat lunch. Does anyone else get sick of this? How do you cope? I'm starting to not like this job anymore.

[mc3, ASN, RN]

Yes, I do consider that.. if I'm not sure what's going on, I'll pull them aside and whisper "has anyone hurt your feeling, or made your sad today?" Sometimes the little ones just break down...it usually has to do with a former friend being mean. Ah, kids can be so mean sometimes!

mc3

[misty_dawn]

Hey, I like that one! Do you use it on the little kids, or just on the "older"? (3rd graders and up -(I don't consider them "little") I do tend to baby the pre-K, Kg and 1st graders. Second grade - depends on the child. 3rd grade and up, I toughen up. I'm going to try it out.....

mc3

I haven't used it on little ones...more so my 2-4th graders who are frequent fliers

[Melela]

As a student, if I said I just don't feel well, most teachers would tell me to put my head down on the desk for a while and rest- usually that helped lol they saved the nurses office for "legitimate" issues. But that was back in the day...

[lovinlife11]

Please, please inform parents of frequent flyers. My daughter was one and I had no idea. I was able to sit down and have a discussion with her, turns out she was having an issue with another child in her class, I was able to speak with the teacher about those concerns and my daughter has not been to the nurse since.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

In my last district, we would send a letter home after 10 visits per nurse's discretion just simply saying that so and so was making frequent visits to the nurse and to review if there is a health issue that needs further investigation and also to please discuss with child the importance of staying in class. sometimes it helped, sometimes you'd get indignant parents accusing you of not wanting to do your job (you wonder where the little darlings get their attitudes from!)

[caregiver1977]

In my last district, we would send a letter home after 10 visits per nurse's discretion QUOTE]

I totally agree! I wish every school would do that!

[MinnieMomRN]

I have a few frequent fliers who come in just because they need some TLC/psychosocial support. That's okay with me. It's 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' stuff that drives me up the wall -- of course I assess each time, talk to the teacher, and call mom & dad. I wish more parents were like you, lovinlife11, and want to solve the issue.

[ksuheather]

I taught for 9 years and when my little darlings would tell me their tummy hurt I would tell them to go use the restroom and don't come back until they pooped or puked. They would be horrified when I suggested it but 90% of the time they'd come back grinning having sat for a few minutes in the restroom.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

In my last district, we would send a letter home after 10 visits per nurse's discretion just simply saying that so and so was making frequent visits to the nurse and to review if there is a health issue that needs further investigation and also to please discuss with child the importance of staying in class. sometimes it helped, sometimes you'd get indignant parents accusing you of not wanting to do your job (you wonder where the little darlings get their attitudes from!)

Sometimes (when appropriate) I make the call with the kid right there.....it puts an interesting spin on it..."Just want mom/dad/grandma etc to know I am seeing a lot of you but I'm not sure why" Is there something else?....the conversation is often very enlightening. Some don't like it but most of my parents are ok and glad to be made aware. I had one kid I see a lot (my internal alarm says it is usually with a hangover ) and sure enough the last time he called to go home because he said he had "filled the toilet" when vomiting, Mom basically told him to suck it up because "if he had not been doing what he had been doing the night before, he would not be in this position now"....he went back to class.....

[kingsmiley]

math related illness. thats priceless. lol

[ob-rnc]

I was told by a student the other day that her teacher refused to give out bandaids for fear of being held liable if the paper cut, pencil scratch...etc...became infected....of course that particular student's scratch was barely visible to the naked eye.... some days I feel I have no support from the school administrators on nursing decisions....chronic bellyachers, frequent flyer issues and have been tempted to just leave a phone in the health clinic and allow all the kids to call home when they want to. Not sure some days if I am really thought of as a nurse or just a person who hands out ice and bandaids?

[Nurse ABC]

I hear that reasoning too from teachers and I think they use it as an excuse not to deal with that kind of stuff! Unless a student may die from a problem then they are not going to be held liable but you can't reason with some of them. I wish there were a way to gain the respect from teachers we deserve! Anyone have any ideas?