Trying to make small changes from the way it's "always been done"

[100kids, BSN, RN]

I am the new nurse in a school that had 1 nurse for several years. It's a small community and they don't like change so myself and the prinicpal are trying to make the changes that we need to make slowly and not hurt so badly. It's not easy.

1st parents have "always" sent in OTC meds with their kids and a note on how/when to give and the old nurse did it without question. This is against the law in my state so the principal and I are sending home a letter with the requirements by state law and hopefully we won't get too much flack.

2nd the school has been providing cough drops for years to the kids (these are elementary school kids). We were thinking rather than just say no more we might give out sugar free sorbee candies or something similar for those with a sore throat if they request a cough drop. Has anyone ever done this? My hope is that the younger kids wont ask and therefore won't know we have them and we can phase this whole thing out over the next few years.

Does anyone have any advice for coming into an environment like this. I know there will be more things that come up. I don't want to be "the bad guy" but I do want to follow state law and do what's necessary to do so.

thanks for any ideas and or encouragement.

[mycsm]

policy has changed and it is simple....send in w written lauthorization from MD and parent and you will dispense, if they dont want to..theycan come in and dispense. Simple, but the principal needs to put it out there.

cough drops....elementary school..thats a lawsuit just waiting tohappen. We do not use them in our elementary schools for that reason. Simply say you do not have anymore, you ran out.

[rdsxfnrn]

sounds like the school i work at, when i first started....... you can not give meds w/o doc note. period. and the cough drops.................. yeah, i ran out some point last year and they "are on order". we have new admin now that are very supportive of my decisions, so a new policy came out that no more cough drops due to extreme choking hazard.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

The letter should be well received if it's clear that it's a state law. not that it will totally stop parents from sending otc's in, but it will probably curb it.

I work in a middle school and finally decided to try out getting a standing order for cough drops to be given with a parental note (parent also supplies) it's worked out okay for far, but then again they are older students.

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I ran into that with my first assignment...they had NEVER had a school nurse, and the principal, who was a family friend, was not supportive.

They'd always done it that way and they were 'real laid back', and so I was the unequivocal bad guy. I left after a year, and after a child with a seizure disorder had a grand mal, which, by policy required EMS be called. The principal disagreed, and when I insisted and called anyway, he reached over and hung up the phone. I then called from my cell, out in the hall, at the child's side.

Stick to your guns and don't let them coerce you into something illegal.