When to call and not call parents?

[MrsNurse08]

Hello my fellow school nurse friends,

My school district consist of the students running the parents and the parents running the school district. With that being said, the parents has my school's principals walking on egg shells. So the principal wants me to call the parents for any and everything from a small scratch to a loose tooth. Do any of you school nurses call parents for every little thing? And when do you not call parents?

[Rubor]

Data, you need to present people who don't understand your job with numbers. I have had to go this route so many times in the educational setting. They understand numbers and visuals are helpful. Do a spreadsheet/presentation of what it will mean to call every single parent. Gather data, present it professional and lay out what it means so someone not a medical professional or someone who doesn't do this work can see. Sometimes it works other times its a shrug and I say to myself "they just don't get it."

[MrsNurse08]

You serve at the discretion of the principal...Having said that - someone mentioned "loss of instructional time" earlier. So if you're really calling everyone and all those parents are picking kids up, how is that school paying for itself and how are those kids getting promoted?

My last principal requested that I call a parent whenever a kid did something here. The request came when she got an email from a parent of a student's monstrously swollen ankle....why wasn't the parent called? (Because the kid rested and elevated with an ice pack and had no swelling at the time AND never came back for reassessment at lunch). So from that day on I have attempted a call on every kid who hurts him/herself in gym, falls down the stairs, etc.

It's led to a lot of great conversation and parents thanking me for caring, but that was an unexpected bonus.

I'd survey other nurses at your level in your district and find out how other people where you are do things. Do you have a nursing supervisor and can s/he shed some light? It's possible that the principal has been bitten once by parents who are lucky enough to be at their kids' beck and call. You won't be able to fix that. If so, is another method of communication acceptable? I have several template emails I cut and past as I need to. These work well when it's not an emergency and I'm covering my assets. Takes a lot less time than talking.

Good luck!

This school district is very different from any other district. We have a "in seat policy" meaning if the students are here on time in their seat and leave a minute after, it don't matter the attendance status for that student is present. So if they don't show up at all for school, it's consider an absence.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

This school district is very different from any other district. We have a "in seat policy" meaning if the students are here on time in their seat and leave a minute after, it don't matter the attendance status for that student is present. So if they don't show up at all for school, it's consider an absence.

Once again, I need a jaw drop emoji. Wow. OK then...

[MrsNurse08]

Once again, I need a jaw drop emoji. Wow. OK then...

Right!! I had the same reaction! Like Wow!!

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Data, you need to present people who don't understand your job with numbers. I have had to go this route so many times in the educational setting. They understand numbers and visuals are helpful. Do a spreadsheet/presentation of what it will mean to call every single parent. Gather data, present it professional and lay out what it means so someone not a medical professional or someone who doesn't do this work can see. Sometimes it works other times its a shrug and I say to myself "they just don't get it."

Yep. I run visit reports for my non-nursing boss for our check-ins with number of visits, length, etc. He understands data and we talk data.

I do also log-in lengthy phone calls home to show they did indeed take time.

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

Hello my fellow school nurse friends,

My school district consist of the students running the parents and the parents running the school district. With that being said, the parents has my school's principals walking on egg shells.

That sums up our society in general. Working at a private school, my principals are pretty non-conformist when it comes to parental demands. that being said, I used to text parents with concerns. Loved it because most people have access to texts when email and calls are intrusive. One parent quelled that communication because I sent a photo of an abrasion and she didn't read the text below the photo, thought he was having an allergic reaction and freaked. She has been a thorn in my side since, as both her children are FF.

[MrsNurse08]

Yep it's sad...smh

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Yep. I run visit reports for my non-nursing boss for our check-ins with number of visits, length, etc. He understands data and we talk data.

I do also log-in lengthy phone calls home to show they did indeed take time.

I log in EVERYTHING. Emails, phone calls, Immunization uploads. They all take time!

[scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN]

I only call if a student goes home with a new mark they didn't come in with, say they get hurt at gym or recess and go home with a big bump or bruise. OR if there is something I feel the parent needs to know.

That being said, what about the other nurses in your district? Do they call as well? Can you guys come up with some kind of letter to send home stating you will only call for serious things (big bumps, bruises, falls...etc..) and maybe send the student home with a little slip that says "Darling came to the nurses office today for __________".

There has to be a better way, I mean is this Stepford or what? LOL

[KKEGS, MSN, RN]

When I cover the health offices (like today) I have a couple of things I do:

1) All head bumps I call the parent.

2) If a student is going home with a mark that was not there in the morning I call (knee scrape, laceration, bruise, etc.).

3) I have a short list of parents who have to be called for every single office visit so I call for everything for those students.

4) If a student has a nonemergent issue but comes to me 3x I use a "3 strikes and then call home".

Otherwise I don't call. If I called every single parent I'd be on the phone all day instead of caring for the students who need me at that moment.

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

I would talk to admin and let them know that you will call home for fevers, injuries, vomiting, lice, or multiple visits in one day. I would let them know that you feel if you had to call on every visit (give them a number of how many visits you have a day) then you would be on the phone for the majority of the day and would hate to have to tell a parent that you missed something serious because your time was spent on trivial phone calls.

If nothing else, send home a letter to parents letting them know what you will call home for. You could even leave a space for them to put an email address for you to make them aware of small thinks like little scrapes and bumps or bellyaches.

I would also let the principal know that a lot of parents tend to panic when the school nurse calls, their mind immediately goes to the worst scenario possible as soon as we say "this is the school nurse" and that really, your medical assessment skills, which they are paying for, aren't being utilized properly if you are having to call for every visit.

Good luck friend.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

If it warrants an accident report, a discpline issue, a head or facial issue then yes, all kinds of attempts to notify. I also use email, alot! Then there is a digital trail!