No, I'm Not a Beauty Shop! - Page 3

Wow. I guess I pick my battles more carefully. I guess I am spineless as I would take the path of least resistance, especially when it comes to a child. Look at all of the energy you have expended on this topic, rather than putting the earring back in. I am sure that six year old child learned a lesson about nurses and boundaries.

As a mother of two school age children, I truly feel the earring should have been reinserted.
I allowed my 11 yr old daughter to get her ears pierced, and OMG, we had a terrible time.
I also had my ears pierced about that age, and had to have them re-pierced, b/c the hole closed.
This also happened to my daughter.
The issue is, these children are growing, have super great, healthy, fast DNA, and the holes close rapidly. So the earring needs to be in almost ALL the time.

As they should only be wearing small studs at this age, I'm sure what the risk during PE is that would preclude earrings, tho admittedly, my child got hit during PE and it did hurt. But that was b/c it was a fresh piercing. While the ear is healing, that is an issue. But we all know Olympians compete while wearing earrings! So sports is not the issue.

The issue is that the earrings need to be in place for the healing to occur. The longer they are out, the more traumatic the reinsertion.

I do not consider this any different from my duties as a very busy med surg nurse. I put dentures in, remove them, give oral care, etc. Just this week, I provided a pt. with normal saline and specimen cups so she could remove her contacts before surgery. These are personal hygiene issues, and very much , I feel, my responsibility.

Do I have a million other things to do and tons of charting? YES.

But you do what the "patient" needs at that time, and reinsert the earring. Then move on to what's next. The pt. needed the earring reinserted.

I did a year of school nursing. If you don't set boundaries with the students, teachers and parents you will be doing all sorts of crazy stuff EVERYDAY. I don't understand why the teacher didn't do it in the first place. Next time maybe have the student wash their hands and talk them through inserting it themselves, that way they are learning.

Why on earth can't they just wear their earrings in gym, as long as they're studs. Then no issue.

Slippery slope. Today it's walking the dog. Tomorrow it's cleaning a litter box. And taking out the trash. Doing the dishes. Clean the whole house. And why not? You did non-nursing stuff today. Why shouldn't you do it tomorrow?

I agree that school nurses should not be put in the position to have to do the earring thing. What kind of earrings are these kids wearing? I see professional football players with diamond earrings in place during games. If this is the role model the parents see of course they don't think about removal of earrings for PE. What type of PE are they doing that is so dangerous for studs?

Was the earring removed for PE and then the nurse was asked to reinsert it? Then NO. If it was an accidental slip out I might be more sympathetic to the issue.

I agree about the slippery slope theory. Each time you do a kindness it is a good idea to let the person know why you are extending your boundaries. "I understand the light burned out and you need it to see to walk safely." " I do not have time to do the handiman chores but I was glad to change the one lightbulb so it is safer for you." "Do you know of a handyman or help that could take care of this kind of thing? Most churches have a group that loves to go out and assist elders with such light work."

Very well said!

But, the things you mentioned are "nursing duties" in my opinion. I have assisted students with orthodontic issues and with contact lens issues (to the best of my abilities). Undecorated earlobes will not prevent the child from accomplishing any ADLs. It won't prevent the child from learning, and it won't adversely impact her health or the health of other students. In my case, I get the requests for earring help so much, I needed to draw the line.

If a child has newly pierced, unhealed earring holes, I'm sure the PE teacher would make an exception if the parent asked. If the teacher refused to make an exception, maybe wait until summer to get them pierced (when there is no school/PE)? Then, if my child threw a fit about waiting to have their ears pierced, I'd explain that there are rules in the world. Sometimes we don't agree, but we still have to follow them.

all things considered, i encounter this type of request maybe once or twice a month and it's almost always with a kindergartener that accidentally slipped it out. total time commitment is really negligible. I spend more time coaching these kids in how to properly use the tub of vaseline on their chapped lips (i.e. - use an applicator, no double dipping, don't you think about sticking your fingers in there). For me, the earring thing is really small potatoes, but i suppose if I had lines of girls needing earrings replaced after taking them out for PE, then yes... i'd be really ticked off about it.

AMEN SISTER!