Has this ever happened to you? I'm sitting in my office last week when the secretary comes to tell me a parent wants to speak with me. I assumed the child goes to our school, and she proceeded to ask me, if I could check her daughters hair for lice. I noticed that her daughter was not in uniform and I did not recognize her name. The mother informed me she saw our school sign on the street and wanted to stop by because she thought her daughter picked up lice or bedbugs on the airplane. they were from another state passing through our state going on vacation.
I assisted them and gave directions to the closest urgent care. They entire family (5) piled back into the minivan and continued on their trip.
I had a driver who was making a delivery to a school down the block and he cut his hand open on a box. He then came to my school for his next delivery and found his way to me (oh joy). I had a clinic full of kids (of course). he then proceeded to argue with me when I told him he needed to go to the ER or urgent care because it needed stitches. He continues to argue with me and tell me I need to do it so he can continue on his route. he would not leave, had to get my principal involved so I could get back to the students........
Our secretary would have laughed them right out the door. That is, IF she had even let them in to begin with.
My office manager would have done the same thing.
You think you have heard it all!
Of course, I sorta have a story to add to this thread. Our office manager did once call down to my office with an odd situation. The mailman had found a potato chip bag full of used syringes a couple of doors down from our school. He proceeded to pick it up and bring it into our school full of children so that a child outside the school would not find it (!!). The office manager was wide eyed and freaking out a little. She called me. I ended up gloving up and finding an empty sharps container.
The kicker? Once I put in a sharps container, it was mine to dispose of. I could have called someone if the the mailman had simply left it in its spot and mentioned it to us when he delivered the mail. But nope, pick up possibly contaminated needles and bring them into a school. I couldn't leave them in the open. Some people...
This year, in the first week or two of school, it was around 95 and super humid outside. A guy came through our first set of doors (we have one set into a lobby, to get into the actual building you have to be buzzed in) talking crazy. Our principal and janitor went out to see WTH he was doing. He wasn't making much sense and seemed really out of it. They asked me to come check him over to see if 911 needed to be called. Luckily, he said he was walking from our town to some where about 20 minutes away, where his dad was working. He had on dad's construction company T-shirt, we called the number on it and dad said he'd come pick him up. We got him some water and our resource officer (the office called him immediately!) sat with him, outside the school- and waited for dad to arrive. Turns out, the guy usually takes the bus to dad's job site for lunch, but had missed the bus and decided to walk. Obviously, he has some other issues, but it was a good outcome in a scary situation.
I've had parents ask to check something out on non-students before, my usual line is, I can take a look, but I'm always going to recommend a doctor's appointment if you have any concern!
I don't deal with non students. I won't even look at them. I know, I'm mean. Booooooo.
It happens in all settings. At every ltc I've ever worked at, family members Want us to look at this rash, swollen joint, cut/sore, etc. I tell them that if they are concerned enough to ask me, they need to see their MD, as I can't tx or dx. They always say they don't want to put out the $$$$
OldDude
1 Article; 4,787 Posts
When you think you've heard it all - you haven't.