Admin insists kids sneeze on hands, not sleeves!

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Specializes in Certified School Nurse.

Our current administrator insists that kids should sneeze/cough into their hands!

I was talking to her about how I am putting together a presentation to do in the classes about the role of the school nurse, and some health topics like hand washing and lice. I mentioned the "vampire sneeze", sneezing into your sleeve. And she says "No No No! They need to sneeze into their hands. They can wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. Teacher's grab kids by their arms all the time and then the teacher will be touching that!"

I tried to politely disagree, but she was adamant. I am tempted to include a screen capture from the CDC website on cough/sneeze etiquette in my presentation...

Can you imagine kids with colds getting up to wash their hands or use sanitizer EVERY TIME THEY SNEEZE!? Or touching all their friends and objects with snotty hands!? UGH!!!

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

Touching that dispenser with boogery hands.

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It would be much easier to retrain the teachers to not grab students by the elbow than it would be to get proper hand washing techniques out of little kids! The entire medical community agrees that sneezing into the elbow is the way to go! I would absolutely put a CDC slide in that presentation:yes:

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
It would be much easier to retrain the teachers to not grab students by the elbow than it would be to get proper hand washing techniques out of little kids! The entire medical community agrees that sneezing into the elbow is the way to go! I would absolutely put a CDC slide in that presentation:yes:

I teach my students the elbow method as well as the much more sanitary sneezing into your collar/ shirt.

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Specializes in School Nurse.
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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
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Specializes in Peds, Neuro, Orthopedics.

My question to this brilliant principal would be where did she get her MD or RN from?

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Doesn't CDC guidelines out-trump germaphobia?

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Specializes in Certified School Nurse.

One would think...but she HAS to be right! :sarcastic:

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

Um, why are teachers grabbing kids in the first place?

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Can you email her wit the CDC guidelines?

And yes... why all the grabbing?

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