Annoyed -just a vent

Specialties School

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Well, as you guys know - I personally make the laws for my state. I am sure the rest of you do to. I try to go out of my way to make it as difficult and cumbersome as possible for both the parents and myself. I think it adds more to the job that way. Oh wait - no I don't - it's just what everyone thinks

The end of the first month of school has happened. I have taken a really laid back stance. The state says that kiddos need to submit a physical within 30 days of admission - i've even given a few day's grace beyond that. One of my colleagues now has a young relative in the school. I initially spoke to the relative's parent to inform them that i needed the info post haste - but there was little feedback. Then i find out there is an insurance issue and can it wait over 6 additional weeks for the insurance issue to clear up? I said no - and offered several ideas for low cost or no cost physical.

Fast forward to today. Relative comes in and gives me the paperwork i need. Was nice as anything. Still needs a vaccine, but has to wait due to shot timing. I advised that it would be fine if they had to wait an extra week until the insurance kicked in. Colleague stops me in the hall and gets nasty telling me that the physical cost her $200 because she had it done at the FastMed. And that the Doctor said I was wrong about the rules.

Excuse me?? The doctor said I was wrong about the rules of what is needed for healthcare documentation in education?? Are these the same professionals that routinely fail to realize that children coming from out of the country need varicella vaccine to start school? Or that kindergartners need DTP, polio, and an MMR after the 4th birthday? No, I deal with this day in and day out, that doctor i'll bet does probably 4 school physicals a year.

So go ahead - be annoyed at me, dear colleague. I've worked here for 4 years and in that time i've learned that you are difficult to get along with anyhow. I have no need to stay on your good side, but given the 6-8 field trip requests you dump on my desk a year (last minute, mind you) perhaps you have reason to stay on mine.

aah... i do feel a bit better now... thanks

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Spidey's mom!!!!!! November 1????? You'll still visit, right? Anyway...Texas passed a law that says we have to have a person trained in diabetes management in addition to the RN on campus. If there's no RN on campus there has to be two trained persons. In my experience, unless the person being trained has some personal experience with diabetes management, it's difficult to get them to understand the concept and complexities of diabetes management; for instance, a written diabetes management plan can not include instructions for all contigencies - you regularly have to come with solutions to the weird things that occur. I'm OK with my trained person doing BG monitoring but when it comes to critical thinking regarding diabetes management and insulin administration I always supervise/even by phone when I'm off campus. Now having said all this...I don't do the diabetes management training. We have a one day course offered by our local education service center. I'm assuming the training you refer to would be provided in a similar manner so you would not be attached to it after you leave. I would just make sure the principal understands he/she is the responsible party if something goes sour with the diabetes management.

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Spidey's mom posts over on Blue and the Gen threads... You guys can venture out you know...

You guys would be so much fun on Blue.

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
I feel your pain. :yuck:

We are chasing a few of those kinds of parents too.

I can't get anyone to return the Action Plans (with signature) and some of the medication paperwork isn't signed by the doc. Only the parent.

And one kiddo who routinely has an exacerbation of his asthma and comes up to the office to use his inhaler has a NP who won't renew the Rx for a rescue inhaler and it expired in Sept. Mom told me the NP said he's stared on P.O. medication and doesn't need the inhaler anymore. Really? He's been up to the office 4 times in the last month. I've given mom paperwork to give me permission to talk to this NP - but the NP is someone I don't trust much and won't take my kiddo to her or go see her myself so it should be an interesting conversation.

November 1 - my last day! And yes, they haven't found a nurse to replace me yet.

Oh - I have a question since we're here . . . . I work 3 days a week and another nurse comes in the other two for 4 hours just to be there for a diabetic kiddo (he's young) who is on a pump. The nurse runs the pump and gives the insulin but there is a "paraprofessional" (aka aide) who can check his blood sugar and is trained to give glucose or use glucagon. In my state, we can train lay people and they can give insulin but I haven't felt comfortable doing this and so it has been me or the other nurse only giving insulin.

The parents are ok with the para learning to do insulin so I was going to have the new nurse and the para go to training for this pump but we have no new nurse yet. I'm worried about teaching the para to give insulin without a school nurse in the district.

What do you guys think?

I'm only an FNP Student, but I can tell the kid needs to go up on the stepwise process and back on the rescue.

PO or not, there needs to be a rescue.

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I feel your pain! I am having a terrible time getting school physicals sent in! My feeling is, if the parents don't send it in, NO report card goes home! We used to do that for library books..(Book due? Grades are held until the book is found or paid for.)

So far, the powers that be won't go for it. So I am on my own. :no:

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I feel your pain! I am having a terrible time getting school physicals sent in! My feeling is, if the parents don't send it in, NO report card goes home! We used to do that for library books..(Book due? Grades are held until the book is found or paid for.)

So far, the powers that be won't go for it. So I am on my own. :no:

Do you have a state exclusion date? Ours is October 15. If the px is not in my office by that day then the student cannot attend until it is on file.

You know who's not happy to hear that? Parents. Even though it's a state law and I send out notices in the spring and again at the beginning of the school year.

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We only do state exclusion for immunizations. The parents know I have no power when it comes to the physicals, even though it is the law!

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Spidey's mom!!!!!! November 1????? You'll still visit, right? Anyway...Texas passed a law that says we have to have a person trained in diabetes management in addition to the RN on campus. If there's no RN on campus there has to be two trained persons. In my experience, unless the person being trained has some personal experience with diabetes management, it's difficult to get them to understand the concept and complexities of diabetes management; for instance, a written diabetes management plan can not include instructions for all contigencies - you regularly have to come with solutions to the weird things that occur. I'm OK with my trained person doing BG monitoring but when it comes to critical thinking regarding diabetes management and insulin administration I always supervise/even by phone when I'm off campus. Now having said all this...I don't do the diabetes management training. We have a one day course offered by our local education service center. I'm assuming the training you refer to would be provided in a similar manner so you would not be attached to it after you leave. I would just make sure the principal understands he/she is the responsible party if something goes sour with the diabetes management.

Oh yeah, I'll be around. I love this forum and the advice - plus I still have a kid in school. Spidey's an 8th grader.

My concern is if I leave on Nov 1 and there is no new school nurse hired yet, just leaving a paraprofessional to do the insulin concerns me. She will have no medical person to speak to.

Para's are teacher's aides with no medical training or background . . . .except for what I train them to do. The term "paraprofessional" bugs me . . . . .:facepalm:

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I am not ranting here. I just want to thank you all for doing your job and caring about your students and this seems like a good place to do so:)

When I was young, I had a school nurse who took me under her wing when I thought my life was falling apart and/or over. I believe she and her assistant had a total of about 2500+ students (sr high), increasing each year. Including the special ed. At the time I had NO idea she dealt with this type of stuff so much, because she seemed to be available to help whenever I needed it. When I had family problems, she listened, taught me safety planning and once or twice, in collaboration with me, called home to help defuse...when I had a heart murmur, had to see a cardiologist and thought it meant I needed a transplant she drew out the heart and explained what it was. (I was 16-18 through this, old enough to understand.)

She is part of the reason I am a nurse. She is also probably a big part of why I graduated without addiction, suicide, or running away. Please don't ever doubt that the care and concern you show your students matters. Today I am sad though not surprised that school nurses are tasked with, basically, enforcing the law (cause our law enforcement professionals find it so easy and uncomplicated that anyone can do it!). Thank you all for sticking with it. You are important, and not just to do everyone else's job. Please know that when you form bonds with students and advocate for them it makes a difference.

(FYI I am YEARS out of high school. I am still just as grateful.)

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Hi Flare! Whenever you have a big problem in school health, you must ask this question: What would school nurse Barb G do?

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Like my new avatar? :roflmao:

"Sit down, and SHUT your mouth!"

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i am laughing out loud over here. Celebratory saltines all around!!

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Spidey's mom posts over on Blue and the Gen threads... You guys can venture out you know...

You guys would be so much fun on Blue.

What is blue?

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