A student was sent to me with a pass that said "congestion" The student is a 5th grader that is well known to me. He strolls into the clinic smiling and laughing with another student. First impression, he seems fine with a little nasal congestion, temp 98.1. In my judgement, he was fine and I sent him back to class. Fast Forward two days, a teacher comes to me and said she received an email from this student's mother complaining about me. The email said that if her son asks to go to the nurse again that she needs to be called. She went on to say that apparently that nurse is incompetent and I don't want my child sent to her. This email was sent as a group message to all the child's teachers and the administrators. (not me)
As a school nurse, I have come to expect this behavior from a few parents every year but my problem is that this parent is a school nurse at the school down the street. She is a colleague for the same school district. I have covered her school before as she also covers mine when I'm out.
I just don't get it, why didn't she talk to me about this before she complained to everyone I work with?
She knows this job and knows the district guidelines we use to determine if a parent call is warranted. I treat every student the same. Just because a student's parent works in the school district does not mean I give them special treatment. The more I think about it the more angry I become.
I have mentioned this incident to the nursing director and she told me that this nurse is under a lot of stress right now and to let it go. She also said that if this was a valid complaint against me that she would have been notified about it from the school administrators.
We all have stress in our lives and everyone deals with it differently but I feel this is a personal attack on my nursing skills and judgement. Am I justified in feeling this way? I feel like this is something that I need to address with her on a personal basis. The more I think about it, the madder I become. What do you guys think.
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
I think that was a really really crappy thing for her to do. Once you can be calm and cool I would ask her why she felt your assessment was not "competent". Perhaps her child told her something different than the truth? Either way she should have spoken with you 1st.
I think you should talk to this person directly and if possible with someone else that is neutral to you both present. It sounds like there is something more to this - at least on her part -with you.
I think you should schedule a meeting with this mom/nurse that includes your nurse supervisor. Discuss your assessment of this student, and try to determine how/why she feels that you are "incompetent." Cite school policy and procedure and ask her to explain how she feels you did not do what any other school nurse would have done in that situation. Make it quite clear that it was very unprofessional of her to send an email to teachers and admin without contacting you first, asking how would she feel if you did that at her school.
Perhaps the student flat out lied to her about what happened or what was said during his visit. I once had a Mom who became very upset with me because her middle school daughter told her that I believed her SA was psychosomatic (she of course did not use this term but you get the picture). During my assessment of this student I did ask her about stress and anxiety, but this is just part of my routine assessment for SA. And I never insinuated that her discomfort was not real or "all in her head" so to speak. Mom was furious until I gave her a detailed summary of the visit (the student went home by the way) and she came to realize that her daughter's perception of the clinic visit was skewed.
Regardless, your fellow school nurse was out of line how she reacted to the situation. But now that she has had time to simmer down, you might find when you speak to her that she regrets how she responded and is perhaps even embarrassed. Definitely talk to her.
Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
But now that she has had time to simmer down, you might find when you speak to her that she regrets how she responded and is perhaps even embarrassed.
If that is the case, she doesn't seem to have made any effort to communicate that to the people who she popped off to earlier. Not that it can be undone, but I would have sent an apologetic e-mail to the same people who I reported to before - plus the nurse who I accused of being incompetent.
I was kind of hoping that the offensive school nurse was on here and we could have a School Nurses of the Internet show. Not quite Housewives of the Rich Ghettos, but still.
If this happens, someone please make an announcement on the main page so I can get here and watch it live. Thanks. OP, I'd be taking this person to task and asking her what the fresh heck was running through her head when she decided to send such an email. Or you know.....something professional sounding or something.
Specializes in Psych, Peds, Education, Infection Control.
Stress is no excuse for inappropriate behavior.
THIS. I really hate when people's crappy behavior gets excused because "they're stressed out." Well, so am I, and I manage not to be a total butthole. A sarcastic pessimist at times, yes, but that's another story. (My current manager is a very sweet soccer mom and my Daria personality leads to some interesting staff meetings. :-D)
I think you should schedule a meeting with this mom/nurse that includes your nurse supervisor. Discuss your assessment of this student, and try to determine how/why she feels that you are "incompetent." Cite school policy and procedure and ask her to explain how she feels you did not do what any other school nurse would have done in that situation. Make it quite clear that it was very unprofessional of her to send an email to teachers and admin without contacting you first, asking how would she feel if you did that at her school.
Stress is no excuse for inappropriate behavior.
^^This.
This is nuts; this actually happened about 8 years ago at the school I worked at with the nurse and another nurse in the district. Almost word for word. Holy smokes!
When you do speak to her, I highly, HIGHLY recommend having a neutral 3rd party present (like your supervisors, another teacher, but somebody). When our nurse spoke to the other nurse, it got ugly really quick. Turned out that the "offended" nurse was not specifically in a stressful situation, per se. It was more of a personal dislike and anything our nurse stated was twisted around during private conversations.
I would do what GdBSN stated ... but with that neutral party present. With her CC'ing all of those people, it appears she's elevating a perceived conflict you had no idea existed. Not cool.
OP, I'd be taking this person to task and asking her what the fresh heck was running through her head when she decided to send such an email. Or you know.....something professional sounding or something. 
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Kooky Korky, BSN, RN
5,216 Posts
Cool off for a few days, then figure out what you want to do. I lean toward talking to her in person, probably with a witness.
She really does need to specify what her beef is with you. But calm down first and then make a clearheaded decision.