Kid comes in saying they got hit in the eye with a pogo stick (while repeatedly poking herself in the eye to show me how) and the gym teacher told her to come get an ice pack.
No redness, swelling, bruising, can see fine. I let her know she was okay and didn't need an ice pack.
"But it hurts!"
"Then stop poking it!"
"But Ms. So-and-so said to give me an ice pack!"
"But I'm the nurse."
UGH!!! I hate with the teacher or lunch room monitor tells the kid that they need something, or need to go home. Why am I here if I cannot do my assessment.
Trust me, if this is how it's gonna go today, I'll take my broken ankle back home and go to bed. Y'all can handle it. Peace.
(Told you I was grumpy-admins, DO NOT put this on facebook please)
Specializes in psych, dialysis, LTC, sub acute rehab, hospice.
I hear you. I haven't seen any posts in FB, but it's a small world, and I like to keep my career changes and comments as anonymous as I can for obvious work-related reasons. I'm not a school nurse, but venting carefully is a challenge for any profession, I would imagine. Any time you're dealing with people, there are joys and frustrations!
Today I had a kiddo with bilateral itchy allergy eyes.. teach (whom I love, really) argued with my for 5 minutes that it was pink eye and this kid doesn't generally get allergies! :/ I told her if she starts getting goopy drainage (or any drainage at all, for that matter), I'd be happy to reassess.
I like 'But I'm the nurse'. Too bad I couldn't have used that w/a family situation recently where they kept hammering me re: their post-surgical family member and pain meds.
My daughter was sent home because she had 'pink eye'. The lady in the front office diagnosed her with it. She didn't even send her to the school nurse. I said ma'am there is no way that my daughter contracted pinkeye in the 30 minutes she's been in school. I'm pretty sure it's her allergies. Needless to say I had to pick her up from school, she missed an entire day of school, and I had to take her to her pediatrician to diagnose her with allergies and get a slip so she can go back to school the next day. I didn't know that she never made it to the nurses office until later.
I spoke to the principle about this. I asked her what's the purpose of having a school nurse there if the teachers can diagnose the kids with whatever and have them sent home??
I get the ice pack drama all the time. I explain to them why I won't give them the ice pack and make them go on their way. I wish the teachers would stop "trying to appease them," even when they know they're fine, because it just means one more person has to hear them whine...
I also get the teachers who send their kids up with their coat and backpack and tell me they "need to go home." Their comments will range from things like, "He's just not himself" to "He just looks sick." Ummmmm....why am I here if you can just eyeball them and know they're sick? There are guidelines for sending kids home, people...
I had a teacher today tell me some of her FF get sent because the parents get angry with her if Snowflake comes home and tells them the teacher refused to give them a pass to come see me. I told her that she is free to have the parents call me, I will happily explain that my role is not a walk-in clinic for bug bites, loose teeth, paper cuts, etc. etc. etc. and that I am here to manage true health emergencies, screenings, medications, educations, etc... she wasn't convinced this would keep her from getting yelled at.
I had a teacher today tell me some of her FF get sent because the parents get angry with her if Snowflake comes home and tells them the teacher refused to give them a pass to come see me. I told her that she is free to have the parents call me, I will happily explain that my roll is not a walk-in clinic for bug bites, loose teeth, paper cuts, etc. etc. etc. and that I am here to manage true health emergencies, screenings, medications, educations, etc... she wasn't convinced this would keep her from getting yelled at.
For lots of these teachers, I'm a CYA.
Yep, I've heard this too. Such a PITA but everyone is so afraid of the big bad parents.
Nobody has any knowledge when a kid is hanging their head over a trash can though.
Call the nurse on the radio as only an RN can walk a student and his trash can to he clinic!! But darn I forgot my "make the pukeys go away fairy dust" at home today. Don't you hate when that happens????
ContraryMary
39 Posts
Well that stinks.