I don't expect teachers or administrators to know a nurse's scope of practice inside and out. I don't. But I DO expect them to remember when I tell them that I legally can't do something and stop acting annoyed when I refuse. The most popular one...
We have a referral-only behavior program at my school. These are the violent kids with multiple behavioral diagnoses. There is a seclusion room and all the staff are CPI trained to help maintain safety when the kids are in crisis. All of these kids are on multiple behavioral medications and it becomes evident VERY quickly when one of them didn't get their AM dose at home. The teachers in this program, as well as some administrators, constantly ask me to administer meds without an order. For example, I have one student who takes a 12 PM dose of Ritalin. He also takes it in the AM at home. If he comes in and immediately starts acting out, I always get a call "I don't think Jimmy John was medicated? Can you call mom and find out and if not can you just give him one of his lunchtime pills now?"
No matter HOW many times I explain that I cannot administer the medication without an order, they still get all huffy when I say no. This isn't really scope of practice related but another time, I called a mom to discover that yes, she did forget to give Little Darling his medication but she was 2 hours away for a conference and dad was unable to come administer the AM dose. When I reported back to the AP and teacher, I was asked "Well why can't dad come?"
I said "I didn't ask. She said he couldn't, I wasn't going to grill her about why." Again, I was met with exasperation from the teachers. I'm sorry, but I think it would be rude to question this mom about why her husband couldn't come. She is a very "with it" parent and truly wants what is best for her son. If she says nobody can come, nobody can come.
Last year one told me that little Susie takes the same ADD med as her daughter and she had a few extra in her purse, so I could give one to Susie "because she is acting like she forgot
I am afraid of this teacher, what's to stop her from medicating "little Susie" when no one is around?
Last year one told me that little Susie takes the same ADD med as her daughter and she had a few extra in her purse, so I could give one to Susie "because she is acting like she forgot
I am afraid of this teacher, what's to stop her from medicating "little Susie" when no one is around?
Absolutely nothing. Now that this is on your radar, you know to monitor little Susie.
Last year one told me that little Susie takes the same ADD med as her daughter and she had a few extra in her purse, so I could give one to Susie "because she is acting like she forgot
I am afraid of this teacher, what's to stop her from medicating "little Susie" when no one is around?
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OMG That's all I got
/username, BSN, RN
526 Posts
Why? The only way you lose a teaching license is if you hit a student or pork a student.