Clinic Decor

JustRNingAlong, BSN · Jul 13, 2017

Thank you for posting this cause I need help too. í ½í¸€

OyWithThePoodles, RN · Jul 13, 2017

I put up a new "board" every month with helpful health tips and a cutesy theme pertaining to that month (I work in elementary).

A couple of examples of what I've done in the past: A twister board with the saying "start off on the right foot" for August and health tips in the circles.

"Don't get caught in a web of germs" with a spider web and ways to prevent the spread of illnesses for October.

"Show your teeth some love" with dental tips for February.

"The final countdown" with a new summer health tip each day for the month of May.

The kiddos and staff love it, but I will say, sometimes the kiddos make more frequent visits just to see what Nurse Sully has this month

halohg, RN · Jul 14, 2017

Yeah keep it as boring as possible, maybe one board with a catchy theme. But I do not want looky loos. Pinterest has some great ideas. My buildings theme this year is something to do with cars and I have to decorate my door as an ambulance.

lyrern · Jul 14, 2017

Have fun decorating your clinic. The way I look at it, I spend eight hours a day in the clinic, day after day, year after year, so I want it to be comfy and fun for me, while still being kid-friendly. Since I am not independently wealthy and must go to work every day, I'm going to have a good time doing it! I have a general color scheme (red, green, yellow) I stick to, and I change out things to prevent boredom, but keep within that color scheme. For instance, I have one small bulletin board in the clinic, and I put up paper and border at the beginning of the year. It is my nurse-brag board. I have some fun nurse things on it, jokes, the clinic "rules" (have pass, wait turn), and I add sweet things children give me during the year.

Part of our school nurse role is to promote health. I utilize a large bulletin board in the hallway to educate the students about health. Every month I change it out - or I attempt to change it out. One year I made several little minions to put on the first board of the school year, and the theme was "there are minions of germs, so wash your hands." When I took down the minions to put up the next months board "Harvest Healthy Habits" with pumpkins, the kindergartners protested loudly. Frequently. Daily. Even the teachers voiced displeasure of the missing minions. So I worked the minions into the boards from that point on. They showed up dressed in Halloween costumes in "say boo to the flu"; later they had a snowball fight in "fight the flu." Anyway, just let your imagination take off and have fun.

And go on Pinterest often! It is my happy place.

lyrern · Jul 14, 2017

I thought of a couple of other things related to clinic set up.... I have zones in my clinic - med area, screening area, just hanging out for my parent but not contagious area (with books and coloring stuff), and the possible contagious area (easily wiped down after the child leaves).

The med area has all the paperwork I possibly need to send home pertaining to medications in a specific color, laminated, folders in a holder; if a give a child a prn inhaler, I have a note to send home with the child, and that note is in ready in one of the red folders by the med area. If a med is running low, I have "medication is low" note in a different red folder in the file holder. All my screening information is in a specified color laminated folders (I use blue) and kept in a blue magazine holder by the vision screening box and audiometer.

I use a lot of duct tape. I like the patterned tape. I put it on the file (magazine) holders - like red polka-dotted one I use for the file holder which holds the red folders in the med area. I also use it for framing on the walls; I put the mandatory fire escape plan in a plastic page protector, and tape it to the wall and frame it in duct tape. One can't miss it. I have one child who could not stand by the counter while waiting for his medication; he ended up with a fun patterned special box taped to the floor so he could be reminded where to stand daily. I also place a patterned piece of tape on the floor in the bathroom to guide the fifth graders where to stand when I'm checking for scoliosis. It is easier to say "put your toes on the flowers" than "make sure your toes are lined up" - I have tried both, and the flowers were easier.

I do a lot of this before the students arrive for the first day. I use volunteers (my college aged daughters) make a lot of copies for me - meds, letters to the parents (your child was seen in the clinic for something minor, which I fill in the blanks), and they set up my initial bulletin boards. I am hoping to have some bulletin boards made this summer to use later in the year, so all I have to do is slap them up. I had a goal of having gallon bags filled with bulletin board letters/cut outs with "October", "November" etc ready to go. But summer happened. :) I just find the more I can do ahead of time, the more organized I can make the clinic, the smoother it goes.

OldDude · Jul 14, 2017

I just checked in during the summer break...I have no wall decorations or cheerful slogans or handwashing posters on my clinic walls; the kids have no hesitation about visiting my clinic.:)

Keepstanding, ASN, RN · Jul 14, 2017

LOL OldDude !! Who needs all that "fluff" when they really just came in to see your smiling face !!

OldDude · Jul 14, 2017

LOL OldDude !! Who needs all that "fluff" when they really just came in to see your smiling face !!

Well, that's true...

3peas · Jul 17, 2017

I agree with lyrern if I have to be there 8 hours a day it's going to be pretty:geek: I kind of have a color theme as well and decorating theme-boho and turquoise and gold. I bought everything at Hobby Lobby 70% off or at TJ Maxx. Nothing cost more than $6.00. I have a bulletin board up in my clinic that I keep fabric on (b/c I refuse to redo that) and some chevron border-again I don't change it. I am NOT a bulletin board person. To be a part of the team-I put up science vocab and A&P stuff. Both were under $8.00 and that's it. I keep a lamp on my desk, a fake plant (I'll kill the real thing), art work from my own kids and art work from students. I have a large/new clinic with separate office space and clinic space, so I have a lot to work with.

This year I am going to change up wall decor, not sure to what but I get inspiration from pinterest. If you look at teacher decor you can get ideas from them.

JustRNingAlong, BSN · Aug 6, 2017

This is so awesome! Thanks for all feedback!

kummerspeck · Aug 16, 2017

I have spent days working on bringing my office back to life. I did my capstone project on mental health issues with school aged kids and school nursing (got a 100%), and one of the things I found in my research was that school nurse office's should be comfortable, and present a more home-y atmosphere. Students should feel that they can be open and honest with their school nurses, and things like curtains (flame-retardant, of course), decorations, etc., present that more home-y atmosphere. My office has had very little change in the last 20+ years, so I've done some pretty intense "lifting" this summer. Contact paper over file cabinets, my desk, and the refrigerator. I found flame retardant curtains online, $25 for a valance was a steal! Those are up already. I have this massive bulletin board in my office that I have already finished for the middle schoolers. I am rearranging furniture, hanging pictures, and just making it more welcoming overall. I'll post pictures of a before/after when I'm finished.