Clinic Rules

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Specializes in School Health.

Does anyone have any ideas on simple clinic rules that are good for both elementary and middle school? I am at a K-8 school. I have already tried to implement passes for visits and it depends on which teacher the student has, if I get a pass or not. I am trying to start working on things for next year so that next year during our first faculty and staff meeting, they will have an idea of what is expected when the students come to the clinic and what the teachers are expected to give students to come to the clinic (written pass).

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Unless your principal is prepared to strictly enforce the rule, forget about it.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Google the 12 B's from NASN. It may not be 12. It may be 10. It's guidance for teachers for when to send a student. Make a presentation at the beginning of the year when you hand out band aids to them.

Passes for sure. What has helped me this year is that when a teacher ignores best practice - I call them. Kid comes in and needs a band aid? Kid gets one and takes band aids back to class. Kid comes in right before lunch with a stomach ache? I call the teacher and say "Sweet pea's been told to eat lunch and then return if her stomach still hurts." I say it in a nice way so that they can learn (hopefully) what matters.

Some never learn. In that case....I try to take up as much of their time as I can re-educating them. It all works out.

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Specializes in School Health.
4 minutes ago, OldDude said:

Unless your principal is prepared to strictly enforce the rule, forget about it.

Thankfully my administration sees how busy I get and agree with the passes. Most teachers are good about it, it is just a select few who feel "entitled" to do as they please.

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There will ALWAYS be the entitled staff that will NEVER follow your rules. I have learned to accept it and just move on.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
18 minutes ago, EnoughWithTheIce said:

There will ALWAYS be the entitled staff that will NEVER follow your rules. I have learned to accept it and just move on.

Literally EVERY day an overhead announcement is made and an email goes out reminding teachers to submit their attendance...every day. In the real world if your boss had to tell you to do your job every day you wouldn't last the first month.

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Specializes in Peds, MS, DIDD, Corrections, HH, LTC, School Nurse.
42 minutes ago, Keeperofbandages said:

Thankfully my administration sees how busy I get and agree with the passes. Most teachers are good about it, it is just a select few who feel "entitled" to do as they please.

My principal has agreed that if the student comes without a pass I will return the student back to class (unless it's an emergency or kid is actively vomiting) and call the teacher and say "I will see Little Johnny when he returns with a clinic pass". But as previously stated, the principal MUST be on board b/c the teachers will complain!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, School Nursing, OB.

My first year here no one used passes and I got tons of visits for lots of little stupid stuff. I implemented a pass policy and gave all the teachers one. I said either a pass or a phone call. If a kid came in without a pass I'd either send them immediately back or call the teacher and asked if they sent them down because they didn't have a pass. After a few times of that I always got a pass. I wouldn't be mean, I'd just be like gee I'm not sure if you're supposed to be in here or not. LOL!!

Every year I remind teachers I need a pass (or phone call or some even escort them down) so I know who the kid is, why they are here, and that they aren't trying to skip class. I also have the teachers send those home so their parents know they visited the nurse that day. A few years later, I still have a couple teachers who like to "forget" a lot. I get it's a pain to stop teaching and fill one out. However, if you have to take that time to fill it out then you're less likely to send kids for stupid stuff.

I guess no one ever complained to my principal about it (because it's a completely reasonable request) but I know she'd back me up if need be. For those who aren't doing it, I'd just go talk to them face to face. I've done that many times to see what the barrier is and come up with a solution. Good luck!

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35 minutes ago, OldDude said:

Literally EVERY day an overhead announcement is made and an email goes out reminding teachers to submit their attendance...every day. In the real world if your boss had to tell you to do your job every day you wouldn't last the first month.

Our data clerk has resorted to doing silly contests with silly rewards to get the teachers to do an accurate & on time attendance.

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Specializes in Peds, MS, DIDD, Corrections, HH, LTC, School Nurse.
3 minutes ago, AdobeRN said:

Our data clerk has resorted to doing silly contests with silly rewards to get the teachers to do an accurate & on time attendance.

OMGoodness! Are we back in preschool? IF you do a good job, you'll get a gold star! ?

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