Do you ever NOT give out ice packs?

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I feel like I'm becoming some sort of icepack Nazi! I have literally gotten so low on icepacks that I'm now hoarding the few I still have for those instances where ice is NECESSARY and not just wanted as a comfort.

A few of the complaints I haven't given icepacks for include:

*Getting hit in the forehead with a plastic Frisbee (no marks, no swelling, no bruising...looked like a normal forehead)

*Ankle that hurts when I step on it like this: *contorts foot to unnatural position*

*I got hit in the head with a rock (rock was flat and about the size of a quarter. Again, no mark, no swelling, skin intact, no bruising, student not in distress AT ALL)

*My finger hurts (once again...no swelling, bruising, etc.)

*I'm hot

*My pencil eraser "BUMPED" (exact words, mind you) my face

These are just a few of the things I've had in my office just today. I feel bad for telling them no, but they are HORRIBLE at returning my icepacks. They're not even busting them or anything! They're just setting them down and then they get lost in translation throughout the school. Plus, I mean really...some of the reasons they want icepacks are just plain ridiculous. I've already had one instance where a student NEEDED ice for an ankle injury after falling and I had none to give her. I ended up breaking into my "go bag" for an instant icepack so they could have some relief until their ride got here.

Anyone else hoarding their icepacks??

I had the nice gel ice packs at the first of the year. They disappeared so fast. So now I'm hording the few I have left to use as warm compresses on ear aches and instead have taken to giving out ice from the ice machine in a baggie. They leak. But they work for about 10 minutes then go in the trash. I've given up fighting the ice pack crowd. I assess properly, then hand them the magic ice that fixes everything. Back to class, now go learn.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
This is the hardest thing for me. Because this usually happens when I send them back without an ice pack.

I think we just have to stand our ground. "I assessed him/her and I understand he/she is uncomfortable but in my judgment an ice pack is not necessary." I myself am really nonconfrontational--also our teachers are so nice, and are used to the ice packs being available, but unless I want my visits to increase to 100 I think I have to put my foot down that this is a health office not a convenience office. I think once students and teachers see that ice packs are not a free-for-all they won't immediately think to ask for one anymore. (Honestly my district nurse said we may have to do away with them altogether because they are going so fast, so I think if I mention that then they will hold back. Because God knows if we don't have ANY ice packs anymore the school will have to close down!)

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My CNA and I use a lot of "suck it up buttercup" to treat all the boo-boos. We started with 8 boxes of 24 ice packs for 1150 students, and we still have 1 1/2 boxes left (check out system works great!).

I'd rather use our budget money for educational materials or other supplies, rather than handing out ice packs unwarranted. I read the responses and suddenly feel a little heartless...

When I clean and treat a cut I do like to send an extra bandaid or gauze in their pocket. It seems to help repeat visits for the same injury.

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What Old Dude said. It's not worth being smeared on Facebook because you didn't give little darling an ice pack for an injury that happened 5 days ago on spring break. I used to fight that battle but now I am a defeated woman.

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.

I find ice packs are requested for the most ridiculous things--but I also have found ice packs work for the most ridiculous things too. Sometimes when I am out of ideas with a kid I offer an ice pack and what do ya' know...it works. I do insist on the ice pack and student staying in my office until the pack defrosts (mine only last about 20 minutes) so I keep my eye on it. I have lost a lot to the classrooms plus an ice pack on one kid seems to give every other kid in the class the idea to come get an ice pack. I get complaints but I tell them that if their complaint was bad enough to come in to see me, it is bad enough to sit for 20 minutes. Oh, and if I witness the kid removing the ice pack from whatever body part they were complaining about, out they go.

I do consider myself quite lame for handing out ice packs for even the most silly reasons, but like the others said, all it takes is one kid to tell mommy that the nurse refused to give them an ice pack for their emergent boo-boo and Facebook is swarming with calls for your head on a pike. Ok that's a little much but yeah--Facebook is the worst.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
I do insist on the ice pack and student staying in my office until the pack defrosts (mine only last about 20 minutes) so I keep my eye on it. I have lost a lot to the classrooms plus an ice pack on one kid seems to give every other kid in the class the idea to come get an ice pack. I get complaints but I tell them that if their complaint was bad enough to come in to see me, it is bad enough to sit for 20 minutes. Oh, and if I witness the kid removing the ice pack from whatever body part they were complaining about, out they go.

If I lose more than 5 ice packs in the next week I am going to try to implement this! I think at first there will be bunches of them congesting the H/O to use them but I bet it would eventually slow down as those who aren't really hurting won't want to sit in the office that long! And teachers will not send as often when they realize the bolded part above is not usually true! Thanks for the idea!

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I get complaints but I tell them that if their complaint was bad enough to come in to see me, it is bad enough to sit for 20 minutes.

I did this one year on field day and it was great- I told the kids, if you need an ice pack, then you shouldn't be running and playing. Almost every kid miraculously recovered in minutes! Even the one who ended up having a hairline fracture... but was jumping in the bounce house all afternoon- oops!

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I pretty much give it out as requested, though 80% of the time it is not needed. I figure it is a good way for students to take care of themselves. The ice if free and the plastic bags cost about 1 cent. Sometimes you just need to let kids be kids.

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I hand out more than I should but I don't want to fight the battle and ensuing Facebook crucifixion with the irate parent the next day after their child goes home and tells them they suffered a severe injury while picking up their pencil off the classroom floor and "the nurse" didn't do anything. Although the injury was invisible and the parent would have done nothing about it at home the child suffered greatly and could barely drag themselves out of the school at dismissal.

I fought it for many years but...no more.

yes, I too have basically given up fighting this - I almost always will give an ice pack for injuries at school but if kids come to me about things that happened over the weekend or last night at soccer practice - I tell them they will be ok and can make it thru the day, especially if parents did not reach out to me regarding injury.

I have been called the "ice police", accused of being an "uncaring nurse" and a parent questioned my licensing/schooling "Didn't you learn in nursing school that pain is whatever the patients tell you it is, doesn't matter what you believe...blah blah blah.." :sarcastic:

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Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.

I am firm believer that we have a responsibility to help teach these kids how to become responsible consumers of healthcare. It seems trite but driving home the lesson that you don't need "something" for every little discomfort, be it an ice pack, a band-aid or a Tylenol, will help start that education at a young age. If there is no mark, swelling, redness or bruising I do not give out an ice pack. My reusable ones disappeared around Valentine's day and I have plenty of plastic baggies and an ice machine. But the kids that need ice packs for poking themselves with pencil erasers may grow up to be the adults that go to the ER for a stomachache and I refuse to do that to the nurses of the future!

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Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

I haven't read the comments yet, but I will occasionally tell a kiddo no. Like for an injury that happened at home two days ago, or no evidence of an injury what so ever (like they bumped their elbow on the wall in the hall).

What I started doing recently is I have a small dry erase board on my refrigerator and I make them write their name when I give an ice pack, then when they bring them back I erase their name. If at the end of the day I have a name still up, I call their teacher right before dismissal.

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I get complaints but I tell them that if their complaint was bad enough to come in to see me, it is bad enough to sit for 20 minutes. Oh, and if I witness the kid removing the ice pack from whatever body part they were complaining about, out they go.

I love when people bring different perspectives to a topic! This is why this site is so awesome for us SN that don't have any one to bounce ideas off of. I will be adopting this way of thinking as well!!

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