Does your office have running water?

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Specializes in School Nurse.

In response to covid my admin is moving the health office to a 8x8 room with no running water, no easy bathroom access, and the "isolation" plan is to have kids sitting out in the hallway 6' apart from ea other. Her rational is that she wants to keep sick kids away from her and the two front office staff (health office is located within the front office, but has its own restroom and door) I am at the school half time and when I'm not there the front office covers all health office roles.

Thoughts? Are any of you in a similar situation? What are your requirements for an office this next school year? I do not want my office to also function as the isolation room obviously, and I feel it is imperative to have access to running water.

I work because I love my job and feel called to serve the community, but am so frustrated with the lack of planning and am on the verge of giving notice. Not sure I could handle the guilt of "abandoning" the school and kids though.

Mine does not have running water which worries me on a normal year, even more so this year. I totally feel you. Going through many of the same feelings myself.

1 Votes
Specializes in School Nurse.
4 minutes ago, IsItFridayYetRN said:

Mine does not have running water which worries me on a normal year, even more so this year. I totally feel you. Going through many of the same feelings myself.

How do you wash your hands? I would have to call to have someone else monitor kids while I went to the restroom. I'm so sorry you are dealing with that, esp this next year. ?

The new plan is to move me to a room that DOES have a sink but will also function as the isolation room. NOT an acceptable option IMO. The frustrating part is I have a perfectly good office that was designed to be the health room.....

1 Votes
Specializes in Home Health,Dialysis, MDS, School Nurse.

My health office consists of a clinic part, and then a small "office" that had my desk, file cabinets, ect. So it was decided my desk and things come out into the clinic area, and my office becomes the isolation room. There was talk of using a nearby timeout room, but since I pointed out I couldn't be in 2 places at once and someone else would have to monitor anyone in that room, they decided against that option. So, yes, I'll still have water in my clinic, but not in the iso room.

1 Votes
14 hours ago, seedanurse said:

How do you wash your hands? I would have to call to have someone else monitor kids while I went to the restroom. I'm so sorry you are dealing with that, esp this next year. ?

The new plan is to move me to a room that DOES have a sink but will also function as the isolation room. NOT an acceptable option IMO. The frustrating part is I have a perfectly good office that was designed to be the health room.....

The girls restroom is next door to my office which was the theory into moving me where I currently am. But I’ve tried to explain to administration that it’s not really always feasible (or sanitary) for me to go with soiled hands to the restroom next door- especially if there is a class in there using the restroom at that time. And not to mention that often times the students need to wash hands before going to class. Going to see if I can either be moved back to my old office which has a sink and area that could be used for isolation room (that would be my pick) or have a sink installed in my office (which I’m sure will not happen!!).

1 Votes

Wait your clinic doesn't have a sink? WOW!! I think in FL all clinics by law have to have running water. Anyways...We are discussing transforming my clinic (which is right by the front door, has a sink in the clinic area, plus a bathroom with another sink) into the "isolation room". Then we will use the staff lunch/break room (also has a sink and 2 bathrooms each with sinks) into the clinic for our everyday kiddos.

1 Votes

Nope sure doesn’t. Pretty disgusting, right??

Specializes in School nursing.

I got them to install a brand new sink (checked it out today) in my office so I don't have to use the sink in the bathroom. So until a few weeks ago I did not have running water in my office outside of the restroom.

As for an isolation space - in MA, it needs to be separate from the nurse's office and we determined a space with access to its own bathroom was one floor above me in a small classroom with another separate space attached (in case I need to isolate a student that doesn't social distance well for many reasons). Some of my ops staff will help manage it as the adult in or just outside it while a kid(s) is awaiting pick-up because I can't be in two places at once. It is next to its own separate exit from the building.

I'm feeling very lucky there.

The hallway? Yikes. That is a nightmare, I'm so sorry.

2 Votes
Specializes in School Nurse.
29 minutes ago, JenTheSchoolRN said:

I got them to install a brand new sink (checked it out today) in my office so I don't have to use the sink in the bathroom. So until a few weeks ago I did not have running water in my office outside of the restroom.

As for an isolation space - in MA, it needs to be separate from the nurse's office and we determined a space with access to its own bathroom was one floor above me in a small classroom with another separate space attached (in case I need to isolate a student that doesn't social distance well for many reasons). Some of my ops staff will help manage it as the adult in or just outside it while a kid(s) is awaiting pick-up because I can't be in two places at once. It is next to its own separate exit from the building.

I'm feeling very lucky there.

The hallway? Yikes. That is a nightmare, I'm so sorry.

WOW!! I love the sound of your set up. I'm so irked that I am being moved from a room that already has running water and toilet into a room that doesn't! It's like backward progress, hahaha. How do I practice normal hygiene? Yeesh. And I'm also absolutely refusing to make my office the isolation room. The district is not providing PPE. That puts me at unnecessary risk, not to mention all of the students that come into my office for non viral related issues.

This whole situation is mind boggling to me. I work as a school nurse because I feel called to do so and normally loooooove my job! But I'm beginning to feel like the sacrificial staff.

1 Votes
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
10 hours ago, seedanurse said:

. The district is not providing PPE. That puts me at unnecessary risk, not to mention all of the students that come into my office for non viral related issues.

Districts must provide and pay for personal protective equipment under OSHA law effective 2008 for those states that cover public and state workers.

Example NJ: https://www.njea.org/districts-must-provide-pay-personal-protective-equipment/

State list available here: https://www.osha.gov/stateplans

Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

I have a small office with a private bathroom that has a sink. I do not have another sink, nor is there any room or place to have another sink. My school was built in 1890, so I am lucky to even have a room with a bathroom! Now if only I could get HOT or warm running water instead of cold...but thats another whole issue.

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