Does this weird anybody else out?

Flare, ASN, BSN · Apr 25, 2017

my cots are sort of behind me / to the side of me if that makes sense. Either way they can see what i am charting of they sit on the edge and look closely. If they elect to lie down instead of sit in one of my chairs i encourage them to look at their homework, read a book, color, close their eyes and nap while they wait. I can't really move my office around too much.

zombieghoast · Apr 25, 2017

I felt the same way. That's why I always hated that the kids had to stay in my office.

grammy1 · Apr 25, 2017

Here at the junior high, we try to NEVER let the kids be behind us! ;-)

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Apr 25, 2017

I sit with my back to the opening and cot, always creeps me out. My new office at the new school is big enough I should be able to face the cot and door, computer facing wall.

OyWithThePoodles, RN · Apr 25, 2017

Before I rearranged my cot was diagonally behind me. I hated it. Our charting has pictures of the student, so I would be charting on a kiddo and they would ask "oh, what did Johnny come in for?!"

Mind yer business kid.

Now the cot is in front of me. Much. Better.

NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Apr 25, 2017

My cot is sort of diagonally behind me as well, and yes, it creeps me out. I have another one that is in what I would call a half-room, that is more private and I use for those kids who are definitely sick. But the ones I am keeping my eye on go behind me. If they sit up and start making commentary or asking questions, guess where they go? Back to class.

But honestly, even when laying down they can see my every move. But I only have a few options with my office and I can't have my back to a door or window.

Eleven011 · Apr 25, 2017

The first year I was here, my desk was in the middle of the room and the cot behind my desk. I quickly figured out I didn't like it that way! So first chance I got, I rearranged and put the cot in front of and to the left of my desk. Works much better!

kidzcare · Apr 25, 2017

The first school I worked at (for 4 years) had the end of two cots towards my desk and YES it was unnerving when the kids would just sit and stare at me. Whether they were waiting their 10 minutes post crackers for nausea or waiting to be picked up.

I put a word match game to play so that would keep them occupied mostly. I had the obscure medical terms on one side of a double cabinet and the laymen's term on the other side. Kids could guess which ones went together. ie: epitaxis (nosebleed), idiopathic (no known cause), caries (cavities), and the most popular was always sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia (ice cream headache)

GetBackToClassRN · Apr 26, 2017

My cots are off to my left, but I know what you mean. Occasionally, there will be a student that decides to sit on the end of the cot and just stare at me! It is so unnerving and makes me very uncomfortable. I don't want to get in the habit of giving coloring pages or activities, because I don't want them to start coming to the clinic for "fun time". I just position myself to face away from them and try to ignore the uneasy feeling, but it's HARD!

Farawyn · Apr 26, 2017

The first school I worked at (for 4 years) had the end of two cots towards my desk and YES it was unnerving when the kids would just sit and stare at me. Whether they were waiting their 10 minutes post crackers for nausea or waiting to be picked up.
I put a word match game to play so that would keep them occupied mostly. I had the obscure medical terms on one side of a double cabinet and the laymen's term on the other side. Kids could guess which ones went together. ie: epitaxis (nosebleed), idiopathic (no known cause), caries (cavities), and the most popular was always sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia (ice cream headache)

And.

Now I've learned something.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Apr 26, 2017

I don't want to get in the habit of giving coloring pages or activities, because I don't want them to start coming to the clinic for "fun time".

It's a well known fact in my office that the coloring books and crayons are only broken out if you are headed home or have to wait in my office for some reason. I've been told by the kids who are just there to hold ice for a few minutes that they think that policy is unfair - they want to sit and color too. I am sure you all know how much that influenced me to consider changing it.