It just...gets to me sometimes. I know it's common and it's everywhere, but it still does.
(5th grader)
"My belly really hurts."
"How long has it been bothering you for?"
"Like three minutes."
I usually let it slide off my back, but sometimes kids' increasing lack of any resilience and/or ability to deal with adversity of any sort just fills me with concern (or dread) for the future.
I honestly don't think I even knew where the nurse's office was when I was in school..
I admit that I've lurked here for years, but I finally signed up just for this thread. Also: paramedic of over 10 years, in nursing school but not a nurse yet.
My 6 year old daughter has developed a bad habit of going to the school nurse. Yesterday it was because her "tooth felt funny", so the teacher sent her to the poor school nurse(despite my request to not allow DD to go to the nurse for this kind of thing. Blood, yes. Tooth funniness, no). Turns out it was a piece of sandwich. For DD, I think it's her discovery that someone out there will give her hugs and attention over these very minor complaints, when Mom at home doesn't give them the time of day.(Your foot has been swollen for 32 seconds? I'm sorry. You still need to clean your bedroom)
So I sympathize. Greatly. But please know there at some parents trying to raise our children with some grit, but they've found a way to drive their school nurse crazy regardless.
I'm a school nurse AND a mom of a girl who I fear is bound to be a FF. Fortunately she's 4 and hasn't discovered that she can go see the school nurse yet. That and her teachers are great about brushing off bumps and bruises with, "you'll be okay." At home, it's always been easy just to let her get an ice pack from the fridge and keep on moving, but I've recently realized I need to help her learn how to deal with discomfort.
Anyway, one of my favorite things about being a middle school nurse is being able to tell kids (kindly) to "tough it out." But man... I once had a 6th grader with a small cut in the gum who thought I could give him a bandaid or something for it. Doesn't beat the poopy pants vs spider dilemma, but still... smh.
So broughden...refresh my memory as to the area of nursing you are practicing in?
...???...
Appears to be IN nursing school although a member since 2009? Maybe in a BSN program?
Oh I sincerely apologize that I wasnt here checking everyday for your reply in order to answer.
I am a BSN student and abuse survivor.
That is ALWAYS at the back of my mind, with any child.
However...This forum right here is OUR nurses' station, lunch table, storage closet etc, where we can go and spout off a little frustration. If, in your how many years of nursing? you have never ONCE grumbled under your breath about a frustrating pt or family member, then whoopdi do for you...
We have NO one but ourselves and often this forum to blow off steam. Then we turn right around and treat our kids with respect and love and We care for and nurture these children and their siblings and families, often for many years.
Oh yes thank you so much for correcting me on mistakenly advocating for abused children, so that you can rant about a child with a tummy ache.
Blow off all the steam you need, I simply posted my concern about the potential of an abused child being ignored because you are just sooo frustrated with little Timmy.
Again if a child and a fake tummyache are what you are "blowing off steam" over, then your life is pretty good all things considered.
You're not the only abuse survivor in this thread.
Difference is, I'm not getting butthurt because I trust that school nurses are astute enough to notice the many signs of abuse.
Maybe you should put a little trust in them too.
Normally I'd agree with you but the amount of whining in this thread by professionals who are supposed to care for and protect the some of the most vulnerable of our population, calling children who are 5, 6 or 7 years old "entitled" or "snowflakes."
Normally I'd agree with you but the amount of whining in this thread by professionals who are supposed to care for and protect the some of the most vulnerable of our population, calling children who are 5, 6 or 7 years old "entitled" or "snowflakes."
Sorry but that frankly boggles my mind.
There is over a thousand years of experience in nursing here, this how many times your experience? We are unique in our environment. When you become a nurse, I would challenge you to never complain to your coworkers about a patient, ever. I have found no one can do this, you are human. We don't need your judgement or your validation. When you have walked a mile in our shoes, you can understand. I don't go on the student's site and tell them how it wasn't stressful, or the maternity site and give advice. Most times you will find that silence is golden.
SCHOOL NURSE STRONG !! I have no doubt that each and every one of my school nurse friends love and go far beyond their job description for "our" students. We are a strong group and we support each other. So try as you will.......we will not be unshaken !!
Normally I'd agree with you but the amount of whining in this thread by professionals who are supposed to care for and protect the some of the most vulnerable of our population, calling children who are 5, 6 or 7 years old "entitled" or "snowflakes."
Sorry but that frankly boggles my mind.
Do me a solid. Put an alert in your cell phone for 5 years from today. Then you will have been out of nursing school and working in direct patient care for a decent amount of time. When that alarm goes "DING" I'd love for you to come back here and tell us that you have never, not once let out a heavy sigh because a patient who is constantly on their call light has pressed it again. Never thought anything along the lines of "Really? Your pain is a 10/10 while you are texting and eating a burger? You could only be in more pain right now if you were being drawn and quartered? Ok, Patient X, here is your Norco"
...I'd suggest maybe not being so quick to judge and taking the time to make sure there isnt an underlying condition. I mean if the worst part of your day is a kid faking a tummy ache, its a pretty good day in the grand scheme of things.
... I simply posted my concern about the potential of an abused child being ignored because you are just sooo frustrated with little Timmy.
Again if a child and a fake tummyache are what you are "blowing off steam" over, then your life is pretty good all things considered.
You didn't "simply" post your concern for the potential of an abused child; a concern which is at the forefront of every nurse and school nurse who is "practicing" in the nursing field. Your post was an attack on the integrity of school nurses. You have no idea if our life is "pretty good" or not. We can see 5000 "fake tummy aches" in our clinic but we are the one who has the LONE responsibility of establishing the tummy ache is fake or not...because we all know that tummy ache number 5001 could be a ruptured splenic artery and the poor child could bleed to death on the bus ride home. Or tummy ache number 5001 could actually be a poor victim of child abuse. You are welcome here anytime. You could pick up a lot of nursing savvy and wisdom from these school nurses who are completely autonomous in every decision they make every day. Otherwise, please, realize you are ignorant of the school nursing profession and don't put that ignorance on public display for the world to see. This might be good advice for you, in general, as you begin your nursing career. Best of luck to you on a successful completion of nursing school and beyond!
Ever consider its an abused or beaten or bullied child using the easiest excuse they can think of to come to what they perceive as a safe place with someone who wont judge them and is supposed to care?
These arent small adults who throw tantrums over Starbucks cups not being Christmasy enough. They are vulnerable children and the bellyache you seem to be so quick to dismiss maybe from being punched by a drunk parent the night before.
Having been one of those abused kids, who never opened up to anyone because everyone always seemed to busy, I'd suggest maybe not being so quick to judge and taking the time to make sure there isnt an underlying condition.
I mean if the worst part of your day is a kid faking a tummy ache, its a pretty good day in the grand scheme of things.
Thank you so much! If it weren't for first semester nursing students like yourself, I don't think any of us school nurses would have considered abuse! Wow, it's just so rare that we see abuse we'd never have thought of such a thing. (rolls eyes)
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
Normally I'd agree with you but the amount of whining in this thread by professionals who are supposed to care for and protect the some of the most vulnerable of our population, calling children who are 5, 6 or 7 years old "entitled" or "snowflakes."
Sorry but that frankly boggles my mind.
The "whining" you see here is simply professionals who share an employment environment (one that you are clearly not privy to) and happen to be in the unique situation of rarely- if ever- having someone to talk to at work. School nursing is very isolated. My own AP told me I was "on an island" in my health office. We simply do not have anyone else to hear our vents. "Letting it all out" is necessary for mental health and something that's very difficult to do when you are the only medical professional in a building . If you've never ranted, complained about anyone or anything this far in life then I better light a candle and call the pope because you must be a GD saint.
For what it's worth, before I worked in a school I thought it would be cake. I was very wrong. School nursing is one of the most demanding and lonely jobs I've ever had. My point being, it's very easy for you to accuse the OP of whining because I can say with confidence that you truly have no idea what you're talking about.
Normally I'd agree with you but the amount of whining in this thread by professionals who are supposed to care for and protect the some of the most vulnerable of our population, calling children who are 5, 6 or 7 years old "entitled" or "snowflakes."
Sorry but that frankly boggles my mind.
You're a student. You don't know what you don't know. Good luck!!!
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pedi_nurse
247 Posts
I'm a school nurse AND a mom of a girl who I fear is bound to be a FF. Fortunately she's 4 and hasn't discovered that she can go see the school nurse yet. That and her teachers are great about brushing off bumps and bruises with, "you'll be okay." At home, it's always been easy just to let her get an ice pack from the fridge and keep on moving, but I've recently realized I need to help her learn how to deal with discomfort.
Anyway, one of my favorite things about being a middle school nurse is being able to tell kids (kindly) to "tough it out." But man... I once had a 6th grader with a small cut in the gum who thought I could give him a bandaid or something for it. Doesn't beat the poopy pants vs spider dilemma, but still... smh.