Entitlement - Are We Making The Problem Worse?

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

In regards to the sense of entitlement that these kids have nowadays.

*shakes my granny fist*

For example, the kid that came up that hurt his ankle a few days ago, wasn't wearing his splint, played in PE and now it was hurting. He wants an ice pack.

I wanted to say, "No, you did this days ago, YOU did not wear your splint, and YOU decided to play in PE knowing it would make it hurt worse."

But instead I gave him an ice pack. If I don't sometimes the teacher sends them back or I am afraid of the sue happy parents in this world. "Why didn't you give my snowflake an ice pack for their non-existent injury!!!???"

A girl came in and said her hand was on the ground and the basketball hit it. Not jammed the fingers, but rolled over and hit it. She wants an ice pack.

I wanted to say, "No, shake it off, rub some dirt on it."

But instead I gave her an ice pack.

I feel like this is a placebo effect more than anything, and they'll be satisfied with the little bit of ice. But then it makes me wonder why can't we tell these kids, who have NO redness/swelling/bruising, normal ROM, that they will be okay without an icepack? They always refuse amputation when I offer, so....

[zombieghoast]

That's whats been happening over here too. Everyone wants an ice pack. Had a kid who said he needed an ice pack because a ball hit him on the head and now he's got popping noises in his head.

[Cattz, ADN]

Most of the time, I do not give them ice when my assessment indicates they don't need it. I document my findings and they go back to class. I do believe that doing so re-enforces the entitlement, wimpy, poor snowflake thinking.

I can be and I certainly am as soft as a marshmallow when I need to be, but, seriously, we are trying to get them ready for the real world that they will eventually be in. "Rub some dirt on it, and get back in the game." I pretty well have raised my own kids like that, they are doing great.

One of my secretaries has allowed me into her "NoPityBitty Club" (that's only when I need to be)

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

I think I just need to grow a pair...

But with admin having us fill out accident reports on EVERYTHING I feel its just conflict waiting to happen.

I hate giving ice for something that truly does not warrant it. I feel I am not doing my job as a nurse. Not assessing and treating appropriately as I was taught and trained to do.

[Cattz, ADN]

It is a slow process. But, you are the one that is medically trained. Who fills out the accident reports, just curious?

[zombieghoast]

Most of the time, I do not give them ice when my assessment indicates they don't need it. I document my findings and they go back to class. I do believe that doing so re-enforces the entitlement, wimpy, poor snowflake thinking.

I can be and I certainly am as soft as a marshmallow when I need to be, but, seriously, we are trying to get them ready for the real world that they will eventually be in. "Rub some dirt on it, and get back in the game." I pretty well have raised my own kids like that, they are doing great.

One of my secretaries has allowed me into her "NoPityBitty Club" (that's only when I need to be)

I genuinely miss this one student who use to go to my school. She was a tough kid and never complained of anything. She came in with a goose egg knot on her forehead because she ran into playground equipment. After icing it for a minute she said it didn't hurt anymore and put the ice pack away herself and went back to class.

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

It is a slow process. But, you are the one that is medically trained. Who fills out the accident reports, just curious?

I was at the beginning of the year. I spoke with my boss about my concerns of "kid says this happened, teacher says this happened..." and she had me put a stop to me filling them out. I only chart my assessment on the report.

I have noticed, though, that if I don't give an ice pack, the teacher will put on there "student saw nurse, ice pack given" anyway. It's quite frustrating.

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

My little brother came up last week because he got tapped on the nose with a basketball.

I looked at it and said "you're fine, suck it up!" And sent him on his way. I told the teacher not to fill out a report on him.

Wouldn't it be nice if I could say that to the others...

[Cattz, ADN]

I would think the admin. would want to make sure that the teacher doesn't write something on the accident report that isn't factual. You can't help that. Document your assessment and what you did and move on. The admin. needs to address it. I would probably call it to the teacher's attention, though. Gee...I feel your pain.

[SnowyJ, RN]

What gets me are the kids who play sports, would never DREAM of asking for ice if they are hit by a basketball, hockey stick etc. outside of school, (even when they should,) come to me for every little bump. They are indignant if I decide something isn't "ice worthy." More often than not, I just cave. Need to toughen up on that one.

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

I think our admin is so worried about a lawsuit that she would say "Just give the ice pack...it's only ice!"

Apparently years ago before there was a nurse here (I'm the first :)) a kid fell off the slide and ended up with a splenic laceration. But parents were never notified of an injury. So now every little scrape gets an accident report. I have a 5 inch binder completely filled and am working on the second one.

[OldDude]

I would say we are making the problem worse but we "alone" can't fix it and we are not going to get any support if we try. It's worrisome to me how a lot of kids today seem to be so delicate and sensitive. Regardless, you will be the bad guy if you don't "do something" for the kid's complaint of injury; according to staff and/or parent. It's easier for me to hand out an ice-pack than defend and justify myself later to an irrational parent after the fact, especially if the parent was told by the kid's teacher, "the nurse didn't do anything about it."