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....
I had a student sent in from recess by a teacher to get an ice pack. The student reported she got hit in the head with a ball. I asked her what she was doing when that happened. She told me she was playing dodge ball! I told her she needed to get better at the game and sent her back. The teacher sent her in again so I gave her an ice pack. It's not my money.
I had a student sent in from recess by a teacher to get an ice pack. The student reported she got hit in the head with a ball. I asked her what she was doing when that happened. She told me she was playing dodge ball! I told her she needed to get better at the game and sent her back. The teacher sent her in again so I gave her an ice pack. It's not my money.
I think this is part of the issue - there are teachers that don't think students can experience discomfort. Guess what happens when you "teach" kids that we have the magic cure to pain right here in school?? I put the kibosh on my evaluating injuries that happened outside of school. I still get them but I used to have kids coming in on Tuesday to tell me about injuries from the previous Saturday.
Today I had a student whose legs were sore from the 1st day of softball. You could tell she was achy. Teacher wrote me a nice note explaining she was really in pain; student arrived 10 minutes after homeroom started. First of all - this was not emergency. She just walked in. Apparently her parents thought she was okay to come to school. Second of all - what magic cure do I have for sore muscles? It's called CHILDHOOD! Revel in it!!! I called mom who told me to send her right back to class. Love that mom!
I do my best to avoid ice packs if they really don't need it . . . . . but if they are insistent, it means they will be back, so I give the ice pack, chart my assessment, and include "no treatment need, ice pack given for emotional comfort." Keeps the kid happy, but I've acknowledged they didn't need it for medical reasons.
I had a student sent in from recess by a teacher to get an ice pack. The student reported she got hit in the head with a ball. I asked her what she was doing when that happened. She told me she was playing dodge ball! I told her she needed to get better at the game and sent her back. The teacher sent her in again so I gave her an ice pack. It's not my money.
Suggest she watch the movie Dodgeball, A true Underdog Story. There are a lot of good training tips in there. "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."
Specializes in Telemetry, Gastroenterology, School Nrs.
Suggest she watch the movie Dodgeball, A true Underdog Story. There are a lot of good training tips in there. "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."
I have one in here as we speak. Needs an ice pack because her hair got pulled accidentally during PE. I mean, really??? C'mon now.
The way our society is heading is very scary. What next? Place these kids in a bubble? Send them to schools that take no attendance and do not give grades because it might hurt one of their feelings?
If you never feel defeat, pain, sadness - how can you ever feel happiness and contentment?
I have one in here as we speak. Needs an ice pack because her hair got pulled accidentally during PE. I mean, really??? C'mon now.
The way our society is heading is very scary. What next? Place these kids in a bubble? Send them to schools that take no attendance and do not give grades because it might hurt one of their feelings?
If you never feel defeat, pain, sadness - how can you ever feel happiness and contentment?
Look at my profile with the Teddy Roosevelt quote. It is not there by accident.
ETA: Actually, here> I love this:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Specializes in Peds, MS, DIDD, Corrections, HH, LTC, School Nurse.
I certainly agree with you guys! Seems bandaids and ice cures all ailments. My rhetorical question is why do the teachers send kids to the nurse for everything, such as a "injury" the child says he got 2 weeks ago or a barely visible scratch? Many of the teachers where I work have children of their own, have been teaching for years or even write on the med pass that they don't think it's anything. Also don't you love the one that send kid to nurse with "just give bandaid/ice pack". I feel like replying "just teach the kid to read and write".
I just stumbled upon this forum today and it is so nice to hear others say what I have been thinking. I agree that kids today are extra sensitive and needy, but what drives me crazy are the teachers that send the kids with a note telling me what they have decided the diagnosis is and a command to call mom and send them home. I don't tell them how to do their job, why does everyone think they are nurses? Not to mention the ridiculousness they send the kids down to my office for. Yesterday I had a teacher decide that a girl needed to come see me because her hair clip got out of place and it needed to be taken out and her hair fixed. REALLY??? You really think that is a problem that demands immediate attention by the nurse? Does anyone else have issues like this at their school?
MrNurse(x2), ADN
2,558 Posts
Love this blog, thanks for sharing.