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....
Taking a moment to bask in the sanity of the School Nurse forum after venturing into General Nursing territory and finding scary posters.
Seriously, I have considered looking into school nurse subbing, but you all deal with some serious craziness. But I can also see the lure of it - the great stories and interactions with the students, the pride at seeing them excel and learn.
Lately, I have often thought these kids don't know how to deal with any adversity in their lives. They think stomach ache / headache means it's an automatic ticket to home...no it is going to happen in life and you have to learn to deal with it. I have stopped giving ice packs for everything, I only give them if there is swelling present. I am lucky that most of my teachers support my decision (I think). My teachers send them to the clinic for assessment just to make sure nothing is wrong.
It does mean an automatic ticket home on my school. If they don't like what I say they call Mom or Dad on their cell phones and these parents drop everything to pick them up.
Yeah I remember when I was a kid. I used to get bruised up, scraped up, banged up and still keep going. It came along with being an active, fearless competitive kid. No ice packs, lol. No nurse contact for the fear of being restricted from my daily before school game of wall ball ( the booties version).
Yes. No ice pack for you if your symptoms don't call for it. Get back out there and come back with a real injury!
Where I filled in as a school nurse, we used sponges wrapped in a baggie and put them in the freezer. They weren't as messy as ice in a bag. And you don't have to mess with ice and putting it in the baggie, just wet the sponge and it's ready for the next boo boo !
This and the pix from PP Nurse Leigh made me think that maybe these kids see your icepacks as some 'badge of honor' or 'trophy' to be proudly displayed for all to see. Makes kiddos feel all self-important and worthy of 'special treatment'.
I'm guessing that many of you use those commercial quicksnap chill icepacks. Maybe you just need to give them a small zip lock baggie with 4 measly-old ice cubes and a paper towel. Nothing fancy schmancy and thus nothing to 'showoff' like a 'medal'.
Also, you wouldn't be spending much for inventory/budget and having to retrieve them.
This and the pix from PP Nurse Leigh made me think that maybe these kids see your icepacks as some 'badge of honor' or 'trophy' to be proudly displayed for all to see. Makes kiddos feel all self-important and worthy of 'special treatment'.
I'm guessing that many of you use those commercial quicksnap chill icepacks. Maybe you just need to give them a small zip lock baggie with 4 measly-old ice cubes and a paper towel. Nothing fancy schmancy and thus nothing to 'showoff' like a 'medal'.
Also, you wouldn't be spending much for inventory/budget and having to retrieve them.
Just thinking ...
I wish I could, but I have no ice maker in my office - just a tiny fridge with a tiny freezer that can hold very, very little.
I use sponges and homemade ice packs made out of baggies and dish soap after I get through the supply of reusuable ice packs I can order at the beginning of the year (usually last until March). I get less requests when the homemade ice packs come out. I may just go straight to the homemade ones next year.
i sort of go back and forth on the ice pack thing. On one hand, it tends to be quick, easy and i keep them in a freezer that all of the kids can reach. So i never have to hear "the nurse did nothing". But there are so many times that the student comes in and you know that it's nothing (i banged my arm on the desk, i got bumped by the ball, etc.) Sometimes i'll ask them directly if they would stop playing if they got bumped by the ball if they were playing at home - they almost always say yes, to which, i just give that "look" that tells them you've got to be kidding me!!. Sometimes I just look at the supposed area of injury, tell them it looks fine and tell them i'll make a note of it. Sometimes that's enough, sometimes they insist on ice - i'll tell them, fine and them try to stifle my amusement when it takes me less time to chart the process than the amount of time they need to ice it.
I find they seem to outgrow this by about 5th or 6th grade.
i sort of go back and forth on the ice pack thing. On one hand, it tends to be quick, easy and i keep them in a freezer that all of the kids can reach. So i never have to hear "the nurse did nothing". But there are so many times that the student comes in and you know that it's nothing (i banged my arm on the desk, i got bumped by the ball, etc.) Sometimes i'll ask them directly if they would stop playing if they got bumped by the ball if they were playing at home - they almost always say yes, to which, i just give that "look" that tells them you've got to be kidding me!!. Sometimes I just look at the supposed area of injury, tell them it looks fine and tell them i'll make a note of it. Sometimes that's enough, sometimes they insist on ice - i'll tell them, fine and them try to stifle my amusement when it takes me less time to chart the process than the amount of time they need to ice it.
I find they seem to outgrow this by about 5th or 6th grade.
I never give an ice pack without looking at the area of injury. When some kids realize this means they need to take their socks and shoes off, they are over it and back to class they go!
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
Somewhere along the way, these kids were taught that anything less than 100% pain-free or less than 100% healthy is unacceptable and that there is ALWAYS an instant fix for everything.
I said this identical statement to my fiance (I still love saying that word) the other day! It drives me crazy when a kid comes in with some idiopathic pain or complaint and when I ask when it starts, the answer is "Just now" or "Five minutes ago." It drives me bananas. I sometimes say something like "Well if it just started now it might go away on it's own why don't you head back to class and see if it gets better?" 9/10 times I don't see them again. These kids need to learn that an instant of discomfort is not the end of the world does does it NEED to be "fixed" right away.
I sometimes wish the teachers would take initiative and when a kid asks to come for something ridiculous, encourage them to wait and see if it gets better.
I shudder to think about what this generation will be like when they are older and requiring hospitalizations. Can you imagine the call bell action if this behavior keeps up? Ugh.
i always think to myself that these kids (if they even work) will blow through ALL their sick time by mid January! Slightest twinge of illness and they will bang out sick!
I have an ice machine, that's why I'm so easy with it.
Tomato and Flare, yes.
I do believe there is an increase in true anxiety, depression, what have you. Hell, adults have it, its a stressful world.
That being said, the kids seem more fragile today. I'm hoping I don't sound like an old fart. I don't believe in suck it up all the time, sometimes you just can't, nor should you. There are suck it up times, though.
I don't always find the balance between suck it up and comforting.
rbytsdy
350 Posts
Try it....You might like it.