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....
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.
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?"
My go to line for this is "Oh it just started? That's good news! Usually a [headache, stomach ache, ect] that comes on quickly tends to leave quickly as well. One that wants to stick around for a while takes its time announcing itself"
this way of thinking has already invaded patient thinking, not only the young enns...but the older ones too. Oh my goodness the stuff she has to put up with and do, all in the name of "customer service".
Absolutely! At my part time job I work with mostly medicare patients but some in the 50s crowd and the sense of entitlement is NOT only for the youngsters!
I'm a little traumatized by the thought of that as well. Hold me?
On the flip side for you, as a middle schooler, I went to the school nurse and told her I'd been hit in the left middle finger with a kicked soccer ball that pushed my fingers back. On exam, the tip of my middle finger was pushed towards my ring finger slightly with a slight posterior bend, and I was in pain. The nurse told me I was fine cause I could bend my fingers (except that distal tip), my finger probably always looked like that, sent me back to class, never called my mom. My mom is a nurse, and we grew up in the "unless you are severely ill, bleeding, or unconscious, we aren't going to the hospital" type of family. When I got home, she looked at it, we had an xray done - it was fractured in two places. I walked around with my fingers splinted for 4 weeks. Darned if you do, and sometimes darned if you don't.
*Gasps and shrieks spread through the crowd as they look at each other in disbelief*
I was in a meeting with a teacher, kid came to the glass window and tapped. He wasn't puking or bleeding or blue, so I held my finger up (not that finger) for him to wait.
Five minutes later I came out and he was sitting in the office swinging his legs. He fell -on the soft carpet- on his knees. Wasn't a single bit of redness. I felt for abnormalities and sent him on his merry way.
*Gasps and shrieks spread through the crowd as they look at each other in disbelief*
I was in a meeting with a teacher, kid came to the glass window and tapped. He wasn't puking or bleeding or blue, so I held my finger up (not that finger) for him to wait.
Five minutes later I came out and he was sitting in the office swinging his legs. He fell -on the soft carpet- on his knees. Wasn't a single bit of redness. I felt for abnormalities and sent him on his merry way.
On the flip side for you, as a middle schooler, I went to the school nurse and told her I'd been hit in the left middle finger with a kicked soccer ball that pushed my fingers back. On exam, the tip of my middle finger was pushed towards my ring finger slightly with a slight posterior bend, and I was in pain. The nurse told me I was fine cause I could bend my fingers (except that distal tip), my finger probably always looked like that, sent me back to class, never called my mom. My mom is a nurse, and we grew up in the "unless you are severely ill, bleeding, or unconscious, we aren't going to the hospital" type of family. When I got home, she looked at it, we had an xray done - it was fractured in two places. I walked around with my fingers splinted for 4 weeks. Darned if you do, and sometimes darned if you don't.
I HATE when that happens, and it does. THe throat that looks A-OK, full of strep. The general tummy ache that turns into an appendectomy by 6 PM etc.
*Gasps and shrieks spread through the crowd as they look at each other in disbelief*
I was in a meeting with a teacher, kid came to the glass window and tapped. He wasn't puking or bleeding or blue, so I held my finger up (not that finger) for him to wait.
Five minutes later I came out and he was sitting in the office swinging his legs. He fell -on the soft carpet- on his knees. Wasn't a single bit of redness. I felt for abnormalities and sent him on his merry way.
Sans ice pack. :)
I don't have a window, but when I am in my office in a meeting (for which I have hung up a sign about only knock if emergency and what IS an emergency is listed), I get a knock at the door. It goes like this:
::knock, knock::
Me: I am in a meeting, please read the sign.
::knock, knock::
Me: Are you dying per the sign?
Beat.
Student: (reluctantly): No...
Me: Well, back to class, come back when the office is open. Thank you!
NurseKitKat
63 Posts
Goodness! He's knocked his brain loose!