Excused or Unexcused absence

[littleINlpn]

It may differ from state to state but I was told from another nurse that if a student goes home ill from school they are counted excused. Do any of you count them excused also? I had a mother upset because we have a 24 hour policy (no vomit, fever, etc) and she thinks that should be counted excused too.

*Edit: Our front office says that it should not be counted excused for the following day because the student should have some days allowed to miss. And if they miss more than 1 day they should see a dr. (This student misses quite a bit of days not related to sickness)

[Farawyn]

Yes, and I agree, it should count as excused if that is your policy.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

if i send them home, the next day is excused.

[RatherBHiking, BSN, RN]

If I send them home they are considered excused that day. If it's due to fever, vomiting, diarrhea then they are also excused the next day.

[Jolie, BSN]

If a child is sent home, and then must miss the next day due to a district infection control policy, then both days should be excused.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like the administrative office wishes to punish this child for excessive non-health related absences. If that is the case, then they need to apply district-wide absence policies, not make up rules for this child only.

I have never heard of requiring a medical excuse for a single day absence, and to do so for a select student only sounds discriminatory. It is expensive, burdensome, and doesn't address excessive non-medical absenteeism in any way.

[AdobeRN]

If I send them home they are considered excused that day. If it's due to fever, vomiting, diarrhea then they are also excused the next day.

Same here. It gets alittle crazy when the kids start racking up the absences/tardies/leave earlies - in our district these are weighted as the same "occurance" and will get sent to truancy court after a certain number - then these things are only excused with doctors notes or by me (which I hate).

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

For me, it is unexcused even when I dismiss them - which can be annoying for parents! I mean, your vomiting child can't be in school but 9 times out of 10 you do not need to take that vomiting child to the doctor (to pick up more germs) to get a note for what is often a day or two bug. I am trying to fix this...

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

In my state only religious observations are excused. Others are truant vs non truant. (For truancy court)

Non truant--nurse dismissal, physician/provider note accepted by nurse (some try to get non clinical providers to sign off. No go here), certain parent notes (24hrs post fever, n/v/d, etc), funerals for family (same as employer -mother father sibling grandparent aunt uncle first cousin, other relatives at discretion )

Count towards truant- family trips, parent notes for "mental health day", no note

[Eleven011]

In our school, any absence is excused if a parent calls them in ill. Doesn't matter if vomiting, fever, headache or hangnail - if the parent says they are sick, it is an excused absence. I need parent permission to send kids home, so obviously those are excused also. Family trips, funerals, etc. are also excused. The only time its unexcused is if no parent calls, or just outright says they just didn't want to come. However we do have a group of staff that review absences and when a student gets a certain number (10 I think) for no matter what reason, they are reviewed to see if there's a problem.

[Heather Rice]

There is a 10 day limit for absence before legal action is taken against the parent. The 2 day rule and 10 day limit places parents in a controversial position. At day 8 my sick child WILL go to school and unless it's an emergency I will refuse to take my child home. Which is an absence counted against the parent. So if you do the right thing keep your kid home 2 days call off they are counted toward the 10 days. If you get a Dr note it's counted toward the 10 days. If the nurse calls and has you pick them up you child is counted absent toward the 10 days. Let's be real in the old days when kids hung out spreading their plagues over school breaks isn't happening today due to obsession with phones kids are isolated. So, the sickness is so much more abundant when they return. So at 8th to 9th day I no longer care about the health of others and even if my child has ebola guess what. They go to school and stay in the nurses office. She is a qualified medical professional and can babysit them in their flu, cold, stomache flu etc.   I will sign permission for fever reducers and diahrea meds. The law can not place a limit and contribute to that limit then place a consequence if the parent refuses to come get the child. I would file litigation immediately the second they call the police or cps for refusing to come get my child. 

[seedanurse]

Your district doesn't have an attendance policy? That seems odd.

We have a few attendance codes, including excused (anytime a parent notifies us a student will be absent), unexcused (absent w no communication), medical (doctors note or if the student is sent home from the health office including any days I ask them to remain at home for fever, vomiting, contagious process). After a certain number of non-medically excused absences letters are sent home re truancy. 

It seems unreasonable to expect parents to keep their sick students home if they are not then excused. And going to the doctor for every little thing is a waste of time and resources and disproportionally impacts lower income families. 

 

[beachynurse, ASN, BSN]

If I send a student home, the day I send them home is excused. If they are out the following day, the parent writes a note that the student is still ill and they are excused that way.