Fake Illness

mustlovepoodles, RN · Nov 21, 2008

I was talking about the ones I send home 4-5 X/month, not kids I never see. I always call if I have to ask your name because I've never seen you. My problem is with the one's who have been taken to the Magestrate for truancy and told the only way they can have a legal absence is if the nurse sends them home, and that's what they tell me when they walk in my office.

Yup, I know just the ones you mean:banghead:. In my school going home on advice of the nurse gives them no protection under the law. If the student or parent has been reprimanded by the court for truancy they must have a doctor's letter as proof of illness. Of course, that goes both ways too. I have very narrow guidelines for when a student must go home. If the fever is under 101, they've only vomited once and I don't find nits the child can stay if the parent so chooses, no matter what I think. :no:

pattylpn54, LPN · Nov 22, 2008

i'm totally on board with "luvschoolnursing". i too work at a high school. 9 out of 10 only come to the clinic to inform you that they're going home and parent is on the way. the clinic is just their waiting room -- you've been totally left out of the loop. they've already texted or phoned from the bathroom, the parent & told them how sick they are & had them come to get them. meantime while they're waiting for their parental taxi, they socialize with every other student that enters the clinic while they're waiting! or the parent just shows up wanting to know where "mary" is, because she called & said she was so sick she needed to go home -- yet "mary" never once came to the clinic. so now we can try to hunt dying "mary" down(dressed out in pe!!) so she can be sent to the clinic, while mom fumes at us because she has to wait!!! :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :madface: :bugeyes:

i have on numerous occasions, notified the administration that the school truly could save on their budget by just eliminating the clinic all together, since that seems to be what most of the students are doing!!!

nothing ever changes except the day!!!

SchoolNurseBSN · Dec 8, 2008

I was talking about the ones I send home 4-5 X/month, not kids I never see. I always call if I have to ask your name because I've never seen you. My problem is with the one's who have been taken to the Magestrate for truancy and told the only way they can have a legal absence is if the nurse sends them home, and that's what they tell me when they walk in my office.

Story of my life. I work for a large urban district. 70% of my kids have truancy issues. These kids better be dying for me to send them home.

I have had parents show up because the kiddo used their phones to call mom that they were sick. I tell them I do not sign my name to anything without doing a formal assessment. Then, if they do not meet the criteria to go home - I tell them they can check out through the attendance office. My job is to keep kids in school as much as possible - not send them home on a whim!!

I have thought about taking the kids phone up when I call them down. It is against school policy to use them during school hours and it costs the parents $15 to get it back - nip it in the ole bud!!!

SunshineBaby · Dec 14, 2008

I agree with schoolnurseBSN. Now, my kids are elementary (PK-5) so they do not have phones so I don't have that problem. I disagree with the thought that the school nurse should call every child's parent who comes in the clinic. I would be on the phone all day if that were the case. I'm paid to assess the child and determine whether they can stay in school. I teach my kids about responsibility and that sometimes even when you don't feel 100% you have to get through the day. Now, if the child is crying or obviously under the weather I will call. But I do not let fear of parental wrath run my clinic :twocents:

kimbernurse · Dec 20, 2008

I love the mass histeria that is so contagious when one student vomits/get sick. It seems that the rest of the class has sympathy pains or something (especially when little Johnny goes back to the class room to retrieve his bookbag and tells everyone else the nurse is sending him home). I hate feeling like I am an excuse to these kids to get out of class.

This very real fact was evident today. It was the last day before winter break (a half day). I saw only 5 kids from 8am to 11am. I normally average about 30-40 kids a day. Its amazing how preoccupation will keep kids out of the health room. I didn't know what to do with myself!! I actually had time to do IHPs and prep for screenings!

I do love my job, despite the frustration that some of these frequent fliers bring from time to time. I can't help but giggle sometimes....a child's stomach hurt soooooooo bad and he was "vomiting" (per his report) but was observed scarfing down a small bag of mini M&M's he pulled out of his pocket. Back to class you go my dear. HEHEHE.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Mar 16, 2009

I don't send kids home unless they have an elevated temp. N/V, diarrhea, or some type of serious injury.

I don't like the parents that tell the children "Go to the health room if you don't feel well and I'll pick you up" Uh duh, ofcourse if you tell your child this they will come feeling sick or not, you already gave them a freebie on that one !

rn/writer, RN · Mar 16, 2009

Man, I admire the job you guys do. So many kids today have been raised to be self-centered little me-machines because Mommy and Daddy refuse to set limits. I'd like to sic Supernanny on a bunch of them.

That said, I'd just like to share with you that I know of several kids who used the health room as a safe haven or a respite when they were having problems with bullying. The s/s of this kind of harrassment can be so subtle as to render kids helpless victims. Unless the school has implemented a good training and intervention program, teachers are often unable to recognize or get involved in ways that don't make the bullying worse.

It might be good to ask frequent flyers if there are any kids or situations that make them feel unsafe.

I'll bet most of the kids just need some healthy limitations (or a telepathic slap upside the head--the parents, too), but there could be at least a few who need to know someone is looking out for them and will maybe help them figure out how to tell the powers that be that they need help.