Faking sick

Cattz, ADN · Sep 2, 2022

Honestly, I just usually say what needs to be said- then when they look at me for a different answer to come. I use "therapeutic silence" and they usually get the hint and go back to class.

If it becomes chronic- I have a conversation with the parent/guardian- suggesting a medical eval to make sure there isn't a medical problem as the cause.

Good luck!

a.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2022

I give h2o and allow to rest. If no repeat vomiting, they go back to class.

beachynurse, ASN, BSN · Sep 8, 2022

sigh, I wish I could just send them back to class. My kids are extremely entitled. They request to call their parents, and we are not allowed to deny the call. They tell the parents what they feel is wrong, then I go over my assessment with the parent and tell them that I have no problem sending them back to class. 9 times out of 10 the parent will tell me that since the student doesn't feel well that they can go home.. I value education, and I never let either of my kids get away with something like that. I just don't understand it...

k1p1ssk, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2022

20 hours ago, beachynurse said:

sigh, I wish I could just send them back to class. My kids are extremely entitled. They request to call their parents, and we are not allowed to deny the call. They tell the parents what they feel is wrong, then I go over my assessment with the parent and tell them that I have no problem sending them back to class. 9 times out of 10 the parent will tell me that since the student doesn't feel well that they can go home.. I value education, and I never let either of my kids get away with something like that. I just don't understand it...

This is too bad; I wonder if policy-wise, you could explore if there is a way to distinguish between excused dismissals and unexcused; Excused being nurse dismissal, medical appointments, funerals, really anything that would be an excused absence and unexcused being parent/child decision, essentially anything without RN input or documented necessity? Then when you call, explain that you have no medical reason to exclude them, when the parent says no, they can go home, add in "OK, but since I am not dismissing them, this will be an unexcused dismissal". Part of the policy could be that the unexcused dismissal stands unless the kiddo ends up with an excluding symptom. Because how many show up at school the next day?

Especially at the MS/HS level, I imagine this is a big problem across the board.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Sep 12, 2022

My favorite line for HS kids is that I cant help them with #BigFootvomit...

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2022

On 9/12/2022 at 11:46 AM, NutmeggeRN said:

My favorite line for HS kids is that I cant help them with #BigFootvomit...

This.

But also, water, sit for 5-10 minutes. If it is real, often that water will come right back up or they will look like it will. Same for diarrhea - if it is that real and gross frequent diarrhea they won't typically last 10 minutes without needing to use the restroom.

But 9/10 times, they are just wanting to chat away. But I don't engage and do other work so they experience true boredom.

Helps we also implemented Yondr pouches this year, so their cell phone is locked up in one when they arrive and they can't even play with while in my office anymore.

(And if they somehow do get their phone out and call/text home and someone shows up to pick them up, I rat them out that I never called home and the Dean handles it.)

Cattz, ADN · Sep 16, 2022

19 hours ago, JenTheSchoolRN said:

But 9/10 times, they are just wanting to chat away. But I don't engage and do other work so they experience true boredom.

Heehee-- I call this "boredom therapy" - it's usually pretty effective.

Happy Friday Friends

jonnysangel777, LPN, LVN · Oct 13, 2022

I work at a school providing Diabetic management for a middle schooler. I work in the same office as the health aide. Students come in all day c/o HA, stomachache, N/V, and "I don't feel good", and the heath aide will ask them what they want to do about it gives them the option to, go home, or rest for a less than 10 min then go back to class, even though I had previously seen them not displaying any s/sx of not feeling well (hanging out and laughing with their friends). Many students at the middle school I am at have horrible attendance and there are a lot of the same students who just don't want to be in school. And instead of getting counseled by a counselor they are coming to the health office and going home. It's a revolving door of students who just don't want to be in school. I think the pandemic has played a big role in student absences.

raebabelvn, LVN · Oct 20, 2022

I work with K-5, so its a little different here. I will often ask them what this throw up looks like, and they give me all kinds of weird descriptions. There are some students that never complain, and I know its legit... but any vomit that is not witnessed or seen by an adult "doesn't count". 90% of the time, kids with the bigfoot vomit (I've started using this term!) keep water and crackers down and head back to class.

My FAVORITE thing to ask my students is "What does that mean to you?". I use this for just about everything - being dizzy, light headed, diarrhea, etc. The majority of the time, the student has no idea what it actually means and gives me another definition. For example, I'll ask the student what dizzy means to them, and they'll respond with "my eyes are tired". As for diarrhea, I'll ask what that term means, sometimes I get the correct response. If I do get the correct response, and it's a frequent flyer, I'll tell them to come use my bathroom the next time they need to so I can see what their poop looks like. I have yet to have a student do this.

RatherBHiking, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2022

When I was in the high school, 99% of the students came in for that and most of the time it was to go home. I'd check their temp and make them drink water (and eat crackers if they wanted) and rest for about a half hour and see if anything happened. If not they'd go back to class. I told the staff all vomit needs an adult witness to be excused. If it was a straight A student who looked like death and hadn't missed all year they'd get the benefit of the doubt. If a student was coming in every few weeks for that I'd say it's not normal to be sick so often so I think I need to talk to your parent about a Dr visit to see what's going on. Many times that stopped them or we found out they had an ulcer or something. Also, if I didn't excuse them but they insisted their parent pick them up or had called them to it wasn't an excused absence by the nurse. Then if their attendance became an issue then that's up to the administration to deal with. Just remember, you can't make them all stay if their parents want to come and get their child that you know for sure is perfectly fine. Just chart it, report it to the principal and move on. Once many learn they can't use you to go home they stop trying anyway.

beachynurse, ASN, BSN · Oct 31, 2022

On 9/15/2022 at 3:45 PM, JenTheSchoolRN said:

This.

But also, water, sit for 5-10 minutes. If it is real, often that water will come right back up or they will look like it will. Same for diarrhea - if it is that real and gross frequent diarrhea they won't typically last 10 minutes without needing to use the restroom.

But 9/10 times, they are just wanting to chat away. But I don't engage and do other work so they experience true boredom.

Helps we also implemented Yondr pouches this year, so their cell phone is locked up in one when they arrive and they can't even play with while in my office anymore.

(And if they somehow do get their phone out and call/text home and someone shows up to pick them up, I rat them out that I never called home and the Dean handles it.)

I am interested in what a Yondr pouch is??