I started in April as a new school nurse coming from L&D and Mother/Baby.. So I did two months, had the summer off, and just started back in August. I am having a hard time of it. I really miss the other nurses and I feel no one in the school has any respect for what I do.
One thing I wanted to do this year was institute nurse passes- students must bring in passes that I designed when they come in. I know its only 2 weeks into the year, but no one is doing them despite constant reminding. I am going to start sending kids back to class to get the passes.
In the spring, I was amazed how many parents called the school complaining because I didnt call them to say their precious baby had a skinned knee. I call only if its an injury or illness they need to watch out for, not a simple abrasion to the knee that only needed one little bandaid. I find that incredibly frustrating. Are we expected to call 50-60 parents a day?? This is part of the reason I instituted the nurse passes, so they can go home at the end of the day and parents can have that communication from me. And its already starting this year, a parent called because I didnt tell them their daughter had a scratch under her eye, She didnt even come to me for that (scratch on elbow) and I looked in her eyes, they were fine. I guess I need a thicker skin.
The hours are wonderful, my daughter just started kindergarten there so we drive to school in the morning together, and come home in the afternoon- have holidays and weekends off... I cant see going back to the hospital now because I couldnt see dropping her off at school (daycare) at 630am...
I guess I am just feeling alone.. no one else in the school knows what we do and I dont think they really care. I felt much more important and respected as an L&D RN. Any advice?
How about a newsletter to parents including info. on what students should stay home/be sent home for? If you educate the parents, perhaps you can get them on your side and when you do call home, because admin expects you to, etc., THEY will tell their kid to stay in school. I also tell parents that while the ultimate decision is of course theirs, i see no reason MEDICALLY to send their child home. Also, especially if you work in a high school setting getting the attendance office on your side is a good idea for the kids who ask to go home constantly.
I too missed my nurse co-workers on peds my first year of school nursing. I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I had 3 middle schools : one predominantly black, one predominantly poor white and one predominantly Hispanic. To top off my first year I got layed off at the end of it!!
I got a job in another school district which has a horrible student/nurse ratio. Despite the conditions, I've been here 18 years. One year I had 10 elementary schools. This year I have 5 elementary schools and one middle school. I think I have about 6,000 students.
I get more respect in the educational setting than I ever did in the hospital where I felt like a slave. I have more time to educate myself and hence know a lot more now than I did when working in the hospital.
Overall, I enjoy my job and would not consider going back to the hospital (too stressful). And, folks, I eat lunch and pee every day.
I am a clinic room aide as well as an LPN. As an assistant in the school I am not to say or use my license as a nurse but I am really practicing under health department county guidelines as an assistant with a public health nurse supervising. The nurse has several schools she oversees and makes her rounds daily and is there for all of her assistants via pager as needed, and during visits to the school. I have the BEST PHN! SHe is really helping me to grow in many ways as this is my first "real" job with any responsibility; I have been a stay home "Mom" for close to 16 years, with very limited experience in the work force with most of my time spent taking classes and caring for my family.
The truth is, I want to like my job as a clinic assistant, but I get really worn out and frustrated by the misuse of the clinic, the "demands" of some teachers and instructional aids, as well as the questioning of my judgement! I have been put in positions very aggressively by other teachers/TA's to the point where I second guess myself when I should not be!!! I get really down about that alot. I felt very unappreciated the first couple months of working and people just seemed to want to challenge me on everything! It is even more frustrating when you have a nursing education, and I'm really not supposed to make that known, and so most of the time people think you are just sitting in there as a bonehead layperson with no experience! Whether one has a nursing background/ EMT background, or nothing at all, our country really trains our CRA's well and we are offered a great program! The disrespect to the clinic aids is so terrible sometimes, I mean, it is as if~ no matter what, the teacher thinks they need to go home for everything! I have even had teachers/IA's bring kids down, drop them off with backpacks, demand that I call the parents because they think the kid needs to go home. One IA refused to leave the clinic until she "heard" me call!
I think I need to definitely toughen up or this will wear on me. These people will walk all over you if you do not stand your ground early one. I turned the issues with the challenging kindergarten staff over to my Prinicpal who even agreed that the friction I was recieveing was inappropriate.
I hope this helps let Public Health RN's/School Nurses/ and LPN's or CRA's to know to stand your ground early on and do not let the staff break you! Be confident in your abilities! Your calls will not be 100% all of the time, but most of the school issues are quite minor and get blown out of proportion very easily.
I am sure there are problems in all lines of work with people not getting along with others and creating a hostile environment. In schools, there are some educators who are persistently negatively, and some schools where the culture is one of aggression and back biting among the faculty and staff. That climate extends to how parents and children are treated. A good school leader, principal or other administrator, is responsible for creating an environment where all staff and faculty grow and thrive.
See if there are classes on conflict resolution in your area. Or ask the counselor to give you some pointers. If I knew of a good book, I'd suggest one. Maybe someone else can post one.
If they come in cruising for a bruising, some lines that get you out of the mix and can stop people cold:
"I am so sorry you feel that way."
"Tell me more about that."
"What would you suggest?"
And take off on their words...
"So you feel (blah blah) was not handled well."
"SO this was disruptive to your day, took extra time, blah blah"
Closers:
"Thanks for taking the time to share this"
"I appreciate you making sure I knew."
If they won't stop leave,
"Should we bring (principal) in?"
"Who else should we be talking to?"
"I want some time to think about this, and I will get back to you."
If they are misbehaving in front of kids - "Let's step outside the room?"
These strategies work on irate parents too.
When I have had to work with very very hostile people, I have actually had some of these phrases written on a card in my desk that I can look at from time to time to stay prepared. It gives me the ammunition to keep myself from getting sucked into their drama and going to their dark place.
Then you need to congratulate yourself for not playing their game. Find a group of colleagues or friends who can talk to you after and affirm you. You define you, not these terribly unhappy people.
I started a Teacher Referral Form this year with admins backing. Amazingly, visits dropped in half! The form has three copies; one goes back to the teacher, one to students file and the other is sent home to the parents by each schools (ES, MS, HS) secretary. The form also serves as an incident form. I only call the parents if the kid needs to go home or if they've been injured more than a minor scrape...don't want parents passing out when junior walks in with blood on his shirt!
There's a spot for the time the student left the classroom and when they arrived to the clinic. This is really useful for the high school students who tend to wander the halls. I write gate passes for students that need to go home, except for the HS. Since I'm not aware which kids might be trying to sneak out of tests, the HS principal is notified of any HS kids wanting to go home. He then checks with all their teachers before his office writes a gate pass for them. Works pretty good.
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Keepstanding, ASN, RN
1,600 Posts
Believe me, I have tried keeping them in school. I have worked hard at it for more than a few years, to no avail.
I do not have full support from the admin. and this is what you get.
Anyone have these same problems as I do ?
I'd be open to any advice. Thanks to you all.
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Praiser