Field Trip Dilema ! What should have been done ?

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Specializes in LTC.

This week fourth grade went on an extended day field trip from 8am-5pm. Normally school is from 9:25-3:50 and staff is to report to work at 8:40am.

This field trip was an outdoor field trip that required alot of walking... on top of that they were on a trail that was very muddy.

The day of the field trip we noticed that our only wheel chair was missing. A para came in and told us that one of the teachers took the wheel chair for a student that was on cructhes due to a broken ankle.

My supervisor ( RN) told us both that the wheel chair should have not been taken on the field trip for several reasons... one: The teachers should not have been responsible for pushing him around and if he would have hurt himself while in the wheelchair the teacher would have been liable, two: he's injured so why is he on the field trip anyway, and most important of all if one of the rest of the majority of the students here needed a wheelchair we wouldn't of had any wheel chair in the building at all.

Anyway, apparently the injury happened on the weekend and the student missed two days of school prior to the trip so the day of the trip the teacher found out that his ankle was broken. The teacher tried to convince the parent to allow the student to return to the school or chaperon with him, however the parent was not able to do that and really wanted her son to go ( even though she would have gotten a refund for not going). The teacher was basically stuck. She had no one to back her up due to it being so early and no admin. avail. The teacher decided to take the wheel chair along and push the student around.

The student did end up falling while on the trip due to the wheel chair not being able to ride on the grounds. To make matters worse he also had pain meds on him, and ofcourse there was no doc order or note or anything. Thank good ness the teacher had common sense and did not administer the meds.

So I reported all of this to my boss today and asked her what can we do if something else happens like this again. She gave me good prevention methods, she also told me that normally she would do an assessment to determine if the field trip is s safe enough and if its not she can legally not have the student go on the field trip, however what do you do when things like this can not be prevented?

Here are my question is: What do a teacher do when a child's safety is at risk for going on a certain field trip ? If the teacher can't deny a child from coming and also can't get in touch with admin. or the school nurse what should she do ? Do she call the police ? Do she just keep refusing to allow the student to go on the field trip ?

If it was up to me I would talk with health services to see if there is actually a plan for these type of situations when the nurse may not be able to assess and the teacher will have to make the call. I would also meet with the main principal and suggest them being available at ALL times especially during an extended day trip just in case the teachers did need back up or help with some other dilema.

This was a learning experience and I'm glad everything worked out ok, however there have to be some type of standard that if a child has an injury/ illness and the school nurse was not able to assess prior the student should not be allowed to attend a field trip.

For the first time, I actually feel sorry for the teachers... they were truly stuck.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Wow, that was a bad situation. I think the teachers did the best they could given what little support there was at that time.

My principal gave everyone his personal cell number, and I have my cell number posted in my office. If this happened at my school I would HOPE the teachers would be wise enough to call me and/or the principal. No way should that kiddo have gone on the trip. Sad for him to miss it, but safety has to come first! If it had been me making the call, I would have told the parent the child must be picked up, and if they refused, perhaps CPS involvement, although I would hate to go to that length.

Glad it worked out ok, because it could have been a real disaster!

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Specializes in school nursing.

If he was unable to attend school for 2 days due to his injury - then, he probably should not have gone on the field trip.

That's life, we all have to miss out on things sometimes due to unforseen circumstance.

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Given these circumstances, I don't know what else you could have done - you were not there - could they have called you? I am curious why the teacher was not comfortable calling prinicpal or superintendent for direction. Schools are given (I think - correct me?) 10 days to prepare for accomodations. Springing this the morning of the trip, it would not have been discriminatory to tell the child not enough notice was given for accomodations, and the child would have to remain behind.

I am also concerned about the child not getting the pain meds. What did the teacher do besides not give them? Did he she call the parent? That child would have been in a tremendous amount of pain by the time they received them.

I wonder if it had been a regular school day if the child would have come to school. Where did they go? How "attractive" of a trip was it?

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Specializes in LTC.
given these circumstances, i don't know what else you could have done - you were not there - could they have called you? i am curious why the teacher was not comfortable calling prinicpal or superintendent for direction. schools are given (i think - correct me?) 10 days to prepare for accomodations. springing this the morning of the trip, it would not have been discriminatory to tell the child not enough notice was given for accomodations, and the child would have to remain behind.

this was the problem ! the trip started way before the work day starts for staff. the principal, school nurse, and i was out of reach. the teacher had no idea that the student had this injury. he got injured on the weekend and missed mon and tue and the trip was on wed. the parent did not even notify us of anything.

i am also concerned about the child not getting the pain meds. what did the teacher do besides not give them? did he she call the parent? that child would have been in a tremendous amount of pain by the time they received them.

this teacher did the correct thing here ! she nor i are allowed to give any meds otc or not with out a physicians order, we can get in big trouble for this. i can only hope she called the parent or atleast allowed him to rest it with ice.

i wonder if it had been a regular school day if the child would have come to school. where did they go? how "attractive" of a trip was it?

of course he'll be able to come to school however he will not be able to participate in any physical activities being that he's wearing a cast and crutches. this field trip was unattractive. they were on a muddy trail in the woods some where.

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I would require that the mom attend the field trip as well since she was so insistent that he go. Let mom take care of him.

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Here's my personal :twocents: If the teacher was in doubt- she should have called and checked with the Principal/Nurse. The Principal would have consulted with Nurse/Safety guidelines and maybe had a verbal phone consent signed by parent allowing per doctor, release to go on the trip with said disability. Without this, the teacher is liable for pushing the student in the wheelchair and thus making the school liable. These days, it's wise to think liability with parents of the 21st Century. Think sue 1st, fun-2nd! :bugeyes:

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Specializes in Community Health,Pediatric, School nursi.

I cant believe that the teacher could not contact the principal/superintendent. I commend the teacher for trying, but there is no way that student should have been on that field trip (planned or unplanned). I believe the problem here lies with the principal-it is his/her building. If there was an early field trip going out, that principal should have been in communication. What if there was a bus problem or a teacher issue etc? Who was in charge???

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Specializes in LTC.
i cant believe that the teacher could not contact the principal/superintendent. i commend the teacher for trying, but there is no way that student should have been on that field trip (planned or unplanned). i believe the problem here lies with the principal-it is his/her building. if there was an early field trip going out, that principal should have been in communication. what if there was a bus problem or a teacher issue etc? who was in charge???

this field trip started before school and work hours so therefore all staff including the principal was out of reach.

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Totally unrelated, but DANG, I am jealous at how late your school starts! At our school (high school) classes start at 0740!!!

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Specializes in LTC.
Totally unrelated, but DANG, I am jealous at how late your school starts! At our school (high school) classes start at 0740!!!

But I bet you get out early as oppose to 4:15pm !

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