First Angry Call

Specialties School

Published

So just tell me I'm being silly and shake it off.

Had a sub today and easily got a 20% increase in visits today. Plus lunch time kids are just pouring in. I assess to make sure it's they're not bleeding, or if there's an emergency and send them on their way to get a pass from teacher.

Today had a student, what looked like a scratch on face. She told me it was a scratch, it looked like one. So I clean wound, abx ointment. Instructions not to touch. Bell rings, I get a call from mom. "It's not a scratch, its a bruise, its purple! Didn't you put ice? Don't you call parents? Why wasn't I informed, I live close by I could've gone to check on my baby!"

I'm stunned because I sent a kid home today because he had a sizeable hematoma forming on his head, I called parents, I assessed him till mom got there, etc. And this lady is yelling at me about a scratch that I patched up and sent back to class.

I explained what I saw, I explained that sometimes wounds change over time (it's been 4 hrs), I explained if she rubbed on it there might have been more chance of bruising but from what I saw I treated as I needed to.

Needless to say I'm going to make a note to call for every sniffle she comes in for. Tell me I did ok. I feel crummy. :blink:

Must have been another time. Now the parents would be storming to ask why was the child sent home without shoes. I had given out boxes full of clothes to kids who peed in their pants and they were never returned.

One day I was out of clothes and a girl peed in her pants at dismissal time. Tried to call mom and she did not pick her up so I sent the girl home on the bus. Half an hour later mom calls and freaks out when I tell her precious had no change of clothes and mom was not answering the phone so she was put on the bus. She said "How dare you put a child with soiled clothes on the bus."

What should have done with the child at dismissal? Takn her home with me if mom was not answering the phone?

you hang in there. People can be so rude and inconsiderate My mother was a kindergarten teacher for 37 years. She wasn't one to mince words or sugar coat things,

well anyway,, when kids shoes are too small (feet uncomfortable) they lose ability to focus. Attention span goes down bad behavior goes up etc... When she took their shoes off problems disappeared.

the first time around

She would put their shoes in a bag with a very nice note, explaining the situation and asking them to call her. If they called she would work something out even if she had purchased shoes herself.

If they didn't call back or continued to send child to school in too of small shoes she would keep each pair until they either showed up in bigger shoes or called her back. Some of them called to turn her in but even the principal & school board didn't want to mess with my mom about the shoe thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School nursing.
Nobody knows this moms experience. My step moms nephew drowned and since then, that whole family said they have become very over protective of their children. Part of nursing is understanding people's behaviour, and not taking things to heart.

I don't take lots of things to heart after being in school nursing a few years. Empathy is important to nursing (and many other professions), but even being empathetic to a person's situation doesn't mean I also give a person a pass to be rude (which these phone calls can be, immediately starting with loud voices and blame). There is an in-between and I try my best to find it with every parent.

Being very overprotective is sometimes not the best experience for the child. A few of the students I know I have to call home for every thing as the parent wants a direct check-in with the child (and all the kids I manage are 12+), roll their eyes or sigh when I tell them I'm calling home. "It is just a scratch! Why?" Those kids sometimes stop coming to see me about the important things because of an overprotective parent. I had one such kid hide a bad ankle sprain; luckily I caught the kid limping in the hall and stopped them to check in.

(Of course, if I hadn't seen the kid limping in the hall, I'd also likely faced a backlash as well. You'll never win sometimes.)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in kids.
Nobody knows this moms experience. My step moms nephew drowned and since then, that whole family said they have become very over protective of their children. Part of nursing is understanding people's behaviour, and not taking things to heart.

Hmm...not so sure you are very familiar with the pace and acuity of school health offices. If we called EVERYTIME , we would NEVER get anything done. She made an assessment, (a correct one I might add) and that should have been the end of it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hmm...not so sure you are very familiar with the pace and acuity of school health offices. If we called EVERYTIME , we would NEVER get anything done. She made an assessment, (a correct one I might add) and that should have been the end of it.

As she said - the parent might have been badly traumatized and is overly anxious/has PTSD as a result. Don't you see how that is possible? Not saying she made an incorrect Dx or treated inappropriately.

It has nothing to do with your workload. And you would still get plenty done if you did call the parents you know to be "overly" anxious.

At some point, she might have to address the parent's anxiety - after they've built a little relationship.

Yes, I have done a little school nursing and the pace can be nonstop. But do we really need parents getting angry and reporting us to our bosses?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
Must have been another time. Now the parents would be storming to ask why was the child sent home without shoes. I had given out boxes full of clothes to kids who peed in their pants and they were never returned.

One day I was out of clothes and a girl peed in her pants at dismissal time. Tried to call mom and she did not pick her up so I sent the girl home on the bus. Half an hour later mom calls and freaks out when I tell her precious had no change of clothes and mom was not answering the phone so she was put on the bus. She said "How dare you put a child with soiled clothes on the bus."

What should have done with the child at dismissal? Takn her home with me if mom was not answering the phone?

I always returned the clothes. That makes it sound like it happened frequently. I think it happened twice with my daughter. Usually because she was so engrossed in playing during recess she missed her body's cues to go now and then, well, too late.

It baffles me how so many lack common sense or manners. They aren't yours, don't keep them!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
As she said - the parent might have been badly traumatized and is overly anxious/has PTSD as a result. Don't you see how that is possible? Not saying she made an incorrect Dx or treated inappropriately.

It has nothing to do with your workload. And you would still get plenty done if you did call the parents you know to be "overly" anxious.

At some point, she might have to address the parent's anxiety - after they've built a little relationship.

Yes, I have done a little school nursing and the pace can be nonstop. But do we really need parents getting angry and reporting us to our bosses?

This is not feasible in a school environment. And catering to a small handful of parents will only worsen the problem.

For those who have not/are not working as a nurse in a school, it is the equivalent of calling a family member for every interaction with your patient.

701am: Hey Family Member! Wanted to call and let you know that I just got report on Patient and he is doing fine.

715: Hi again, Family Member. Just calling to let you know that Patient was having some pain, so I gave him PRN pain medication.

800: Hi Family Member. Following up to let you know that Patient said his pain was relieved by the pain medication. Talk to you soon!

823- Hey, Family Member! Wanted to let you know that the constipation that Patient was complaining about yesterday has resolved in stupendous, blow out fashion.

855- Hi again Family Member. About to do a dressing change on Patient's surgical site, I'll call you to let you know how it goes!

ECT AD NAUSEUM!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time!!

A few years ago I had a student come in for mild nasal congestion, no fever. I knew mom was high needs so I called anyway. She got mad because I called on something silly that "I have already given medicine for." Next day, girl comes in with exact same complaint with same assessment results and stating mom gave her same medicine before school so I did not bother to call. 45 minutes later, she calls me all angry that her precious was texting that I did nothing and why did I not call her. *****?? Was there any way at all for me to win? NO!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Why can't there ever be a happy medium between over protective parents and under? As the child of a mother who only had one, I'll repeat a quote I'm embarrassed that every school nurse I ever had: "She's my baby, no siblings. So, no extras in case I lose her and I want to make sure the start of something serious through mild symptoms isn't overlooked." Every stomach ache I had was appendicitis, every sniffle was pneumonia. Was even convinced nausea was a pregnancy, HIV, or both. I'm telling you because finding out the thought process for people who's actions/reasoning I don't agree with majorly helps me. Best of luck. By the way, I totally agree with you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.

I rolled my eyes so far back while reading this I can see the inside of my skull.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is not feasible in a school environment. And catering to a small handful of parents will only worsen the problem.

For those who have not/are not working as a nurse in a school, it is the equivalent of calling a family member for every interaction with your patient.

701am: Hey Family Member! Wanted to call and let you know that I just got report on Patient and he is doing fine.

715: Hi again, Family Member. Just calling to let you know that Patient was having some pain, so I gave him PRN pain medication.

800: Hi Family Member. Following up to let you know that Patient said his pain was relieved by the pain medication. Talk to you soon!

823- Hey, Family Member! Wanted to let you know that the constipation that Patient was complaining about yesterday has resolved in stupendous, blow out fashion.

855- Hi again Family Member. About to do a dressing change on Patient's surgical site, I'll call you to let you know how it goes!

ECT AD NAUSEUM!!

And, having to call 3 different phone numbers for Family Member, leaving messages and then trying the 3 other numbers they gave you....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

And, having to call 3 different phone numbers for Family Member, leaving messages and then trying the 3 other numbers they gave you....

And then you find that those other 3 numbers have been disconnected.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment