Frustration with office staff

OldDude · Dec 2, 2015

Well that's the Christmas Spirit of giving!! First - Sounds like your supervisor or the campus principal have some decisions to make. Second - Make sure those refusing to help you are not allowed in to see the Christmas Musical.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 2, 2015

I get your frustration. I couldn't have office staff give a child an inhaler, but i get your point. I can be in the middle of an emergency, a psych crisis or simply trying to answer nature's call and the office staff (some of them) will hunt me down for mundane complaints such as so and so needs a tooth fairy box as if it were a life and limb emergency.

kidzcare · Dec 2, 2015

Well that's the Christmas Spirit of giving!! First - Sounds like your supervisor or the campus principal have some decisions to make. Second - Make sure those refusing to help you are not allowed in to see the Christmas Musical.

hahahahahahaha!!

ixchel · Dec 2, 2015

This is crazy. Who is trained to do meds at other schools? I'm not a SN, but I feel like the BON should be requiring someone on site be trained in addition to you.

zombieghoast · Dec 2, 2015

I get your frustration. I couldn't have office staff give a child an inhaler, but i get your point. I can be in the middle of an emergency, a psych crisis or simply trying to answer nature's call and the office staff (some of them) will hunt me down for mundane complaints such as so and so needs a tooth fairy box as if it were a life and limb emergency.

They actually got in trouble last year because there was a girl in my clinic waiting for me because she was having an asthma attack. I don't get to my school til 9 and she was waiting for about 30 minutes for me. The superintendent was furious about it because every other school in the district has no problems whatsoever with staff helping out. This is a huge safety concern.

zombieghoast · Dec 2, 2015

Well that's the Christmas Spirit of giving!! First - Sounds like your supervisor or the campus principal have some decisions to make. Second - Make sure those refusing to help you are not allowed in to see the Christmas Musical.

They don't get my tickets on a discount. GOTTA PAY FULL PRICE

huffmannurse · Dec 2, 2015

This office staff would croak in any of my schools. Since I cover 4 buildings in 3 districts, the secretaries (mostly) and the adm. are trained and take care of these needs when I am out of the building.

SassyTachyRN · Dec 2, 2015

This Friday I have to take a personal day off because I am involved with the school district's Christmas musical. I notified my nursing supervisor a month ago I needed a sub nurse and unfortunately no one can sub for me. My supervisor may be able to come to my clinic for a bit to cover my scheduled meds but we are not sure. So I asked my office people if they are willing to be trained to pass out medication such as an inhaler while I am gone. Everyone flat out refused because they did not want to sign the form to have their name on it. What's going to happen if a child has an asthma attack?! Even my principal is uncomfortable with entering my office. I understand that someone has to be willing and able to pass out meds but it just feels like I am on my own here. I have only ever taken two days off (mom had surgery and then Christmas show last year) and I come to school sick cause I know I just can't take the day off.

That is crazy. That is absolutely a litigation nightmare waiting to happen when no one will give an epi pen or an albuterol inhaler/tx because the nurse isn't in the building. This is why I am thankful that I actually have multiple buildings- staff HAS to run the clinic when I am not in their building, and that means office staff. Secretaries, admin assistants and case managers (counselors) are mostly who I have trained. In the past, I had a principal asked to be trained, and last year I had an assistant principal trained, but sadly she resigned. We have to have a minimum of 3 people trained to run the clinic in our schools, with at least 2 diabetes and diastat trained. Clinic trained here means CPR/AED/first aid training, med training. The first aid component covers basic first aid and then anaphylaxis, asthma, seizures, diabetic emergencies. I very rarely get a sub when I do need a day off, and like I said before, I have multiple buildings. My buildings usually get an on call person to call with emergencies in my absence and they have to hold down the fort like they do any other day I'm not in the building.

Farawyn · Dec 2, 2015

Unacceptable.

If kids have meds that only a nurse can give (ex, Diastat) then a nurse must be provided.

"Regular" meds can be passed by a non licensed person, but they do have to agree/be trained. The Principal must be on board with this. You can't have no back up. It's putting your license and the kids' health in danger.

No one gives a crap about the school nurse until she/he is not there.

Farawyn · Dec 2, 2015

They actually got in trouble last year because there was a girl in my clinic waiting for me because she was having an asthma attack. I don't get to my school til 9 and she was waiting for about 30 minutes for me. The superintendent was furious about it because every other school in the district has no problems whatsoever with staff helping out. This is a huge safety concern.

She was having an asthma attack for 30 minutes and no one helped her??? AYFKM?

Keepstanding, ASN, RN · Dec 2, 2015

My three Administrators are all trained in giving meds. All staff are trained in Epi-Pen administration. And all three Admins. are trained in Glucagon administration.

Your school system needs to tighten up. You should be able to be sick or take a personal day. I'm so sorry you don't get the respect you deserve.