Frustration with office staff

[zombieghoast]

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.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

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.

OP needs to get this straightened out with her boss. Sounds like this change should involve that level. Or, it could be better if she works directly with the principal and office staff where she is. Not sure. But tracking you down to give out some kind of box (guess because blood is involved?) and letting an asthmatic suffer for 1/2 hour - wrong. The latter should have been made known to the parents & Superintendent. The latter, hopefully, would raise hell and set things right.

Guess you can't blame staff for not wanting more tasks and responsibility heaped upon them for no raise in pay.

OP needs to educate staff and Prin in dangers of untreated asthma.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

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.

In my district, unfortunately, there is no school nurse on every one of the 11 campuses. The one school nurse only works 3 days a week. So the office staff have to be trained. Although NO school employee will agree to be trained to give Diastat. And we couldn't get very many people to volunteer for epinephrine.

In California a law was passed that allowed non-nurses to be trained to give diastat. We fought it as not in the best interest of the kids and another example of giving away a nurse's scope of practice. I understand having school staff filling in, in a pinch. However, I have concerns. In addition it spread to insulin administration. We should be advocating for school nurse substitues instead of "trained" non-nurses/school staff.

Emergency Anti-Seizure Medication Administration - Health Services & School Nursing (CA Dept of Education)

California Supreme Court Ruling Supports Access to Insulin for California Students: American Diabetes Association®

I retired from my school nurse job - partly due to the frustration of California's unrealistic mandates.

[cynmrn]

Our secretaries are trained to administer meds and don't really have a choice in the matter, considering I cover multiple schools. I rarely take days off, but when I do, a sub is hard to come by since we only have one on the roster, currently. The HS nurse just went on medical leave unexpectedly, so that's just another building to cover...Glad they can't get out of it over here, or believe me, they definitely would balk.

[BeckyESRN]

I work K-5 and the office staff does not help. I once had a nurses' meeting in another building and they called because a 4th grader needed her inhaler prior to PE, she self administers, but they wouldn't get it out of the cabinet and hand it to her! Luckily she had a spare in her backpack and used that. They begrudgingly handle minor things-bumps and invisible injuries-while I'm at lunch, but that's it. They are not trained to do anything, nor do they want to be. My building has 30+ teachers/support staff and only 1 did their Epi-pen training course.