Guidance please

[naveiak]

What can I do as the school nurse if I think a child maybe is autistic or has some sort of sensory disorder but the mom states the student doesn't have any issues but she has self-dx said w/ Sensory Processing Disorder... is that the end of the story? He has no IEP or 504 in place and she isn't asking for anything. Do I just let it go?

[naveiak]

THANK YOU ALL for your comments, thoughts, suggestions, etc! Such valuable insight for me! I haven't even had a chance to come back to this thread as I am so swamped at work I can hardly tread water. I am new and don't know what i'm doing and i'm trying to do things correctly and it is so hard. Today I saw kids all day long because the HA was out. I don't mind seeing kids but I feel that is all I seem to be doing these days and i'm wondering when i'll have time to do all the other stuff I am supposed to be doing (like get help for this kid, vision/hearing screenings, health and developmentals for IEPS....). I don't think they hired an RN to be a HA???

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

THANK YOU ALL for your comments, thoughts, suggestions, etc! Such valuable insight for me! I haven't even had a chance to come back to this thread as I am so swamped at work I can hardly tread water. I am new and don't know what i'm doing and i'm trying to do things correctly and it is so hard. Today I saw kids all day long because the HA was out. I don't mind seeing kids but I feel that is all I seem to be doing these days and i'm wondering when i'll have time to do all the other stuff I am supposed to be doing (like get help for this kid, vision/hearing screenings, health and developmentals for IEPS....). I don't think they hired an RN to be a HA???

You have to see the kids in front of you if the aide is out. When you get asked why you haven't done the screenings, "There were 40 (or however many) kids a day I had to assess." Also consider visiting with the teachers about what NEEDS to come versus what they can do themselves. One of the NASN nurses has a list called "The B's" - bleeding profusely, not breathing, head bonk of significance, not acting to baseline, and some other stuff I don't remember off the top of my head.

If you've done that, and you've provided band aids and guidance and it's one particular grade, I'd meet with that team lead and say look...these kids are missing x amount of in seat instructional time when they don't have to. Good luck!

[naveiak]

Thank you so much for your advice! I really love the kids and would never turn them away as I feel it's important for me to build a relationship with them so they feel safe in the health office and with me. Good idea to talk to the teachers and then if that doesn't do the trick meet w/ my administrators to discuss the importance of being in class. I did meet w/ all of the 6th graders at one school to discuss use of health office since they were now in middle school and need to take charge of their health as young adults, etc. I plan on meeting with my boss to discuss what I am seeing/feeling/experiencing. They hired me just a couple months ago and I don't want to seem like I am complaining.