Head injuries/head bumps

mc3, ASN, RN · Feb 8, 2011

Yes, that's so true. The one time you don't call, and yikes! I learned that early on, and every single head injury - even where no injury is seen - I call and tell the parent, letting them know of the incident, and my assessment. Most often, I end up leaving the message on Mom or Dad's cell phone, then I make myself a nursing note. I also leave my number, and request a call back so I can be sure they got the message. It's a pain, I know, at times but CYA. Some days, no matter what we do, there is always someone unhappy!!

mc3

mustlovepoodles, RN · Feb 8, 2011

At my school the teachers know to send students for any and all injuries to the head. Today a student was sent at 2 pm for falling and hitting her head in PE. This occurred 1 hour prior to clinic visit, student did not notify any teacher of this and the classroom teacher just happened to see that she had a red mark on forehead. So when this kiddo came in she told me what happened, i handed her an ice pack and she was ready to leave with it. I had her sit to be observed for 15 minutes (even though time had passed), I did my neuro assesment, Alert and oriented x 4, no dizziness, no blurry vision, skin was intact, it was just reddened. So I sent her back to class with "Your child was seen in clinic" note explaining what happened and my assessment details assuring that student was in excellent condition and no harm was done. Well then I'm ready to leave at 3:15pm and parent calls ****** off stating she was not called of this event. I wish i just would have called, but it was not anything and honestly I had no time to make a call when I've been seeing so many more kids today. The one student i don't call for and the parent happens to be the overprotective and wants to talk to administration tomorrow about this and her child being bullied. Any way, I talked to the teacher about it already and my assistant principal thinks parent is exaggerating.

I wouldn't call her overprotective. You better believe i want to be called about a head injury that leaves a mark. I call for almost every head injury other than a minor head bump with another student. Any child who looks different than they did when they left home warrants a call to parents. And if I have any doubts at all, i call parents even then. Even if I think it's nothing. My kids are young and might not even tell their parents that they fell in PE and hit their head. I'd feel terrible if the child had delayed symptoms of concussion and the parent never knew it happened. I think it never hurts to make that call.

intheweeds · Feb 8, 2011

Sorry you had a hard time with the parent. I also eventually made the decision to call home for any head bump (and I have mostly high school kids!). In a situation where everything looks good, I tell the parent not to worry, but just to be on the safe side they should monitor for 24-48 hours and report anything unusual (vomiting, dizziness, etc) to their doctor. If I can't reach them, I'll leave a message and send home a form letter with the same info. Usually, parents seem grateful for the call.

nightie-night nurse · Feb 8, 2011

Calling home for any head injury is part of my district's policy on head injuries. Sometimes it's a pain, but I still do it.

My kids are students in the same district. One time, my daughter hit her head in PE (middle schooler) and there was a substitute in the clinic. When I picked her up from school, she had a note pad with a list of symptoms she had been having (dizziness, blurred vision, and nausea) all day and what time she complained of them. I never received a phone call. You can be sure I called the director of health service and let her know about it.

bergren · Feb 8, 2011

We discussed this 2 years ago and this might give some additional information. https://allnurses.com/school-nursing/what-would-you-460086.html

I concur, any head injury requires a call to the parent at the time of the injury. If you do not see the child until 1 hour after, you call then. Face injuries are included. Always call for a facial injury.

safarirn · Feb 8, 2011

I follow my own personal 'ALWAYS CYA' policy. I call for any & every head injury. And for any cut/ scrape/ abrasion/ bruise that i think needs an explanation. If the child is going to go home looking different than how they came in, I call & notify the parent. I've NEVER had a parent mad at me for calling.

SchoolNurseBSN · Feb 10, 2011

Do not beat yourself up about it too much. you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time. As many have already stated, I learned the hard way too....always call anytime they get hit in the head / face, even when there is no bump, bruise or redness!

katynurs22 · Feb 11, 2011

Yep, that's what I'm learning. Parents have all sorts of reactions, today I called a mother at work because her kindergartner was hit with an object (student didn't know what it was) that another student threw during recess, he had a red mark. Any way, I explained how the event occurred, my assessment details, my interventions, the symptoms to observe for at home, and all she said was ok, allright, thank you. I felt relieved to know that I let the parent know and I didn't have to expect any phone calls. But I still left late, a bus driver tripped and fell, hurt her nose and head. :uhoh3:

kids · Feb 11, 2011

It's always the one you don't call on that ends up being a pita.

As an aside- when I was in the 5th grade I was sliding on the ice (on purpose) on the basketball court at recess and fell, hitting my head. I down played the incident and don't recall much in the way of a bump.

By the time I got home from school my head hurt really bad and I was queasy. My mom's assessment (she was also an RN) was that I was probably being over dramatic and coming down with something as a matter of coincidence. But better safe than sorry so she took me in.

I was hospitalized for 3 days and out of school for a month with an occipital fracture.