High School Head Injuries

RNTadaaaa · Jan 29, 2016

Yes, I do call home for any head injury. I do bc I want the parents or guardian to be on the look out for any progressing symptoms. This gets difficult if the students parents speak a different language and I can't find an interpreter. I also send home the head injury form which has the information as to what symptoms to look out for and when its important to see a Dr. I do not tend to fill out the accident report forms as I would rather the teacher or adult present at the time of the students injury to complete it. It also depends on the school's culture regarding those forms. Some want the nurse to do it, other schools require the dean's or teachers to handle it.

ohiobobcat · Jan 29, 2016

I call home with every head injury. I also call for most new injuries occurring at school greater than a paper cut. My principal told me to call for everything when I was first hired. Most of the time I do, and parents are almost always appreciative of the call, especially when they realize that I am not necessarily asking them to come get their kid.

DEgalRN · Jan 29, 2016

I don't call home for every head injury, but for the vast majority of them I do. For other injuries, it depends on the severity/how the student is acting. I only do accident reports for accidents that require follow-up or cause the student to miss school (per our policy).

jhlpn · Jan 29, 2016

Head Injuries most definitely, any other injury at school depending on severity parents get called.

Farawyn · Jan 29, 2016

Yes. Even if they are fine.

We have a very strong concussion protocol in our HS. I have to follow though.

Cattz, ADN · Jan 29, 2016

Thank goodness. The teacher in charge at the time of the accident does the accident report. I call for most head injuries, and always, ones that occur near the end of the day.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2016

I don't call home for every head injury, but for the vast majority of them I do. For other injuries, it depends on the severity/how the student is acting. I only do accident reports for accidents that require follow-up or cause the student to miss school (per our policy).

This is what I do. (For example, I have not called home for time when a student bumped their head with another student, no physical evidence of bump found, and both students request an ice pack, are observed, then since running around at lunch ten minutes later.)

However, we have had more concussions this year during gym than I wish (I blame the concrete court they play on). I do accident reports on EMS transports (others I document in my EMR, which has a great button to generate an accident report when I need for no extra work, yay!), and I do maintain a concussion list and check in with my principal.

coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2016

Thanks for your replies everyone. I had a situation where 2 students bumped heads and one ended up with a concussion. I didn't call home, I have for more serious or questionable head injuries, and mom got extremely upset. The student also hid her increasing symptoms from her parent and didn't tell her about the accident because she didn't want mom to pull her off basketball. I understand mom's frustration and now the parent doesn't want the student to see me for any nursing service unless there's an emergency.

My supervisor wants me to now call home with every head bump and to do an accident report for every head bump as well. My question is now, shouldn't that mean I should call home for every incident? Fractures are possible with no s/sx and accident reports should be done for every injury then for the same unknowns. I also have a lot of students who get injured days or a week before and then come to see me.

I'm just trying to figure out how to revamp the policy.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Jan 29, 2016

Thanks for your replies everyone. I had a situation where 2 students bumped heads and one ended up with a concussion. I didn't call home, I have for more serious or questionable head injuries, and mom got extremely upset. The student also hid her increasing symptoms from her parent and didn't tell her about the accident because she didn't want mom to pull her off basketball. I understand mom's frustration and now the parent doesn't want the student to see me for any nursing service unless there's an emergency.
My supervisor wants me to now call home with every head bump and to do an accident report for every head bump as well. My question is now, shouldn't that mean I should call home for every incident? Fractures are possible with no s/sx and accident reports should be done for every injury then for the same unknowns. I also have a lot of students who get injured days or a week before and then come to see me.
I'm just trying to figure out how to revamp the policy.

CC your supervisor on EVERY SINGLE ONE, bet she backs off that statement!

coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2016

CC your supervisor on EVERY SINGLE ONE, bet she backs off that statement!

Nope. I have to give her all the accident reports directly anyway. I just feel really uncomfortable only doing all these protocols for just head injuries. Angry parents are going to be angry parents. In juries happen. I've caught a concussion that was overlooked by the Sports Medicine person and that's their job!

BeckyESRN · Jan 29, 2016

I had an angry dad call this morning because his 1st grader said that he got hit by another student's shoe at recess and no one called him.

Me: Oh, I'm sorry that happened to him, let me see if he came to see me. What day was it?

Him: Tuesday

Me: Your son was absent Tuesday.

Him: Well, anyways, he's fine. I just wanted say that if someone calls my ex-wife, they need to call me as well.

Me: (and now, Folks, we have found the real issue!!!BTW, no one called, kid was absent) I do have your shared parenting schedule and will the call responsible party, provided he is actually in school and gets hurts, thanks.

I call for facial injuries, anything makes me wince at first site, anything a kid was super upset about, and all hits to the head that are beyond "we bumped heads" said between giggles.