I LOATHE them and have to go on every.single.one I have my own kids and NEVER once did I volunteer to be a chaperone. I feel like all the kids go nuts and act like fools and I just hate it.
I work at a small charter school and last year at the end of the year we went to the New England Aquarium. I love that place and it is $$ so when I found out I was a little excited to go on a field trip for once.
All the teachers and staff carry cell phones provided by the school b/c we don't have land lines. So we are about 10 minutes away from the aquarium and I get a call from a teacher on one of the other buses that one of the students is "throwing up and getting sick" on her bus. I'm like "what do you want me to do? I'm on a different bus"? She says "Can you meet us on our bus when we arrive"? So we arrive at the aquarium and they offload the kids from the bus where the girl got sick. I climb onto the bus and am smacked in the face with the most god-awful smell EVER. Think vomit mixed with putrid raw sewage. I seriously almost puked myself. So the girl who had thrown up, also had several episodes of explosive diarrhea all over herself, the floor of the bus, the seat of the bus...I am surprised none made it onto the ceiling. So I spent the next TWO HOURS cleaning up this poor kid who had to stand in the middle of the bus aisle while I peeled her clothes off and tried to wipe her down. Bless the bus driver who was lovely and tried to help. Seriously worst day ever. Kid eventually made it into the aquarium and got to see some of it before we had to leave to head back to school.
So next week I am blessed with going apple picking with the first graders b/c we have two kids with diastat and two with epi-pens for bee stings...can't wait!
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
Woof. Reading the OP made me want to crawl under a rock.
I haven't gone on a trip. It's only my second year but we have teacher delegation for things like inhalers, daily meds and epi-pens. Before the trip I give the teachers a rundown of how to manage and administer these medications. They can call me with any questions. I have one IDDM but her mom doesn't work so I had her go on the trip with her last year. I have absolutely zero desire to ever go on a field trip. I wasn't even that crazy about them when I was a student!
I'm really glad to say I don't go either. Thank god. With the amount of trips my schools take, I'd never get any RN paperwork completed/orders entered!
We have to go if parent doesn't go for a diabetic or other major thing that might be needed from a nurse like a catherization or something. What's not to love? You get to go on an awkward bus ride that's not at all loud or bumpy with staff you probably aren't that close to. Then you get to walk around with the little rugrats who know you aren't a teacher so they don't really need to listen to you and if you're lucky they'll try to do something wrong just to get a laugh and show off for you. Then every kid who complains of absolutely anything gets referred to you as if you can really do anything for them. Finally you get to ride home exhausted with overly hyper kids who just get louder and may even puke for you from overindulgence. Yeah loads of fun! I enjoyed going on field trips with my own kids but not so much as a school nurse!
We have to go if parent doesn't go for a diabetic or other major thing that might be needed from a nurse like a catherization or something. What's not to love? You get to go on an awkward bus ride that's not at all loud or bumpy with staff you probably aren't that close to. Then you get to walk around with the little rugrats who know you aren't a teacher so they don't really need to listen to you and if you're lucky they'll try to do something wrong just to get a laugh and show off for you. Then every kid who complains of absolutely anything gets referred to you as if you can really do anything for them. Finally you get to ride home exhausted with overly hyper kids who just get louder and may even puke for you from overindulgence. Yeah loads of fun! I enjoyed going on field trips with my own kids but not so much as a school nurse!
You forgot the part that you get to carry your office with you looking like a Sherpa.
I have my own kids and NEVER once did I volunteer to be a chaperone. I feel like all the kids go nuts and act like fools and I just hate it. 
I seriously almost puked myself. So the girl who had thrown up, also had several episodes of explosive diarrhea all over herself, the floor of the bus, the seat of the bus...I am surprised none made it onto the ceiling. So I spent the next TWO HOURS cleaning up this poor kid who had to stand in the middle of the bus aisle while I peeled her clothes off and tried to wipe her down. Bless the bus driver who was lovely and tried to help. Seriously worst day ever. Kid eventually made it into the aquarium and got to see some of it before we had to leave to head back to school.
JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN
588 Posts
Woof. Reading the OP made me want to crawl under a rock.
I haven't gone on a trip. It's only my second year but we have teacher delegation for things like inhalers, daily meds and epi-pens. Before the trip I give the teachers a rundown of how to manage and administer these medications. They can call me with any questions. I have one IDDM but her mom doesn't work so I had her go on the trip with her last year. I have absolutely zero desire to ever go on a field trip. I wasn't even that crazy about them when I was a student!