How do you handle screenings?

Bulldogs, CNA, EMT-B · Sep 6, 2019

I am the only school 'Nurse " here I have just over 700 kiddos. I screen before school, during pe, and nutrition break. I am still doing immunizations, but have also started screening, even if I get busy I can usually get in 5-10 before the first bell.

BeckyESRN · Sep 6, 2019

Keep in mind that your screenings are just a legally required as their teaching! I try to be as flexible as possible, but ultimately they have to get done.

I can't pull from PE because, to elementary kiddos, PE is sacred. I usually catch K-2 during their reading testing because the whole class is in the hallway and they takes kids for testing a few at a time, so I can fly through heights and weights right in the hall. Older kids I ask the teacher which 40 minutes of the day work best. I wait a bit longer on hearing and vision for Kindergarten because its like herding cats.

NursicoRN23 · Sep 6, 2019

21 minutes ago, BeckyESRN said:
Keep in mind that your screenings are just a legally required as their teaching! I try to be as flexible as possible, but ultimately they have to get done.
Good point, Becky! Thank you.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2019

Similar set up - I'm in a charter and also have 500 kiddos in grades 7-12.

I work with PE and Art teachers. I have a great relationship with those teachers (co-teach health with the PE teachers) and their classrooms/teaching areas aren't far from my office, which also cuts down on lost time because less transit.

I take a week per grade for me (per screening - I do vision/hearing in Sept/Oct, and postural/BMI in May, along with a new SBIRT screening my state requires for at least one middle school grade, I go with grade 8 ) and usually screen 1-2 periods a day, depending on Art/PE schedule. It has worked pretty well for me the last couple of years.

I used to pull from other classes, which teacher were okay with, but the transit time for student made screenings take FOREVER. For my HS screenings, I actually reserve a small classroom for a few days closer to the Art classrooms and bring my equipment that way because again, less transit time (and I get to actually close my office for a class period).

jnemartin, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2019

Last year was my first as a SN and I had to get trained on the audiology machine, which pushed my screenings into second semester - I do not recommend this! This year, I'm doing screenings for 6th, 9th and new students w/o recent screenings in mid September. 9th graders I am pulling from Health Class, 6th graders from Advisory. Last year, I pulled all kids from PE, but the walk from the gym to my screening area was long and there was a lot of wasted time. Plus many kids don't have PE because they take a fine arts class or have some other replacement class (although PE is supposed to be mandatory at our school, and this is why I chose PE... part of my learning curve in year one!)

The good thing about doing it as early in the year as possible, is (besides just getting it over with), you get to meet a lot of the students and get a sense for who they are, you can ask a couple history questions (allergies, how are they adjusting to MS/HS whatever).

k1p1ssk, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2019

I'm in a small elementary school (around 190 students, Pre-K to 6) and last year, I just told the teachers when I was doing them, and that if they had a special time request to make it known ahead of time. Otherwise, I was taking them whenever I wanted. When screenings are happening, I send a school-wide email the day before, reminding everyone that the office is closed except for emergencies (blood, vomit, LOC, or fracture). I put a sign on the door declaring the office closed for screenings and I have kids come down in pairs from each classroom. Usually can get through a class in an hour.

My mornings tend to be a little erm... "gentler" than the afternoons and kids are a bit more on task, so I would do screenings from 9:15-11:30 but leave the afternoon open, unless a teacher specifically requested the afternoon.

Amethya · Sep 16, 2019

Ha... nostalgia for me.

If you have a way, ask for resources from your Head Nurse, depending on the area, there's usually programs that do free vision or hearing screenings. I would ask around universities, the department of health or even nurses in your district.

When I did my screenings in my old job, I would set it up during PE time, and have 2 volunteer parents, a vision screener and me doing hearing, using the locker rooms. We would pull 5 at time, and screen one kid and send it to the next room. and just keep doing it until the whole class is done.

Talk to your admin team and come up with a plan.

Wish you luck!

Amethya · Sep 16, 2019

Ha... nostalgia for me.

If you have a way, ask for resources from your Head Nurse, depending on the area, there's usually programs that do free vision or hearing screenings. I would ask around universities, the department of health or even nurses in your district.

When I did my screenings in my old job, I would set it up during PE time, and have 2 volunteer parents, a vision screener and me, using the locker rooms. We would pull 5 at time, and screen one kid and send it to the next room. and just keep doing it until the whole class is done.

Talk to your admin team and come up with a plan.

Wish you luck!

JustJai, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-I · Oct 3, 2019

I am going to add to this thread. This is my second year in a primary school after 11 years in a MS. I have 650+ student population in Sure Start and K-2. I work in a US government school for military connected children living outside of the US. My organization requires V/H for K-2, 5th, 7th, and 10th grades, however some nurses screen their entire school. I could plow through V/H on MS students in the blink of an eye. Now kinder head bumps and near vision screenings are the bane of my daily existence. My school purchased a wonderful lightbox with remote control for the distance screening. I can usually complete a hearing and distance vision screening in 2-3 minutes per student. I have not figured out how to quickly and smoothly complete near vision screenings on these young students. Between holding the card the correct inches from their eyes, making sure they are not moving their heads backwards or forwards, while at the same time ensuring they are reading the 20/20 line correctly is such a time-consuming juggling act. I have researched and researched affordable devices I could use other than a Titmus, but haven't found anything other than the WelchAllyn Spot Vision, which is pricey. I got the other 12 nurses in the district on board to share one SV and a purchase request was submitted. The district denied the purchase request. ?

There has to be an easier, more streamlined way to do this, but I just haven't figured it out. Thank you for any suggestions.