How many kids do you see in a day?

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I'm new to school nursing and was wondering if some of you could let me know how many students there are in your school and about how many kids do you see a day? This information was never gathered, as I am the 8th nurse in 7 years and I have so much to learn/do/complete/etc. One of the things I'm trying to get a hold on is the number of students who come through, some 3-4 times a day repeaters and what is considered the norm. I am finding it almost impossible to do anything else and bring home work every night and on weekends. But high volume and taking home work may be the norm. I'm just trying to figure everything out.

Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!

Specializes in Sub-Acute, School Nursing, Dialysis.

I don't have daily meds as well. I do have three students every Tuesday use their inhalers before gym. And throughout the year, I'm usually giving out PRN neb treatments, benadryl, pain relievers, etc. All of which have doctor's orders of course.

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My campus is Pre-K thru 2nd grade. We have 840 students total. I see 90-100 students a day!! (This does include 16 daily meds) I really wish I knew how to decrease this number because at least half of these are nonsense visits! I have tried talking to the teachers but it did not help.

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

I am in a K-5 elementary school and usually see 20-25 students each day. I rarely have more than 25 visits in one day, although it does happen occasionally. I have one student who gets a bolus feeding every day at lunchtime, and one child who gets albuterol nebulizer treatments in the morning and afternoon.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I usually see 30 to 40 at my middle school (850 kids) and 55 to 60 (600 kids) at my elementary school in a day. I have seen as many as 80 kids in a day at my elementary school though.

I travel between 2 buildings and have a full time health aide at each location so I do have some help. We had to crack down on what constitutes a health office visit at my elementary school earlier this year after we saw 150 kids in 2 days! We sent a school wide email that said the following:

The Health Office is being swamped with daily visits and our workload is becoming unmanageable. We are seeing, on average, 55 to 60 students in the Health Office every day and lately it's been as high as 80. In an effort to cut down on unnecessary health office visits we are asking for some help in keeping kids in class instead of in the Health Office for the following minor conditions.

* We ask that no students, unless they take scheduled medication, be sent to the health office before 10:00am. If their parents thought they were well enough to go to school they should stay in class.

* For minor cuts and scrapes please have students wash with soap and water and give them a bandaid.

* For stomach aches please have students take a drink or water and try using the restroom before sending them to the Health Office. If it's close to lunch tell them they will be eating lunch soon and see if they feel better after that. If they are still complaining after lunch and recess they can come to the Health Office.

* For sore throats and headaches please have students take a drink of water. Unlike last year the health office no longer gives out lemon drops or cough drops.

* For children complaining of not feeling well, if they come to the health office and are not vomiting or in obvious distress we will take their temperature and, if no fever is present, send them back to class.

* We know that you know your students better than we do. We do not see them every day. If one of your students really seems sick please send them to see us but please let us know your concerns with a quick note or phone call. We see a lot of kids who seem like they are just trying to avoid a certain part of the school day but if you think they really are sick, and not just trying to avoid math, we want to make sure we address your concerns.

If you have any questions please let us know and thank you for your cooperation.

Hope that helps! And good luck! And as another poster said, your shop, your rules! YOU are the expert in this area, not the administration or teachers.

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I have been a school nurse now for 3 years. My clinic has an average of 60+ a day. Teachers are not allowed to send students before 9:30....This has saved my life

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Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

I have 400 in my PK-6 school, and I see between 30-50 a day.

It varies based on who has a sub, and if testing is going on.

Of course I have those frequent flyers that come everyday, maybe 2 or 3 x a day, just because.

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.

I have just under 500 kids, see average 40 a day. Not including regularly scheduled meds. It has taken me 2 years to get it that way (used to be about 70/day, I was pulling my hair out). I would say of the 40 average, maybe 15 are legit visits.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
I have just under 500 kids, see average 40 a day. Not including regularly scheduled meds. It has taken me 2 years to get it that way (used to be about 70/day, I was pulling my hair out). I would say of the 40 average, maybe 15 are legit visits.

Oh please share your secret for cutting that many visits!!!

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Specializes in School Nursing, Hospice,Med-Surg.

I have 315 kids in a K-8 school.

I average about 40 visits/day. My heaviest day so far was 65 during flu season.

Several of my visits each day are repeat offenders.

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Specializes in Home Health,Dialysis, MDS, School Nurse.

* We ask that no students, unless they take scheduled medication, be sent to the health office before 10:00am. If their parents thought they were well enough to go to school they should stay in class.

This is assuming there are parents home/awake/not high/give a crap about what condition their kids are in when they head to school. I've had kids puke on their way into the school and had been doing it all night, but parents sent them. Had a kid just the other day with a 102 fever right off the bus. I get the thought behind it, but this rule would never fly here.

Love everything else in your letter though!

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.
Oh please share your secret for cutting that many visits!!!
I just made it really boring in my office. The previous nurse had crayons and coloring books, and some old library books. I noticed the visits decrease after I threw them all out. Then I just had to work my way through the rest, like the frequent fliers started getting calls home every time they showed up. Mom would get annoyed at the phone calls and take care of the problem. Then I just set some rules, like no visits before checking in with the teacher at the beginning of the day (a lot of visits would happen right off the bus), and no visits if you were just at recess (unless your issue happened at recess, like an injury). I changed the room so the students sit in a line along a wall. Any shenanigans, they go back to class. I started saying to the tummy aches "lay down and stay down" or go back to class. I send the kids back with their passes, and put comments on so the teacher knows what I did. Oh, and I painted a small wooden table with chalkboard paint so when the headaches start taking chalk and making these huge, elaborate art pieces, I say "very nice" and send them back. If they can draw in my office, they can do their work in the classroom. I still get A TON of nonsense, and I saw early on that the teachers don't really care about what's a necessary visit and what isn't. I'm here, so they're going to use me. But it's better than what it was.
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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i like the chalk board table idea. Now to find a place in here for it...

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