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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!
Interestingly enough, several years ago I was at a middle school of about 1500 and saw about 60 visits daily. One year, a new middle school opened and took a little over half of our kids. I STILL saw 50-60 kids a day.
Now, I am at another district and have about 1250 students. I have 23 daily medications and see about another 20-30 on top of that. It seems like I have a rotation of about 150 of the same kids that come through. I rarely see a "new kid."
My nursing office is staffed with myself, an RN, and a full-time CNA for 1150 students preK-8th. There are three separate school buildings on our campus. We see *maybe* 10 kids a day in addition to our daily med kids. We have 25 daily med kids (preK - 5th) that come to the nursing office for their meds and another 12 (6th - 8th) that receive their daily meds in the middle school secretary's office. We also have a BID catheterization and TID tube feed. My CNA does diaper changes and toileting for 1st - 8th grade.
No student is allowed to come directly to the nurse's office with the exception of scheduled med kids and our diabetics. Teachers know that kiddos must first go to their respective secretary's office and if the child must be seen by nursing, they are then filtered to us. I send kids away if they aren't sent by a secretary! The secretary will check temps and if there is an emesis, kids don't even see us, they go straight home. It works well for our district.
If something emergent is occurring, we are radioed to the scene. So yes, we have hand-held radios to carry with us at all times.
Our office can be so so so busy and that's without teachers sending kids to us!! And because we're busy, it's common for no one to be in our office. (Emergency meds are kept in the secretary offices because someone is always in there.)
Thankfully administration is behind us 110%. If we have problems, we address it through administration and they are quick to be of assistance. :)
400+ PK-4. Including 4 T1DM and other daily meds, 65 visits/day. No help. This is better than in the past though. Working with new supportive admin. I chart everything then run stats to make changes. Example: 127 cough drop requests since March 1. Yea that's gonna stop shortly so I can get some statutory things done.
400+ PK-4. Including 4 T1DM and other daily meds, 65 visits/day. No help. This is better than in the past though. Working with new supportive admin. I chart everything then run stats to make changes. Example: 127 cough drop requests since March 1. Yea that's gonna stop shortly so I can get some statutory things done.
I think if I had that many visits, I would be sending out an email to push fluids first before sending. This is the main reason I don't have cough drops, secondary to the fact that they have limited efficacy and hydration cures the root mechanism. Even with my 3 minute average visit that is over 6 hours of students in your office. I'll pray for you. Just noticed your moniker, Windchaser, appropriate in this case.
We do everything including provide snacks, water, and mints. Ours is administratively decided. We've had emergency situations and an email is sent asking all teachers to keep students in class only to have kids sent for cough drops...in the past every restrictive suggestion has been shot down. At least we have lovely kids!
JustbeRN
38 Posts
mine varies but not more than 20 office visits. This doesn't include my 5 daily meds or PRN meds.
we have 600 kids or so.
When I work in the middle school its much busier with 1700 kids and two nurses.