I can honestly remember seeing the school nurse on just 3 occasions:
1. 1st grade - My Mom suspected chicken pox but was not sure. Told me to go to school and ask my teacher to see the school nurse because "my Mom thinks I have the chicken pox." That went over well !
2. 2nd grade - I got slammed in the back of the head by another student doing a "penny drop" on the bars. I saw stars and staggered dizzily back into the school with the help of a friend. Fell asleep with my head on my desk. Woke up and promptly vomited, luckily into a trash can. Sent home. Never went to a doctor. Had planned sleep over that evening.
3. 7th grade - First period began the day prior. I just felt all kinds of weird.
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
This thread is so fun! I was a student in the 90s-00s as well. I remember going to see her twice in elementary school. One for a headache and once because I tripped on my shoe on the last day of 5th grade and my ankle was all swollen. I got to ride in the wheelchair. It was all very dramatic. I never even lost a tooth in school, I don't think.
Middle school... I don't even know where the nurse's office was.
High school I went all the time to sign up to donate blood. I LOVE donating blood.
14 years old, I burned my initial on my hand with a lighter and had a blister. I went to get a bandaid and she called my dad and told on me! LOL got a whoopin' at 14 years old
I know I went to the nurse when I was kindergarten and I just had a leg spasm out of nowhere, 3rd grade I sliced my hand really badly with a microphone, 5th grade I just didn't feel well, 5th grade severe cramps, 8th grade severe cramps, and then 9th grade for a splinter. I will say I was a brat but I was still a good kid and I never went to the nurse for everything.
Specializes in Peds Urology,primary care, hem/onc.
I graduated high school in 1994 so I was a child of the 80's and 90's. I am not sure I ever had a school nurse. We did have a health room in elementary school. I remember going once when I was sick with a sore throat but I remember my mom being there, not a nurse. I know we did not have one in high school. I once jammed my finger once really bad playing volleyball in PE. It was the head of our athletic department who helped me. Coach ran to the cafeteria to get me a bag of ice and he buddy taped my fingers for me so I could get through the rest of the school day (do not think it ever occurred to me to even ask to go home . I was a healthy kid and was very rarely ever sick so I would have had no reason to go to the nurse anyways. I come from a medical family, so unless you were actively dying or profusely bleeding, you were not taken very seriously if you complained you did not feel well. :)
Out of all the schools I went to (three total), we never had a school nurse. If you were feeling sick, they sent you to the office to call your parents.
My brother has Von Willebrand disease, and I am supposed to be tested soon for it as well, and both of us had horrible nosebleeds as kids that would freak all the teachers out and definitely get us sent home for the day! I assume that wouldn't have happened if we had school nurses. It definitely would've made my mom happier. :)
Never, aside from hearing, vision, and scoliosis screening. When I was sick, I rarely wanted to stay home, so I just pushed through my day. These days, they come to the health office if they sneezed once!
My husband and I were just talking about this last night because I asked him how many times he went. He seems like the type that would have gone often lol but he said maybe once and it was so boring he left. I went once for a jammed finger in middle school.
Ahhh...that is my goal. BORING! It seems to work for a lot of kids. Don't be a fun nurse and the kids won't want to hang in the clinic.
JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN
588 Posts
This thread is so fun! I was a student in the 90s-00s as well. I remember going to see her twice in elementary school. One for a headache and once because I tripped on my shoe on the last day of 5th grade and my ankle was all swollen. I got to ride in the wheelchair. It was all very dramatic. I never even lost a tooth in school, I don't think.
Middle school... I don't even know where the nurse's office was.
High school I went all the time to sign up to donate blood. I LOVE donating blood.