How often did YOU see the school nurse?

idodialysis · Nov 13, 2015

60s and 70s no such thing as a school nurse!ðŸ˜Š. I had my finger broken during gym class playing dodge ball. Didn't tell anyone just kept playing. I never told my mom. It healed itself up crooked and "snaps" when I bend it!

WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN · Nov 13, 2015

In first grade I wet my pants. :*

In third grade I was in a race on the concrete floored-tin roof covered area. The posts holding up the roof were steel girders. Well, the finish line was by those posts and I slammed into one extremely hard. Had a flippin' huge bruise for weeks.

In the same third grade I threw up in class.

In fourth grade I developed a wry-neck and could not hold up my head. I remember my classmate telling the nurse for me "she has a broken neck." Even at 10 years old I knew that was stupid.

The janitor pulled my tooth in 4th grade.

I also aspirated a butterscotch hard candy in choir in 4th grade. That was a crappy year.

In eight grade I felt so sick one day that I couldn't even take a math test. (You know something's gotta be wrong that I can't take a test). It turned out I was about to get my first period ever. As one person said, yeah, all sorts of weird.

I never needed the school nurse in high school, but at bandcamp I did, twice. Those are stories for another day. :)

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2015

I specifically remember going in first grade because I had flipped my chair over that morning and hit my head on a radiator before coming to school. She gave me an ice pack. It was then I decided I wanted to be a school nurse so I could hand out ice packs.

In second grade I had a broken leg and was in a wheelchair for the first 2 months of school. I don't think I saw the nurse once during that time. I also don't remember seeing the nurse in 3rd-5th grade other than for the required screenings. Middle school, I used the nurse's bathroom when I had my period because I didn't use the bathrooms at school, they were all gross, but during those weeks it was necessary.

In high school, I don't even think we told my school nurse when I was diagnosed with epilepsy and a brain tumor mid-way through my senior year. Had seizures regularly at school and never went to the nurse.

Tina, RN · Nov 13, 2015

In elementary school, I remember going once for nausea, and a few times for sore throats. I used to get strep throat a lot. I remember having poison ivy and my teacher putting calamine lotion on for me. I have no memories of going to the nurse in middle or high school... The gym teachers did scoliosis screenings. I can not name even one of my school nurses. Meanwhile, I go to the mall, and zillions of kids shout out my name, because I used to be their school nurse!

Kids these days definitely need to work on toughening up!

SwansonRN · Nov 13, 2015

I guess I went a lot compared to everyone else it seems! Lost teeth, nose bleeds, ticks from recess, cuts...I want to say I went maybe once a month in elementary school. Once in middle school for starting my period and a few times in high school for bad cramps. The nurses in high school knew I wanted to go to nursing school so they always made me feel like a VIP with my heating pad [emoji41]

rn4kiddos · Nov 13, 2015

Wow this brought back some vivid memories! I remember our school nurse wore a white dress with a cap (this was in the 60s) and had a lovely sterile looking office. I must have been a frequent flyer to some extent because I recall one time my mother refusing to take me home after claiming that I was sick. I also remember us all lining up in the auditorium for a tine test to check for TB. it was a small white button with four short needles on it. We all anxiously examined our forearms waiting for it to bubble.

Twinmom06, ASN, APN · Nov 13, 2015

once in elementary school for an earache/sore throat (might have been 3rd or 4th grade I don't remember). Once in 6th grade for puking in the hallway and once in 8th grade after getting kicked so hard in gym class I thought my tibia was broken.

This was outside of the regular screenings we had for lice and scoliosis

SnugglePuggle, MSN, RN · Nov 13, 2015

Dating myself here...1969 small pox vaccination in the gym is burned into my mind. Maybe a handful through jr high then never in high school.

I remember standing in line for TB testing in the mid 70s!

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2015

HA! There WAS no school nurse "way back when". In actuality, there was, by law. Her duties were to do yearly scoliosis screenings and send home letters about lice and chicken pox. As far as a student actually seeing her for a medical concern, that wasn't a possibility. My district had 6 schools spread over a few miles, her "home base" was in one of the grade schools, so I guess if you attended school there you could have seen her for a sore throat, but the other 5 schools were "SOL"

emmy27 · Nov 13, 2015

No school nurse at my (tiny) grade school or large urban high school.

I did go to the office to be sent home for migraine headaches so often in sixth grade that they threatened to make me repeat despite my A average.

Why no one thought to consider that it might be that the classroom environment was so chaotic and stresssful (due to an under-prepared teacher and a perfect storm of kids with severe behavioral difficulties) that a kid with migraines might ACTUALLY be having migraines 3-4 times a week, I don't know. I guess having a nurse there might have helped.

scrubsrn24 · Nov 13, 2015

First grade...classroom head check...positive for LICE! I had hair I could sit on and it was perfectly braided that day. Very upset she had to take out my braids. (I tell all the kids that have it now that I know how they feel when they are sent home)

Seventh grade...twisted ankle during the potato sack race at field day. Had to be driven to the school from the field and carried inside. Showed up in a cast the next day.

I don't ever remember going in HS...but then again, I was a big nerd and loved school

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Nov 13, 2015

I know we had full time nurse in parochial school and in public junior high and high school. In K I was in the PM class. My mom was very pregnant with my youngest sister and couldn't bring my to school. My hyper punctual paternal grandfather misunderstood start time and brought me to school nearly an hour early. My mom didn't realize the time when he picked me up (I was the eldest of four, she was pregnant with #5 at the time). Grandpa thought 5 was old enough to be dropped off. He let me out of the car and went on his way. K was empty because AM was done and PM didn't start for 45 minutes. I was smart enough to go to the office. Nurse was there and said I could stay with her (small school so she knew my mom well). Nurse had to cover 2nd grade for a while so I went with. I remember "ooh look at the cute little kindergartener!" because I relished being called cute and little. There were a bunch cuter and littler at home so not something I was referred to as regularly.

Rarely visited nurse unless actually sick.

Senior year in PE smacked in face with a foul ball while playing catcher. It was a sub nurse who panicked since my face was "black". My dad was not happy to be called in. The"black" was mascara running because my eye was tearing post impact. Nurse didn't think to have me wash the dirt off either!