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.
I was a frequent flier. At least once a month in elementary. I always had horrible headaches and now that I'm an adult have figured out that I have allergy induced migraines and that's probably what I was always experiencing as a kid. Middle school and high school I just kept my meds in my locker or car when I was 16+ and took them when needed.
I went as needed...My mom and the nurses were friends so it was easy. In HS I worked in the HS health office! Long before the days of confidentiality, HIPAA, FERPA etc.
I'm a dinosaur-started school in 1960. Chicago public school. The only time I ever saw a school nurse (a truly fearsome sight at the time to a little 6 year old-she was about 7 feet tall and dressed in white from the top of her starched cap to the tips of her sensible nursing shoes [emoji33]) was when we got our immunizations.
Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..
I definitely remember the mass screenings, and mass vaccinations as well.
We didn't have a nurse. So, if we got sick (rarely), we went to see the secretary (who did everything...lunch lady, secretary, play ground/recess lady). I too remember mass vaccinations...I always cried. And, in 1st grade...I cried when we had to get our hearing checked. I knew that it was just a trick to get me in there to give me shots!! I really was a wimp and just wanted to be home with my mom.
2nd grade: Was doing flips on a bar at recess, then decided to put sand on my hands thinking it would work like chalk in gymnastics...it didn't. Fell flat on my chin. 7 stitches later and still with the scar to prove it.
3rd grade: felt like I was going to throw up, and I did. Mom came to pick me up and I threw up in the parking lot what appeared to be Cheetos and koolaid.
5th grade: Already had a bruised thumbnail that was starting to come off, and was swinging my arms while walking and hit my thumb on a desk, so my nail was hanging on by a thread. My teacher looked like she wanted to vomit and sent me to the nurse.
Middle school maybe once or twice for not feeling well. And high school I think I went once for not feeling well.
bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN
565 Posts
I was a frequent flier. At least once a month in elementary. I always had horrible headaches and now that I'm an adult have figured out that I have allergy induced migraines and that's probably what I was always experiencing as a kid. Middle school and high school I just kept my meds in my locker or car when I was 16+ and took them when needed.