Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

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Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..

I have a student coming in after the break with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. She is on O2 that is to be monitored and adjusted Q2, VS including resp. status to be monitored Q2-4, jet neb PRN, g-tube for fluids, and I&Os.

This is a lot for me - I mean, I was an ICU nurse about 10 years ago, but I haven't done bedside nursing in A LOT of years, and even then it was in an environment with RT, monitors, etc.

I'm looking for any resources you may know of (already looked at Medscape) and any support you can give (do you have a high need student?, etc)

Thank you in advance!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I would pursue forcing the special ed department to hire a full time nurse to care for this child. Emphasis, special ed department; these poor kids would not be attending public school if not for the special ed department. So your resource is for the special ed department to hire a full time nurse for her.

We ran across a similar situation in my district...they balked but special ed had to hire a full time nurse. Cuz you can't adequately provide the care she needs when you might be available and vice versa for the other students.

You notice I mentioned the special ed department.

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Totally agree with Old Dude!!! As an ex-PICU nurse (among other things) this is NOT a job for a nurse who is responsible for hundreds of other kids. This child needs one-on-one care. These kids can be extremely labile and need to be watched like hawks. I'd take a hard pass on saying yes to overseeing this child. In fact I'd probably throw a complete fit.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Gastroenterology, School Nrs.

I ditto all that OldDude said! Do you only service the one school?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

The g-tube should qualify the student for medicaid waiver and an LPN to attend school with him/her. Also- student is old enough for school has likely had the three stage palliative surgery full meal deal and has Fontan circulation now. Read up on that.

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I would pursue forcing the special ed department to hire a full time nurse to care for this child. Emphasis, special ed department; these poor kids would not be attending public school if not for the special ed department. So your resource is for the special ed department to hire a full time nurse for her.

We ran across a similar situation in my district...they balked but special ed had to hire a full time nurse. Cuz you can't adequately provide the care she needs when you might be available and vice versa for the other students.

You notice I mentioned the special ed department.

This is excellent advice! Stand up for yourself and also that child.

Honestly, I have issues with having some of the special ed kids mainstreamed in to public schools. Especially if the schools don't have the staff to manage it.

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Definitely pursue the SpEd route. When I was one-on-one my salary came from federal funding, not even the school district.

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Excellent advice by all. This is not something that you can manage whilst managing the health and well being of an entire school.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Does this student not have a home care nurse? I was a home care nurse for a little boy with Hypoplastic Left Heart. He was a toddler so we didn't go to school but if he had been school age I would have gone to school with him and provided the care. I did that for a trached kid who was in kindergarten. We went to school a couple of days a week and I was his full time nurse there.

I know my school district prefers to keep nursing care in district because, if the child has state health insurance, we can bill for it but I do know they've had students who came with their own nurse to school.

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