I Need to Vent...

[coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN]

Hi everyone! I know I have been MIA for a while, but I come to the Grand School Nurse Coven to vent some before I lose my bandaids.

A little background: I work in a school based health center at a high school that only serves the students on campus. I have about 15 or so safety officers (security not police officers) in my high school campus and there has been issues lately with them not feeling supported. Mostly, they feel the Health Center is always closed (which we're not). We close for one hour during the period after the student's have lunch so that we can take our own lunch. I am the only Nurse that deals with First Aids and Emergencies for 3000 kids so I want to take my lunch! The school safety staff wants me to keep my radio on during my lunch because they feel unprepared to handle emergencies or other things during the time we're closed. Apparently, the previous nurse would do this and did a lot of overreaching to support the staff that was not approved by the Director.

I want my break and honestly the school needs to know how to deal with things as if I'm not there. This is the only high school in the District and the only school in the District that actually has a nurse everyday. My high school two towns over didn't even have a nurse!

I get it that things can get scary, but I'm not going to get burned out. I need my lunch. They have each other for backup. My backup is 911. *sigh* How many days until Christmas?

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

Hang in there and don't lose your lunch (break). Maybe give the radio a try, with the caveat that if you are disrupted for non emergencies, you will not be available? A little compromise can go a long way.

[kidzcare]

Ug. I feel your pain. I spent 2 years not even trying to take a lunch and now I insist on it. And it still is interrupted at times (and I'm required to carry a radio).

Can you take this up with your union? It's illegal for you not to get a lunch.

[coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN]

My union says I cannot be on the radio because that counts as working through my lunch so it needs to be off. I get that emergencies arise, but I deserve my breaks just like they all do.

[BeckyESRN]

You have to have a lunch. They are being ridiculous. How many terrible, horrible, no good, very bad things have happened in the 1 hour a day that you are out of your office? I would keep the radio on me, but not entertain anything but true emergencies. They should be fine to handle boo-boos and tell kids to come back when your lunch is over. On another note, the teachers just shouldn't be sending everything little complaint to the health office on your lunch-it's scheduled, they know when it happens, just no.

[DEgalRN]

My union says I cannot be on the radio because that counts as working through my lunch so it needs to be off. I get that emergencies arise, but I deserve my breaks just like they all do.

Sounds like the director needs to start supporting you. Sorry safety staff, but you don't get to dictate policy!

How does you getting your lunch make the safety staff feel unsupported? Honestly, do they need more training so they feel more prepared to handle and emergency? CPR/First Aid training? Basic education on possible emergencies? Maybe get what their specific concerns (emergency doesn't cut it... allergic reaction? asthma attack? broken bone?) and put plans in place to address them?

[coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN]

I talked to their supervisor and stated that it seems like the safety staff need protocols to deal with emergencies when I'm not here (i.e. a list of conditions that warrant an automatic 911 call instead of relying on me to consult on everything).

We did have a recent situation where a student was unconscious outside the health center during our lunch and they banged on the door. However, CPR/First aid certified staff! I was able to only do a BP and a sternum rub to wake the student during the 5 minutes it took paramedics to arrive next to the student.

[coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN]

The other issue, is everything is an emergency. I'm only called on the radio for "emergencies" or when a student needs a wheelchair. Most of the time I cannot determine if I really needed to be called until I get there. I got called for a student having a "major" asthma attack once. I get there and the student is sitting down, with inhaler, and headphones in their ear rocking out to whatever they're listening to. Had to make the student take the headphones out of their ear to hear me with out me yelling at them. Teacher saw student use their inhaler and assumed they were having an asthma attack and alerted the safety staff.