I quit on the fourth day

Published

The stress and workload is not worth $4 dollars more than my old job. I saw students back to back from 830-330. Some are for ridiculous reasons-like an old dry scab that I saw almost dismissal time. I was unhappy and stressed out so I quit. Will I get paid for the 3 days that I worked for?

I'm so sorry you had that experience. Were they without a nurse for awhile? As a sub nurse, I've walked into situations where the position had been vacated for awhile, and they were making do with subs and agency, no consistent person, and the inmates do wind up running the asylum.

One place was so bad, (twice as many walk-ins as *any* place I had ever been in in several years experience subbing) that I took it on myself to talk to the principal and explain normal visit volume and the difference between cough drops and real medicine. The principal was young, new at her job and well-meaning, but hadn't learned to ride herd on the teachers.

I was assigned there the following week, and boy what a difference a week made. There was a normal volume of students, and they *mostly* came down for legit needs.

They didn't have a nurse since April. Everything was being thrown at me all at the same time. I can't remember names/faces/visits- which I'm good at.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

So steph...how did this turn out?

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Specializes in Peds, School Nurse, clinical instructor.

Sounds like you had a pretty normal day, at least in my school...I am sorry it didn't work out for you.

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So steph...how did this turn out?

I went back to the old job-special ed school

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Sounds like you had a pretty normal day, at least in my school...I am sorry it didn't work out for you.

I don't think it's normal when I'm seeing an old and dry scab at 3pm and a cough that had been lingering since the beginning of the school year. My point is what did the sub nurse do all this time?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I went back to the old job-special ed school

Nice! Good for you.

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I don't think it's normal when I'm seeing an old and dry scab at 3pm and a cough that had been lingering since the beginning of the school year. My point is what did the sub nurse do all this time?

it kinda doesn't matter what the sub nurse did.

Old and dry scab at 3...why did the teacher send her/him down? Back to class.

Lingering cough is a quick phone call home.

I don't see how this was horrible. Sounds routine.

Was there more going on?

Either way, you are where you are happy, now. Best of luck.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Many schools with the dry 3pm scab visits mean that the previous nurses fostered an environment where that was an OK to thing to send down. I've spent years teaching my staff boundaries (and the students, and the parents!) and common sense. Happy to say that I don't get that type of thing anymore. If I do, it's because a sub is in the classroom and I figure that out real quick based on visit patterns.

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it kinda doesn't matter what the sub nurse did.

Old and dry scab at 3...why did the teacher send her/him down? Back to class.

Lingering cough is a quick phone call home.

I don't see how this was horrible. Sounds routine.

Was there more going on?

Either way, you are where you are happy, now. Best of luck.

Everything was "go to the nurse" they didn't have a school nurse for months and once they had one they just kept sending kids to me. On top of that, they held a meeting in my office unannounced while I'm taking care of a student with complaints of "the room is spinning "

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Many schools with the dry 3pm scab visits mean that the previous nurses fostered an environment where that was an OK to thing to send down. I've spent years teaching my staff boundaries (and the students, and the parents!) and common sense. Happy to say that I don't get that type of thing anymore. If I do, it's because a sub is in the classroom and I figure that out real quick based on visit patterns.

Can you teach me what and what not to say? I tend to be impolite when I open my big mouth. Thanks

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I review with staff members that I am there to maximize the time a student spends in the classroom. I stress that students who come to me for things like well-healing scabs can easily pick up the flu or strep in my waiting area and then bring it back to the classroom and infect students and staff. No one ever wants students to come back germy and get them sick.

I give them all bandages to keep in the classroom and ask for refills as needed to handle those kind of visits, and offer a basic first aid overview if anyone feels uncomfortable with the bandages (and tooth envelopes) that are handed out. I've never had anyone ask to review these items.

I also give "heads up" reminders. It's cold - ask all children to write "bring chapstick" in their homework book to decrease Health Office visits for dry lips. I try to think of prevention strategies so kids don't end up with issues in the first place.

I do send out a reminder that says 30 minutes before dismissal I do not give out any medications unless urgent/emergency due to being unable to monitor students post administration as many of ours are bus riders. Also I remind them that cough drops won't be given during that time because they're a choking hazard on the bus. **and I note that asthma/allergy/seizure/head injury are always welcome at any time, including lunch breaks, since people will blanket them all together. It's all in the wording!

I just frame these nicely, start with a

"good morning, hope you all have a great thanksgiving! I'd just like to touch base on some things that I'm noticing are a pattern in this Health Office.."

-note

-note

-note

"Thank you for your kind consideration to these matters, as they allow the student to maximize classroom instruction time."

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I went back to the old job-special ed school

Awesome!

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