I told you so!

Ug. I have been there. At one point I sent out an email to all staff that said that I don't want a kid to puke in their class just as much as they don't want it. But I do not have a crystal ball.

I made passes that had a checklist to show my assessment and interventions. That way the teacher sees that I did not just turn the kid away. The check boxes were:

__Did not eat breakfast

__Offered/ate snack

__No fever

__Rested for __ minutes

__No Vomiting

__Called home

The kid could have the flu and that does not strike as much fear in a teacher as vomiting. The only thing worse is, wait for it, lice. Stomach ache is by far the greatest complaint we see, so the majority of false alarms is huge. Without fever or other symptom, we have to err on the side of nothing. I am always amazed when a parent insists on taking their child out that I am sure is faking and they stay out for days with GI complaints, it isn't always cut and dry. We have to go with our gut a lot, sometimes we win, sometimes we don't, but doctors have the luxury of time to diagnose and we don't, because whether we like it or not, that's what teachers and parents expect from us, a diagnosis. It is not our scope, it is normally an educated guess, but they want definitive.

Ugh. Yes, it is unfortunate when that happens, but hey, we aren't perfect.

I want to tell them "I cannot let this kid lie here all day waiting for him to vomit. 10-15 minutes after water with no vomiting and he goes back. Maybe if you didn't send me every single minor, ridiculous thing I would have more room and wouldn't have to scoot him out so quickly!"

Puke happens.

I also have passes with checkboxes. One says "rested, felt better" and I always put the amount of time rested. I also always put on there "denies vomiting or diarrhea today, ate breakfast/snack/lunch". Some still rest 15 minutes with no vomiting, have kept breakfast down all morning, then go back and puke all over their classroom. You can't know which ones will do that. We can only go with what we see and none of us can predict the future. Some teachers are just spiteful and unreasonable like that. They all treat vomit like it's made of battery acid--I get the trashcans all the time and I swear they expect me to sanitize them, put a new liner in, and deliver them back to their classrooms. Uh, no.

I blame them. "What did you do? He wasn't vomiting when I sent him back to you!"

Hahaha I wanna be OldDude when I grow up!

Puke happens.

I blame them. "What did you do? He wasn't vomiting when I sent him back to you!"

This is how I handled people who wanted to hold my babies (when they were babies). I'd say "I am handing you a happy, smiling, good smelling child. That is the same condition I want this kid back in"

(0% success rate, for the record)

They all treat vomit like it's made of battery acid--I get the trashcans all the time and I swear they expect me to sanitize them, put a new liner in, and deliver them back to their classrooms. Uh, no.

So true! I inherit garbage cans all the time. Nobody can figure out to write their classroom number on the side with a sharpie. I might take the liner out and put in my covered can if it smells, but I don't sanitize, re-bag and deliver back. Sometimes they come to my office with an attitude looking for THEIR cans. How did they expect to get it back, especially when it's not marked?

I suggest all teachers to have a puke pail in their classes, one that students can walk through the hall with if necessary. If they feel nauseas give them the pail to walk to the nurses office with. If a child gets sent back up to class, put the puke pail next to their desk as insurance. Nine times out of ten it isn't used. And when it is...the custodial staff has an easy cleanup.

During the norovirus fun last month at one point I had 8 extra garbage cans in my office. I simply wait for the teachers to retrieve them after cleaning by our really great maintenance crew. I ignore everyone who comments. Hey I didn't bring it in, I'm not bringing it back. Be happy I stayed with them until pick up and arranged for the school to be sanitized. Yea and I ate my lunch in there too.

God, what kind of school nurse are you, that you can't 'see' ahead of time that a kid is going to throw up, and give them a PDPEP med? (Psychically-Determined Pre-Emesis Preventant).