If your teacher says you should go home, you're probably ok to stay

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I had a teacher bring a student down to my office. Teacher says "she was in here earlier but I think it's time to go home." Student had been in earlier with cramps and we called home to bring her ibuprofen but dad said it would be about an hour. Now she's crying. Teacher keeps repeating that she should go home. I asked the student if it's still cramps that have gotten worse or is this something new. Student said it was just the cramps. Again, teacher says she should go home. I told the student in front of the teacher that she can be in school if it's just cramps but I asked the student what she wanted to do, call dad and see where he is with pain medicine or see if he can pick you up? The student said the medication always works for her so she wants to wait for the medication. Called dad who said he was outside parking the car. Teacher had nothing to say after that. ?

Specializes in School Nursing.
2 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

It drives me crazy when teachers fan the flames.

Cue overly dramatic/wants-to-be-sympathetic voice: "Oh my god! You don't look good! You must be sick!"

Kids often take their cues from adults. Many times given a spiel like that their "sickness" will rise to the level of the teacher's dramatic pronouncement.

Very well said! If my teacher says I'm sick, then I really must be!! They are usually quite put out when I can't find anything wrong with them....

I also love when out TA's bring special needs kids down, "I think he isn't feeling well and needs to go home". No fever, no overt sign of illness, call to parent to review reported behavior, normal when he has to use the toilet. Tell the TA, put the student on the toilet, he will be fine after that, per mom.... They get so put out themselves... Ugh.... never ending battle!!!

4 Votes
Specializes in school nurse.
7 minutes ago, beachynurse said:

Very well said! If my teacher says I'm sick, then I really must be!! They are usually quite put out when I can't find anything wrong with them....

I also love when out TA's bring special needs kids down, "I think he isn't feeling well and needs to go home". No fever, no overt sign of illness, call to parent to review reported behavior, normal when he has to use the toilet. Tell the TA, put the student on the toilet, he will be fine after that, per mom.... They get so put out themselves... Ugh.... never ending battle!!!

When I'm feeling more cynical I'm prone to thinking that some SPED folks are in an awful hurry to decrease their student numbers - the bar is sometimes VERY low to what they consider "necessary" to go home. I also bet if their hours (and pay) were cut for the day if the classroom ratio was too askew that the number of "needs to go home" students would decline.

8 Votes
2 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

It drives me crazy when teachers fan the flames.

Cue overly dramatic/wants-to-be-sympathetic voice: "Oh my god! You don't look good! You must be sick!"

Kids often take their cues from adults. Many times given a spiel like that their "sickness" will rise to the level of the teacher's dramatic pronouncement.

"My teacher said I have a fever because my forehead is warm," the student says as I wonder why I've wasted budget money on thermometers for every classroom when our teachers have magic thermometer hands.

8 Votes
Specializes in School Nurse.

WOW, thermometers in every class - brilliant.

2 Votes
27 minutes ago, BiscuitRN said:

"My teacher said I have a fever because my forehead is warm," the student says as I wonder why I've wasted budget money on thermometers for every classroom when our teachers have magic thermometer hands.

I had a student come in and ask for his temp to be taken. I asked if he was feeling sick in anyway and he said no but the teacher thinks he might have a fever. He even had a note from the teacher that said "please take xx's temperature." I take it. Afebile (shocker). And he immediately looks disappointed and says "ugh I guess that means I'm not going home." :no:

6 Votes

my teachers stopped doing this doing my first year when I marched into the classroom and asked to see her grade book and proceeded to change grades,...

I asked if she can do my job without any experience then I can do hers....

5 Votes
Specializes in kids.
30 minutes ago, palli said:

my teachers stopped doing this doing my first year when I marched into the classroom and asked to see her grade book and proceeded to change grades,...

I asked if she can do my job without any experience then I can do hers....

Outstanding!!

3 Votes
Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

I am k-6, so I get a get a few with bad cramps. BUT, we also have standing orders for ibuprofen (if parents have signed) and I do NOT have a heating pad (no where to plug it in!). If she was crying, I would have let her stay in my office until the meds kicked in, but made it clear to the teacher that it was my plan.

Also, I hate when teachers send someone down with a kid and then say "the teacher says I have to go home". Ugh, NO, I decide if you go home for illness, NOT your teacher, If you have some other non medical issue that you need to go home for that is between admin and the teacher, dont put it on me!

2 Votes
Specializes in school nurse.
24 minutes ago, scuba nurse said:

I am k-6, so I get a get a few with bad cramps. BUT, we also have standing orders for ibuprofen (if parents have signed) and I do NOT have a heating pad (no where to plug it in!). If she was crying, I would have let her stay in my office until the meds kicked in, but made it clear to the teacher that it was my plan.

I find the microwavable warm pads very useful- do you have easy access to a microwave?

Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.
30 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

I find the microwavable warm pads very useful- do you have easy access to a microwave?

No unfortunately, I would have to go down 3 flights of stairs to the basement, and leave my office. REALLY old building! Not enough outlets and I already have all my "power" I can have in my office! LOL

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
On 12/13/2019 at 10:21 AM, llg said:

I don't think we really disagree. If a measure such as a heating pad can relieve the symptoms, then the student is not still suffering and she can go back to class. I agree with that. It's just if those measures don't work and she is still suffering significantly that she should be excused from class.

I also agree that if this girl suffers from significant cramps regularly, then a plan should be made with her family to handle this better on a regular basis -- such as with pre-medication and/or medication kept at school that she can access when needed, etc.

But no kid who is suffering significantly should be sent back to class if they don't want to go.

Your response is akin to me telling a L&D nurse their assessment was wrong. The main focus of a school nurse is to keep the student from missing instruction time, something that my school, who was nurseless prior to me, has come to value. The OP stated she had begun to cry in class after her visit and returned. The teacher was way over reaching her expertise and escalating the situation. The teacher was ignorant of how unprofessional she was being. The way OP handled the situation enlightened the teacher and calmed the student. Allowing a student to self carry is NEVER an option, it puts other students at risk if there is an allergy and she shares, and overdosing on ibuprofen is a possibility, it killed my BIL. I try not to cross over specialties, it's not wise to judge others if you haven't walked in their shoes recently.

5 Votes
Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Honestly, I think I've just gotten immune to the teacher opinion or the "Mrs. So and So think I should...". It really makes no bearing on my decision. And if the teachers think that escorting the kids into me is going to help their argument, all it going to do is let them see the massive pile of papers on my desk that still need filing, the queue of kids that flow in and out consistently, and hear the phone ring all. dang. day. long.

But please... go on about how you have 6 kids out today and how this one was sick for the last 2 days and probably needs another day off because he is sniffling and doesn't want snack. It doesn't seem like you want to keep reducing your class size AT ALL.

6 Votes
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