Is your clinic......

Wave Watcher · Sep 11, 2012

I meant to add but my computer is acting up......I was having a child with a heart rate of 214 bpm, only complaint was "My heart is beating fast", no other symptoms.....I was trying to get a BP and during all this the dang maintenance man comes through with a big metal cart clanging and banging all through my clinic!! I couldn't hear a *&^%$ thing! Then he wanted to stop and have a conversation with me while I was working with the child. Geez!! GET OUT!!!! Ugh. Okay, that's it, just a bit of a rant.

sfajctxnurse · Sep 11, 2012

My office is private. I have a door that opens into the hallway & that is the only way in & out of my office. I am also the only one in my office. I can see your issues with privacy & noise when you are trying to do screenings. I wouldn't like it either! Good luck!

100kids, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2012

I am the only one in my office although there have been times where that is not the case. It's much more difficult to do our jobs when privacy is not easily found so I am thankful that for right now I am alone. My office door opens to the school hallway directly not through another office.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Sep 11, 2012

Private. Is it in it's own area, not attached or shared with any other school staff members? I am having an issue with the way my clinic is set up. I have a shared room which is divided with floor to ceiling bookshelves BUT there is an open walkway (no door) between the two rooms. So, the other school staff member (not a school nurse) can hear everything going on in my clinic from phone calls to exams. He also walks back and forth from his office through mine to go in and out because my door is closest to the main hallway. I also have janitorial staff that will randomly walk through because storage is also on the other side of the office. Basically, it annoys me. I feel it's also a big privacy issue possibly legal issue but I'm not sure. I am new to full time school nursing....I asked the guy in the office next to me if the clinic has always been set up this way and he said yes for many years. I'm just frustrated!

I would be concerned about violating comnfidentiality!!!!!!! You need to have afrank talk with you principal about that!!!! Good Luck~

Wave Watcher · Sep 12, 2012

Thank you guys so much for comments and advise! Confidentiality is one of my main concerns. I guess I'll just have to talk with my supervisor about trying to figure out a way to provide more privacy!

tictac · Sep 13, 2012

Ugh, I feel your pain about the privacy. Mine isn't as bad as yours because my office does have a door that I can lock and put a sign on saying "screening in progress, do not disturb", but it is a pass through into the clinic, which is open to the main hallway. Everyone in the administration hallway passes through my office to get into the clinic or just take a short cut, so I have a constant flow of people passing through my personal space. They can't even enter quietly either. They burst through the door and it scares the crap out of me. I've yelled at a couple of them for doing that. Sometimes I lock the door when I'm eating lunch, but they just knock until I open it. I try to look as annoyed as possible. I envy those who have a private office. I can't imagine having no option for privacy though. That would be super frustrating.

Wave Watcher · Sep 22, 2013

UPDATE: I had another talk with my Principal at the end of the year. Just so happens....she got really sick at school and had to come into my clinic and lay down....guess what? People coming and going past her asking, "What is wrong? Are you ok?". It didn't take too long for her to realize the importance of privacy. And guess what? She moved my clinic into a private room this year! Yay! So much better, quiet, private, nice and cool with my own A/C. Only downfall.....no bathroom or sink. Doesn't matter too much because I am really happy about the move!

RainMom · Sep 22, 2013

Hmmm, that just might be the key to get the changes we all want: all admin/managers need to spend a little "sick time" in their own facilities (or spend a few shifts in our shoes), lol.

Great that you got the privacy you needed!!

100kids, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2013

Awesome! I have always been in my own room. I can't imagine it any other way.