Is this normal or okay??

[BabyFood26]

It's come to my attention that my kids' school nurse has had to leave early on several occasions, that I personally know of. I'm sure there's been more cases that I'm not aware of though. In her absence, the school secretary has been providing "boo boo" care to the kiddos.

The other day my little girl was apparently running at super speed during recess, tripped and took a nasty spill. The secretary took care of her and sent her back to class. No biggie IMO. She didn't need much, just a quick "rinse and patch" ...

But what if it was something more serious, requiring a trained eye to identify needs beyond just a quick clean and cover technique? The incident report says it was at 1:55 pm. School ends at 3:30pm. Large gap to not have a nurse, I think anyway.

What if it was my son, who needed his PRN inhaler? Is the secretary allowed to do that?? I don't know

I'm not sure why their having problems getting a sub for this nurse, or what she's going through. I hate to sound over reactive. But I would feel much more comfortable knowing there were a trained nurse staffed during the entire day, especially at an elementary school.

Should I bring this up to the principal? I don't know... it's just unsettling to me.

[Cattz, ADN]

In Missouri, we have been provided with a wonderful resource for protocols to follow when the nurse isn't in the building. Here is the link. http://health.mo.gov/living/families/schoolhealth/pdf/EmergencyGuidelinesForSchools.pdf Happy Tuesday Friends.

[lvnforschool]

I am the full time LVN, and the school nurse usually comes in when she needs to get info on IEP or 504's. If I am absent then the seceretary has been "trained" to handle minor things. If its serious, she calls 911 and lets Admin know whats going on. They had no medical person here at the High school/Middle school for over a year before me. This school year, is the first time I have had a parent question me about not having a 'school Nurse" here to diagnosis her daughters Fractured collar bone.

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

Because you don't earn your xray vision until you become a RN.

[SnugglePuggle, MSN, RN]

Good point, I'll definitely keep a sharp eye. My state of residence is Ohio, and to be totally honest I am having a hard time sifting through the laws and regulations. I'm on a mission though. Believe me, I will get clarification soon! I'll probably have to talk to the school. All this small print is giving me a headache!

You are lucky your school even has a School Nurse. Many public schools in Ohio have "School Health Aides" who have no nursing degree. Aides go through a short training program and with that they basically serve as the only "Medical Expert" in the building.

[BeckyESRN]

You are lucky your school even has a School Nurse. Many public schools in Ohio have "School Health Aides" who have no nursing degree. Aides go through a short training program and with that they basically serve as the only "Medical Expert" in the building.

Very true! I went to middle school in Ohio and our "health aide" was approximately 100 year old. I had issues with hypoglycemia and would pass out or get extremely dizzy because of it. I passed out on our 3 day camp trip and when she finally came to check on me, she tried to give me insulin! The insulin did not belong to me! She argued with me about it and made the principal come talk to me. He gave me orange juice and twizzlers and kept her away from me. She was still handing out peppermints when I finished HS

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

Very true! I went to middle school in Ohio and our "health aide" was approximately 100 year old. I had issues with hypoglycemia and would pass out or get extremely dizzy because of it. I passed out on our 3 day camp trip and when she finally came to check on me, she tried to give me insulin! The insulin did not belong to me! She argued with me about it and made the principal come talk to me. He gave me orange juice and twizzlers and kept her away from me. She was still handing out peppermints when I finished HS