Just need to vent for a minute...

[ohiobobcat]

I had a parent ask me last week if she could bring in some food to keep in my fridge/office for her daughter. Her daughter has anorexia and she would like her to be able to eat whenever she feels like she is hungry. I say sure, no problem. Mom comes to open house last night. "I am bringing in food tomorrow, is that still ok? Me: Sure. Mom shows up in my office today. "I have the food" but her hands are empty. Me: "Great. Bring it on down." She comes back down with one of the secretaries with 6 grocery bags full of food. A loaf of bread, boxes of pop tarts, cosmic brownies, honey buns, ice cream, 6 big jugs of power ade, 12 containers of yogurt, 12 Jimmy Dean frozen breakfast sandwiches, and a giant container of cottage cheese. Oh, and deli turkey breast and pre-cooked bacon. Wha....????

I was kind of flabbergasted and didn't think to tell her 1 weeks worth of food at a time is plenty. I made her take the loaf of bread home at least. So now I have an office full of food.

THEN... I had a student with a broken wrist come in saying he needs his ibuprofen. OK great. How much are you taking, I say. He says 600 mg every 3 hours. I say, are you sure about that? That seems like a high dose. He says yep- 3 of these pills every 3 hours and pulls an OTC bottle of ibuprofen out of his pocket (great!!). So I call mom to clarify dose. She says yes, the paperwork from the ER says 600 mg of ibuprofen every 3 hours. I say, that's quite a high dose of ibuprofen and in order to administer that much ibuprofen I definitely need a physicians order (so I can call and clarify said order!!!). I then explained that the standing orders that I have from the school physician only allow me to give 400 mg every 4-6 hours and since he had ibuprofen 600 mg PO at 0600 today I can't medicate him again until noon. Mom: Well that's just ridiculous. My son is not going to sit there in pain because your school physician doesn't know how to order medication. He doesn't know my son, and I don't think your school physician has ever set foot in your school even!! I know my child and I know all about medicine because I have daughter who is on medication etc etc. What is your fax # so I can have the ER fax those orders to you? He wasn't even supposed to come see you, because you guys make things so hard with your "standing orders".

Me: Uhhhhh.....

So the ER calls me to verify fax #. I ask to clarify the orders while I have nurse on the phone. She says Oh no- ibuprofen every 6 hours, alternating with tylenol every 6 hours so he gets pain medication every 3 hour, which is where I think the confusion happened. But geez!! I'm trying to prevent your son from killing his stomach/liver/kidneys.

Deep breath.....

Deep breath....

OK vent over- these are the times that I miss having a face to face coworker to vent to- so you guy get to read my vents instead.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Ugh! ::hugs::

I, too, have had the 600 mg ibuprofen argument! With another nurse parent who told me that 600 mg was the standard OTC dose by weight for her 140 pound child . I made her get me a doctor's order, but that was like pulling teeth.

The weekend is almost here...

[CBlover, BSN, RN]

The weekend is almost here...

Yippee!!!!

[100kids, BSN, RN]

It's the parents that really make this job challenging. They should be thankful you have standing orders at all!!!

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

good gravy!! i've had the parents that think that we have all the room in the world for their children's want's and whims. I get that the parent wants her child to have access to certain foods - but that sounds like overkill. I am placing a bet right now that most of it goes bad before it gets consumed. I do hope that the child does overcome their eating disorder, though.

[OldDude]

Well bobcat, I'm sending positive mojo your way!!! And I want to thank you for sharing....this is probably more therapeutic for us than you; a reminder that we aren't the only ones to have to deal with PARENTS! The farther I got into your post the louder I laughed!!

[Farawyn]

If he son is in that much pain why is he in school, hmmm?

[Wave Watcher]

#1 I would let mom send the food to her daughters classroom. Easier access and she doesn't have to leave class to eat. Unless she is a closet eater and won't eat in front of other kids. But the clinic is a germ fest and can't imagine mom wanting her daughter to eat sitting in a chair a kid just threw up from. Mom needs to get a grip. Does this child have a 504?

#2 We all know parents are right. Always. And ibuprofen isn't "prescription" anyway....what harm can come from downing 600mg every 3hrs? 4800 mg in a 24 hr period. That sounds about right.....for a GI bleed and to shoot blood out your butt. Nailed it.

Hang in there. Fall break has to be somewhere close by!

[ohiobobcat]

WaveW.- this child does not have a 504. AND I found out from another student yesterday that after this student came in and got a cosmic brownie, honey bun, pop tart and a yogurt that she was going to share it with all of her friends at lunch. I kept asking mom- how are we holding this child accountable? Do I need to watch her eat? Is she just going to come in on her own? Mom was like no,no she's fine. If she doesn't come see you let me know. She is a high school student- they change classes multiple times a day. My office is kind of central to her classes. Gahhhh!!!! I'm talking to guidance.

So I confiscated junior's ibuprofen yesterday, and he never came to get it at the end of school, so I am sure mom thinks I stole it from him. I feel like administration has my back on this one at least...

[Wave Watcher]

WaveW.- this child does not have a 504. AND I found out from another student yesterday that after this student came in and got a cosmic brownie, honey bun, pop tart and a yogurt that she was going to share it with all of her friends at lunch. I kept asking mom- how are we holding this child accountable? Do I need to watch her eat? Is she just going to come in on her own? Mom was like no,no she's fine. If she doesn't come see you let me know. She is a high school student- they change classes multiple times a day. My office is kind of central to her classes. Gahhhh!!!! I'm talking to guidance.

So I confiscated junior's ibuprofen yesterday, and he never came to get it at the end of school, so I am sure mom thinks I stole it from him. I feel like administration has my back on this one at least...

Wow. Okay, so no 504. Does the teen have an eating d/o or is it due to another illness/medication?? Trying to figure out why mom thinks an anorexic teenager is going to willingly eat a bunch of junk food?? That would be the last thing she would eat unless she is puking it up in the bathroom also. Maybe mom needs to provide nutritional food that would actually benefit the kid and actually be healthy. AND she is wanting you to call her if her child doesn't come in to get food? How are you suppose to know she is actually eating it.....because like you said she was giving it all way.

Jr. didn't no more need that ibuprofen for pain! Are the kids allowed to carry their own medication?

It's Friday!!! yay!!

[ohiobobcat]

Kids are only allowed to carry their own emergency medication, like epi-pens/inhalers with a provider and school nurse sign off. Everything else comes through my office.

And YAY to Friday!!! It's been a crazy week here.

[Wave Watcher]

Got ya! Yea, your administration better have your back on the ibuprofen issue. In fact, I'm sure the kid broke the "no tolerance" drug policy by carrying it around on him, so if mom wants to get all up in arms about it.....maybe her kid should be disciplined for having it on him.

Hope your day is quiet and without challenges. Hugs.