Just can't win...

you did the right thing - took vital signs/assessed...they took child to see physician the same day - nothing amiss...why complain about YOU? geez

You did just fine. Was your crystal ball broken that day?

I posted something I did awhile ago that angered the parent yet everyone on allnurses felt I did the right thing. You did the right thing, too. Good job noticing a problem. You just can't please some people.

So did the teacher tell you that she suspected seizure activity? Or was something more that she told you besides, 'the student was sleeping & difficult to arouse.'

Cuz I would have never suspected seizure activity in a non-epileptic student that was 'sleeping.'

I say you did everything right. Good for you!

Awesome assessment skills!!! Fantastic pick-up.

I would not have called 911 on a child with normal vital signs. She saw doc the same day and was perfectly fine! The only thing that would result on calling 911 would be a big bill for the parents to pay. Then, guess what? They would be upset with you for calling 911 unnecessarily!

"you can please some of the people some of the time.....but NOT all of the people all of the time"

I think you did a great job. Why aren't they complaining about the physician too, since "everything was fine" when the student saw him/her on that same day.

Well done picking up on that . I think a lot of people don't really understand what nurses really do or appreciate the level of our skills. Also a lot of parent are just touchy when it comes to their kids.

Just have to vent a little:

Teacher called me to the classroom ASAP, saying student wouldn't wake up. Little girl was seated at the table, with her head resting on her arms, folded on the table. I touched child's shoulder, she sat up, rubbed her eyes, & said she was sleepy. I brought her to my office, took her vital signs, and called her mom. I described the teacher's observations and advised her the description (eyelids fluttering) was suggestive of possible seizure activity.

Student saw family doctor that same day, but nothing seemed amiss. Next day (at home) student had what a seizure & was taken to ER, and began anti-convulsant therapy. She will be seeing a pediatric neurologist and have further testing.

NOW the parent came in to complain about me...saying I should've called 911. (why? ) Thankfully my principal was supportive, saying the appropiate action was taken.

It's just frustrating: here I was feeling smug that I was able to give parents a heads-up right away, am planninng a meeting with the mom after the holiday weekend to devise a health care plan....and felt like I'm really on the ball......and yet ........

I guess sometimes you just can't win!

Ugh. This kind of thing is so frustrating. I had one in my school who started having seizures, turned blue, the whole bit. I called 911, mom came and didn't want him transported. Took him to the doctor the next day. Mom said the doctor "was sure he just passed out." Uh, no. He had a seizure(my son has seizures, I am very familiar with seizure disorders.) He had another seizure the next week, fell out of his chair and hit his head. Called his mother. She said(and I quote) "Ben does not have seizures. He is autistic, isn't that bad enough? Quit saying he's having seizures." I told her to come get him or I'm calling 911 again.

Believe it or not, this kid had to have 4 episodes of gran mal seizures before the parents took him to the doctor again. They finally did an EEG and tada! Seizures. Do you know that mother remained mad at me for the rest of the school year?