I have had some kids that done things on purpose, knowing they will get hurt, then getting hurt and coming to me that they got hurt. Makes me question their common sense.
Last time was the "Andy Challenge" and I had almost all of 8th grade coming down because they "Got hurt accidentally at PE." and instead it was because they fell on purpose and hit themselves on purpose. After I learned about this, I told them I would give them ice packs, but I will call their parents. They were so mad at me, but I told them, "You made your bed, now you will lay on it. I have no more ice packs, I ran out! If you are going to be doing this again, at least warn me next time so I can get a lot ready! But you know better, so I don't know why you did this." I gave their ice packs, and I called parents.
Now today, a 4th grader decided to staple their thumb because "They were bored". I gave them a lecture, then called their mom to let her know. They thought it was funny, I was like, you could of gotten hurt worse!
Do you have a story of this happening to you? I'm sure I'm not the only one and I hope I'm handling issues like these right.
Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
I was grateful for cameras when I thought I was in the hot seat once a couple years ago. Parents come in, upset (in a polite way) wondering why their daughter was seen in my office for a PE injury and they got no phone call. She was injured in first period PE, said I gave her ice and sent her on her way. She suffered all day and they took her to be seen and there was a fracture.
I could not, for the life of me, remember seeing this child and had not charted anything. Every once in a while something slips by- when we are busy and seeing a bunch at once, I may have done a less thorough assessment and treated conservatively. Since I forgot to chart, I forgot to get her back to my office for reassessment which I like to do for PE injuries.
So we had a meeting with me, the parents, the student, and the principal and I was feeling awful and apologizing for my misstep and that I couldn't recall any details when the principal said "Let's see the tape to see how long she was in the nurse's office" and the student broke down, sobbing saying she lied and had never gone to my office, never even told a teacher that she got hurt. The parents were very understanding and apologized for causing us undue stress.
I had this issue too but not that severe. I got called to the front and the mom and student were there. I remember faces easily when they come to my office, but not names. So I never seen her before today, so mom asked me if she came to my office at all today and I said no.
Apparently the student called mom on her cellphone telling her that she wasn't feeling good and she saw the nurse and I kicked her out without hearing her out and she wanted to go home. I told her mother I never saw her, I even brought my visitor log and her name wasn't in there. Mom got angry at child and finally the student confessed that she came earlier when I was in lunch and saw the door closed, so instead of going to the front office like they are suppose to when I'm at lunch, she just decided to call her mom because she thought I was going to say no anyways, which that's not the case.
The mom got very mad at her for lying and the front desk secretary told her that's not cool because I could get in trouble for not providing service, when that wasn't the case. I told her that if she doesn't feel good, she can't do that because we need to know where everyone is at all times and if mom does come to get her, she needs to be in my office so mom can pick her up and not have to look for her. She was at the verge of crying and I told it was okay, but I am upset about it because I could of gotten in trouble for something that didn't happen. She left with mom and that was that.
When I first started, I had a girl research concussion and S/S. She was in weekly with a head issue, I thought these were self inflicted, even told the counselor we had at the time, no one listened and chalked it up to clumsiness. Fast forward 5 months and a new school year, she came to me verbalizing self harm ideation and 911 call. No counselor at this time, all me. Watch kids who are constantly doing the stupid stuff, it may be a cry for help.
Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
I do agree on this.
I had this girl just recently been sent to me by the teacher. I had talked to the teacher earlier at lunch about the student, she had these multiple scratches on her R forearm, superficial ones. The teacher asked her what happened, the student said she did it herself.
So worried about the self-harming, the teacher sent her to me. I checked the wounds, I cleaned them and then I closed the door to have a small talk with her.
For a while, she didn't want to open up but then she did. She told me she's been feeling bad about her weight because of some boys in her class calling her fat and things like that. Now this is a 12-year-old beautiful girl, Sure she's a bit heavy, but she's curvy and she's growing, I told her she's going to grow up a beautiful young woman and she's going to have the hips and butt that women would KILL for, I got a giggle from that.
I explained to her that as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" And told her to tell those boys to stop and how it's making you feel. If that doesn't work, tell the teacher, if that doesn't work, we can go to the AP. But hurting yourself in this way, is not going to solve anything. Action is needed and she needs to do something to defend herself. I talked about my middle school past and how I was picked on too, and I wish someone told me what I told you, because I felt like no one wanted to help me and I was too meek to defend myself. We talked some more, joked around and she felt better.
I took her straight to our AP, and she had a long talk with her about it. I called mother on the issue and as of now, I'm not sure if things have gotten fixed, but I'll probably call her in soon and ask her.
But yeah some kids do stupid things and it may be a call for help, so we need to be absolutely vigilante on this aspect.
I treated a wonderful goose egg on a students head thanks to 6th grade "trust falls". Principal shut that down real quick. Also, in middle school, I was handing a student an ice pack and noticed a member drawn on their hand. Not even a member that could maybe be something else. It was a straight up member drawing that a "friend" did. With a marker. Took up the entire back of the hand. I told the student that whoever did that is not a friend.
I try to keep in mind that most of us were dummies at this age. It seems dumb at the time and maybe you never stapled your finger to your desk but we've all had our fair share of bad choices. I, for one, totally remember making myself pass out on purpose in the 6th grade.
Also, in middle school, I was handing a student an ice pack and noticed a member drawn on their hand. Not even a member that could maybe be something else. It was a straight up member drawing that a "friend" did. With a marker. Took up the entire back of the hand. I told the student that whoever did that is not a friend.
I remember my senior year of high school (1998) a boy in my government class spent the whole class drawing memberes on a notebook. We had a sub and they confiscated it and the next day when our regular teacher was back, he waved it in front of the class going off on this kid and pointed to a particularly small member drawing and asked him if he had traced that one! I remember thinking that was out of line but my 17 year old (and quite naïve) brain could not pin point why.
My son got those (Bean Boozle) and insists I play, too....I learned to just slightly bite them enough for a faint taste so they don't faze me. Have fun with that!!
I had a 5th grade boy last year c/o stomach aches and nausea after lunch everyday for a week. He finally did throw up that Friday day and the reason behind his issues was revealed: 3 bags of flaming hot cheetos and 5 bottles of chocolate milk were spewed across my floor! Apparently flaming hot cheetos will make milk curdle-it smelled awful. His friends kept "daring him", so he kept doing it despite feeling terrible everyday afterwards.
Kids are not known for their stellar decision making skills!
I had a 5th grade boy last year c/o stomach aches and nausea after lunch everyday for a week. He finally did throw up that Friday day and the reason behind his issues was revealed: 3 bags of flaming hot cheetos and 5 bottles of chocolate milk were spewed across my floor! Apparently flaming hot cheetos will make milk curdle-it smelled awful. His friends kept "daring him", so he kept doing it despite feeling terrible everyday afterwards.
Kids are not known for their stellar decision making skills!
I had a 5th grade boy last year c/o stomach aches and nausea after lunch everyday for a week. He finally did throw up that Friday day and the reason behind his issues was revealed: 3 bags of flaming hot cheetos and 5 bottles of chocolate milk were spewed across my floor! Apparently flaming hot cheetos will make milk curdle-it smelled awful. His friends kept "daring him", so he kept doing it despite feeling terrible everyday afterwards.
Kids are not known for their stellar decision making skills!
Gross!
When I was at the junior high, there would be "table parties" where the kids would have a kind of pot luck- and it was all junk food, of course! A kid came in with a stomach ache and I asked what he ate for lunch and he said something like- 3 cupcakes, 4 cookies, doritos, and a liter of mountain dew. I said he could rest for 5 minutes but that he would have to live with that choice and hopefully learn a lesson.
In 5th grade, someone bet me $5 to pour 11 packets of salt on one french fry and eat it. I did it.
We didn't have a school nurse. So while I was $5 richer, I also learned a valuable lesson.
Blech! I ran my first half marathon a year and a half ago- it was 90+degrees at 7am in Chicago with high humidity so they encouraged us all to take a salt packet that morning to avoid hypernatremia.... It was one of the grossest things ever (but I didn't pass out... so, bonus?)
EVERY year, without fail, I have a table of 6th grade boys start up a little "dare me" contest at lunch. They start daring each other to eat gross things and the dares just build and build until one or more finally pukes. When they show up at the clinic and fess up, they get my lecture. "Okay, I'm taking care of you today. But if and when this happens again I will NOT show an ounce of sympathy. I will NOT call the janitor to clean up your puke. I will give you the supplies to clean up your own puke and call all of your parents to let them know what you're doing at lunch to cause this to happen. And if I'm really feeling cranky, you won't get to clean up your own puke, you'll clean up your friend's puke."
:roflmao:
Amethya
1,821 Posts
I had this issue too but not that severe. I got called to the front and the mom and student were there. I remember faces easily when they come to my office, but not names. So I never seen her before today, so mom asked me if she came to my office at all today and I said no.
Apparently the student called mom on her cellphone telling her that she wasn't feeling good and she saw the nurse and I kicked her out without hearing her out and she wanted to go home. I told her mother I never saw her, I even brought my visitor log and her name wasn't in there. Mom got angry at child and finally the student confessed that she came earlier when I was in lunch and saw the door closed, so instead of going to the front office like they are suppose to when I'm at lunch, she just decided to call her mom because she thought I was going to say no anyways, which that's not the case.
The mom got very mad at her for lying and the front desk secretary told her that's not cool because I could get in trouble for not providing service, when that wasn't the case. I told her that if she doesn't feel good, she can't do that because we need to know where everyone is at all times and if mom does come to get her, she needs to be in my office so mom can pick her up and not have to look for her. She was at the verge of crying and I told it was okay, but I am upset about it because I could of gotten in trouble for something that didn't happen. She left with mom and that was that.