Left in the Dark

First off, that is horrible! I'm sorry! 

Is it like that at all schools in your district? Do you have a nurse leader? It sounds like your principal is not approachable, is there someone else yo can go to? You must be involved in this! you are the medical person in the building!!

I am so sorry this is happening. It is the same in my district. Even though we have a nurse lead, we have not been made a part of the decisions at all. 

Keep advocating for your voice to be heard. That is what we are trying to do. 

Same here.  At another point in my life, I would have been banging on the principal's door with binders, and research studies, and powerpoint slides, and algorithms in hand. 

But, well...in my case it's clear the admins are going to do what they're going to do. They're not particularly well-informed on COVID, but they also have no observable interest in my input (and I was an epidemiology nurse previously!).  They are friendly and respectful but I just get the smile-and-nod "we'll get back to you" routine.

Consulting a nurse is just not part of running a school in their worldview, I think - it doesn't seem personal, so I'm not taking it that way.

I don't think you're overreacting, and you're more than justified to charge in there and make suggestions.  Me, I am just tired of banging my head against so many walls.   I will just try to deal with all the unnecessary, forseeable, preventable problems that will arise soon, with minimum eye-rolling. 

This is exactly what is happening in our district! I am the lead nurse, and I was not contacted for input on PPE, day-to-day, screening, attestations, etc. Everything you would expect that they would WANT a health professionals opinion on! 

I just keep making my own plans, forwarding them to admin, pushing for the health team to be included! If they don't listen to us or ask our input... they will soon realize that their plans/policies/procedures aren't sufficient. In which, I'll be ready to take over. ?

I was part of the "reopening committee" but very little of what I raised as concerns was addressed.  These concerns are proving to be very valid and I feel like we're addressing them on the fly on a daily basis.  

Awful!  I was lucky enough to be in on all planning for the return of students and staff.  I am a squeaky wheel though.  I think if they didn't ask me I would have joined in the conversations anyway.

I watched a school board meeting on Zoom and was dismayed there was no input from the nurse on whether to go to all remote or partial F2F. The subject was being debated by the school board members who did not have any idea of how to approach a safety and health protection issue. There was no input from the nurse or public health.  One member kept insisting that what applies to adults attending school is also applicable to students from 5 y.o. - 12 y.o. As we know, children are not just small adults. She was the local director of a boys and girls club and I felt she wanted to make sure her funding would continue for the students who  previously attended her after school program.  My 2 cents.

On 9/19/2020 at 4:22 PM, londonflo said:

I watched a school board meeting on Zoom and was dismayed there was no input from the nurse on whether to go to all remote or partial F2F. The subject was being debated by the school board members who did not have any idea of how to approach a safety and health protection issue. There was no input from the nurse or public health.  One member kept insisting that what applies to adults attending school is also applicable to students from 5 y.o. - 12 y.o. As we know, children are not just small adults. She was the local director of a boys and girls club and I felt she wanted to make sure her funding would continue for the students who  previously attended her after school program.  My 2 cents.

And of course....THEIR meeting, involving the decisionmakers, was done on Zoom.  No way THEY'RE going to sit in a classroom for an hour with 20 other people ?