Letters home to parents

[KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN]

Good morning all! I've been considering typing up a general "Hey I saw your kid in my office today" letter that I would send home with my kiddos who were seen but didn't necessarily need a call home at the time. My question is....how do you send yours home? Do you just send it in an envelope with the HOPES it makes it to the parents possession? Do you attach it to the kids' backpack (in an envelope, of course)? I feel like there are several different ways you could send a letter home, but just curious to see how you lovely peeps do it. Clearly this isn't for those times when a call needs to be made, but rather those times when a heads up, thought-you-otta-know courtesy communication is needed.

[kidzcare]

This depends on the grade level. I see most things that my elementary kids bring home but my oldest is in Junior High and she may or may not bring me a note home.

[halohg, RN]

My Health office pass is carbon with 2 copies, one to stay with me and one to go home. On the pass from the teacher they write in the reason for the visit, time, area of injury and type of injury, on the bottom is a "Nurse's note" with time they left my office with checkbox treatment options. I send it back with the student to class. The expectation set up from the beginning of the year is that it is the teacher's responsibility to have notes placed in a homework folder.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Ha! I work with MS/HS kids. The chance is gets home is usually not great. But I have tried! :)

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i don't usually send notes - especially with my older kids. They just don't make it home. I just make a quick call. 50% of those go to voicemail and are not readily returned. I tend not to leave detailed messages on voicemail, so it's not like the parent would know why i'm calling. I usually just say something like "Call me regarding (student)."

[kidzcare]

I tend not to leave detailed messages on voicemail, so it's not like the parent would know why i'm calling. I usually just say something like "Call me regarding (student)."

The more vague a message can be, the better- if you're hoping for a phone call back. If I need a new physical from a kid but I have had a hard time getting a parent on the phone, I will not even preface my message with "This is not an emergency" If they feel it is an emergency, maybe they'll call back faster and then I can say "Oh, didn't mean to panic you... anyhoo... We need a new physical for Johnny by the 15th. have a great day!"

[NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

This is what I use. I give the teachers copies and ask that students arrive in my office with one with at least name and chief complaint filled in. I'd say about 20% of my students arrive that way. I keep copies in my office and use as needed. Not every band-aid needs a note, but headaches and stomachaches and stuff get a note. Anytime I give a med I make sure it's on a note. Usually I call parents anyway for that but for my FF's...well it creates more paperwork for me. Sometimes the teachers staple the notes to the student's agenda book, usually I think it goes in the folder to go home. If parents don't see it, well, that's beyond my control. I did my part.

NURSE PASSES.doc

[Amethya]

I call, I tried to suggest this to the principal and admin, but they said no because the kids will lose the papers.

[OldDude]

I have a school issued smart phone...I'm utilizing it more all the time for texting info to parents for the middle of the road stuff. I've realized an added benefit from this in that, since they have my number, they initiate texts to me about stuff. Secondly, I can text photos of bumps, cuts, scrapes, rashes, etc., to parents for heads up to what to expect to see when they get home - or for comparative purposes from school to home, or for them to say, "OMG, I'm coming to pick them up!"

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

I have a school issued smart phone...I'm utilizing it more all the time for texting info to parents for the middle of the road stuff. I've realized an added benefit from this in that, since they have my number, they initiate texts to me about stuff. Secondly, I can text photos of bumps, cuts, scrapes, rashes, etc., to parents for heads up to what to expect to see when they get home - or for comparative purposes from school to home, or for them to say, "OMG, I'm coming to pick them up!"

I'm so jealous, OldDude. Because no way I'm sending all that stuff via my personal cell phone. And texting is the way of the world, it seems. Some parents will never ever answer their phones. Ever.

When I call, I do with my generic: "This is the school nurse calling. This isn't an emergency, but [insert LD name] saw me today and I wanted to follow up. Please give me a call back."

If it has to do with paperwork, I will state "This is a reminder that I need [xyz paperwork] for [insert LD name.] Please call me back with any questions."

[BeckyESRN]

This is what I use. I give the teachers copies and ask that students arrive in my office with one with at least name and chief complaint filled in. I'd say about 20% of my students arrive that way. I keep copies in my office and use as needed. Not every band-aid needs a note, but headaches and stomachaches and stuff get a note. Anytime I give a med I make sure it's on a note. Usually I call parents anyway for that but for my FF's...well it creates more paperwork for me. Sometimes the teachers staple the notes to the student's agenda book, usually I think it goes in the folder to go home. If parents don't see it, well, that's beyond my control. I did my part.

I'd have to add a faking sick/friend was sick box!

[NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I'd have to add a faking sick/friend was sick box!

Well there's a "no signs of illness/injury". I hope that speaks to the parents.