minor complaints

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i'm feeling very short fused lately with the parade of minor complaints coming into my office. Chapped lips -holy crow - i must have seen 50 kids looking for the little packets of lip balm yesterday - i just stopped charting it at one point when i got too busy with actual issues. Dry skin, stuffy noses. I can't believe that students are let out of class for these non issues. Yes, i get that dry skin is irritating, but it's also not worth leaving in the middle of a lesson for.

And, yes - i've mentioned to staff and admins that perhaps the children don't need to leave class for all of these small crises. Some of my admins are supportive, some of the teachers are cooperative - others not so much.

Temperature Tuesday here.

Oh, and Tampon Tuesday!

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
I have one of those kids. Heat packs do wonders.

Luckily, school nursing had taught me "simple stupid" thought process first. I was laughing about that process today with a parent. Parent is a cardiac nurse and called me about their child reporting chest pain that morning; child also has suspected acid reflux. I immediately went to heartburn, parent laughed and stated "I was ready to do CPR before I relaxed." I assessed the kid in school to be safe and follow-up to pediatrician was made, but it really reminded me that different specialties have different thought processes! ;)

That's my daily struggle. I have to think least to worst instead of worst to least. My student graduated last year. She ended up having multiple auto-immune issues before the end of the year.She kept me thinking.

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I'm having a too tired to care Tuesday! Maybe it's the snow...

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That's my daily struggle. I have to think least to worst instead of worst to least. My student graduated last year. She ended up having multiple auto-immune issues before the end of the year.She kept me thinking.

That's a good thing. Someone has to.

Seriously, though it is. Those, "but what if it really is....." moments can get to you.

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Specializes in School nursing.
That's a good thing. Someone has to.

Seriously, though it is. Those, "but what if it really is....." moments can get to you.

Oh, I've had the "something is off" moments. When you just can't put your finger on it, simplest explanation isn't working. Those scare me. Kids can turn fast.

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Specializes in Pediatrics/Developmental Pediatrics/Research/psych.
That's a good thing. Someone has to.

Seriously, though it is. Those, "but what if it really is....." moments can get to you.

In my first month as a school nurse, I had a headache kid that ended up with viral meningitis. I ended up accompanying the kid to ED to r/o bacterial meningitis. That kind of shook my ability to avoid the what ifs...

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Specializes in School Nurse.

I had a kid come to the clinic c/o your typical stomach ache. He was running a slight fever at 99.9. He stayed in the clinic for awhile and his fever went to 100.1. I called Dad. When he came to pick him up, I went through my whole " monitor for increasing pain and increased fever." Turns out he had an appendicitis. So glad I told Dad what to look out for. He made it through the whole ordeal with flying colors.

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Today is Lice Tuesday. Monday was Lice Monday. Last week was Lice Week. I am drowning in lice complaints, combing and nasty calls from parents. We've not had what I'd consider an outbreak or anything. It's the same 4 families, over and over and over again. I've sent one student home 17 times this year. Parent just does not do follow up. SW and District nurse have been out to home, they can't do any more. I'm sick of getting yelled at by parents!!!! Or or worse, they sit in my office ALL DAY because parents don't/won't pick up their phones.

Not feeling the love lately.....

:banghead:

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Our district has indicated that repeated lice issues like this could warrant a call to CPS, falls under medical neglect.

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My grand daughter has gone to the nurse 15 times this year already. The nurse and I both know she gets bored easily, and wants to get out of class. My daughter and I had a little chat with her, and the visits have stopped, for now. It's either a sore throat or stomach problems. Argh!! She always comes up with something her teacher can't ignore. I feel for you. By the way, she gets plenty of attention at home.

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Our district has indicated that repeated lice issues like this could warrant a call to CPS, falls under medical neglect.

Yes, this!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Our district has indicated that repeated lice issues like this could warrant a call to CPS, falls under medical neglect.

Way down here, CPS only gets involved if the kids have absenteeism because they are not coming to school or if they have festering head lesions; not for recurrent head lice only. Our district policy is absences associated with lice are unexcused.

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