Morning meds

[ABRN2012]

For those of you that are lucky (like myself) and give the prescription meds at school what is your take on giving ADHD meds at 8AM. My position is that unless it is ordered by Dr. or DHS has order it has to be given at school then it should be given at home before 8AM. At this time I am giving 5 students meds at 8AM. But I am being told I have to give these because their parents wont give at home. Now I dont mind giving the meds that is not the problem. The problem is the teachers are of course saying the students are not being able to focus until about 10 and they are having to test later for that student. Or students behavior is awful until the meds kick in. Well yeah if it was given at 6:30-7AM like it should then by the time they got to school it would be in their system. There is only one student that DHS has ordered for his meds to be given at school the others are just parents not wanting to have to get up and give it. These kids k-3 are getting themselves up in the mornings and getting on the bus! I cant get my admin to understand that a BID order for ADHD meds means the first is given in the morning before school and the other is given at lunch which would be where I come in. You know dont listen to the one medical person on staff. I am asking for a policy change next year but I wanted to know if any of you might have some insight.

[scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN]

For the morning meds I give, it is because parents say "they have to eat breakfast first" . We have free breakfast for all, so that is the excuse parents use. It is more consistent when I give it.

[Amethya]

For a while, in my first semester this year, I had 2 students to give medications at 8 AM, but I felt the same way. One was this little boy, who was sweet as ever, but has the Hyperactive part down in ADHD, and will not sit still. So the medication is suppose to be given at 8AM, but the medicine won't kick in until an hour later. The reason the mom asked if we gave the medication at school was she was having issues with him taking it pill form. But after a bit of practice he learned and now is taking it at home. Then the second was another story, but it was the same issue, but it was more destructive. (Student was acting out really badly to the point where she was expelled from our school. Causing fights, etc. It was really sad.) but when she actually took the medication and didn't spit it out or anything like that, it took an hour for it to kick in. But mother didn't want to try to give medication at home because she was doing the same thing with me, pretending and spitting it out.

Since then, I haven't had any morning medications for ADHD. My only ADHD is in the afternoon, not morning.

We are having an issue with two siblings who have ADHD, but aren't taking the medication at home because mother forgets frequently. We have asked if she can bring the medication here so I can give it to them, but she refuses.

[healthandwelness115]

That is crazy, I would be paranoid the parents would wake up one day and decide to give meds, and forget to tell you.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

That is crazy, I would be paranoid the parents would wake up one day and decide to give meds, and forget to tell you.

That's the reason I usually politely refuse this gig unless absolutely necessary...