Most Frustrating Thing ?

[Keepstanding]

School Nurse's, I would like to know what frustrates you with your job as a School Nurse?

Me......Parents who bring in an inhaler for their child to use, because of severe asthma, and the box the inhaler comes in reeks of cigarette smoke >>>>>

So what get's to YOU ?

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Or the parents who send the form back with NO signature....and last years Tylenol allergy is this years ibuprofen allergy.

[Wave Watcher]

My job is to keep kids healthy and in school. Major frustration: I make a nursing judgement to keep a child in school because they are FINE and a teacher goes behind my back and calls the parents to pick them up anyway. Of course, the parent calls me upset because they were told they had to pick their child up who was not sick. I refer them right back to the teacher and let them handle it.

Not my circus, not my monkeys.

[MotherRN]

"Not my circus, not my monkeys."--I like that! Must remember to repeat to self often!!

I'm just finding this post...bad day at work...I would say at my school the biggest frustration is that the administration doesn't understand that it's a problem when a diabetic kid is on campus without medical orders or insulin...for two weeks!! Then, once I get the testing supplies, there is no insulin with it. And the kid is testing at 450 with moderate to large ketones (DMII)- still admin sees no problem here.

Took a week to get mom on board, kid coming consistently to me, insulin in the office and finally, her blood sugar to drop from the rafters!

This is year two for me as a school nurse. I see from reading this thread, things are tough all over, and we all have many of the same problems (the contact #'s!!) I thought that was only me because of the student population I serve.

[SchoolNurseSince95]

We use old PE shirts and shorts for dress code issues. Not sure if you have uniforms for PE.

[SchoolNurseSince95]

Mylan has a program now...EpiPen4schools. Look it up. We will get them for free. We have an order from a clinic MD who writes an order for us to have a standard epipen pack on-site for emergency use as needed for any person experiencing anaphylaxis.

[AmberBradford]

The district now says that the nurse is a "do not need to know person." That means we do not know about CPS calls or any other medical issue going on with a child unless the mom wants to let us know. When the admin walked into my office and told me that they were needing a chart on a child I handed it to them and asked what they needed. I was then told that the school counselor was taking over that child's medical care. This was a child with tons of medical needs and was coming up on the biggest surgery that would need nursing care at school. When I talked to district about this issue all I was told is that the admin can do what they want and I have to follow them. needless to say I told them I quit.

[Farawyn]

I've only been a School Nurse for 2 weeks but so far I would say the coaches are kind of annoying and up in my grill..

[SchoolRNAmy]

My new favorite phrase.....

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Another one to add to this thread - when a student comes in limping pretty badly with a very visibly swollen ankle, reporting it happened yesterday at a non-school sports practice and you ask the following:

"Is your parent/guardian aware of the injury?"

"Yes."

"Have you had it checked out?"

"No, my mom just told me to come to school and see the nurse."

Sigh. Yes, because I have an x-ray machine or anything else available beyond an elastic bandage, ice pack, and ability to write an elevator pass.

[duskyjewel]

Wow, as the parent of several athletes I can't imagine ever acting like that, even before I worked in health care.

[SchoolNurseTXstyle]

My biggest complaint is that every little thing is considered an emergency, especially during my lunch. The need for braces wax and a 1 drop nosebleed are not emergencies!!!!! And being called to the other side of the building for emergency nausea.

[ICURN3020]

i'm with mc3- not being able to get in touch with parents. there will be a dozen phone numbers listed and nobody will pick up because they see that the school is calling. I'm not calling to ask how your day is going, i'm calling because your child is ill. this is especially frustrating when there is something serious going on. when i get resourceful and have the child use their own cellphone (if they have one) or use my fax line (i use that trick sparingly as i don't want people to know that number too!)

Isn't there a way to make phone calls through a proxy number via google or something - i thought i read that somewhere once..

Wow....my kids' school calling is one phone call I will answer anytime, anywhere. I could be having lunch with the President and I'd still answer. How sad for those children that their parents avoid the school's calls!