Munchausen on the increase?

[MrNurse(x2)]

It is my observation that many parents strongly advocate for their children to the point of excluding the rights of the rest of the students. I would love to hear from experienced school nurses if this has always been or is this relatively new? We just had a parent demand the school go peanut free despite talking to the student's allergist stating we did not have to do that. Had another demand her child needs special consideration for PE on a week by week basis dependent on the child's decision, a student who plays basketball and softball after school. A student who has refused PE in school and goes to her after school sports? Parents are condoning this. I am sure my coworkers here have more stories than this, as I only have 90 families. AN administrators, please don't put this on FB. Thanks

[school nurse z]

I saw the episode on Dr Phil. Such a sad situation. I am not so sure I totally believed everything the girl was saying but I do believe she had been abused by the mom. Her childhood was robbed from her and she was taught to be deceptive and manipulative. So many parents are the cause for children having problems. You can see examples when you go somewhere and hear a parent cussing out a child in a public place or watching kids being the ones trying to take care of the drugged-out parents.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

OMG! How awful! I feel so terrible for this boy and his father. This kind of abuse is horrifying.

I can't help but wonder how doctors decided to do so many operations and invasive procedures without concrete proof of anything?

Well - this article may help explain how so many unnecessary tests happen. There was just a huge bust in my area with Medicaid fraud. The doctors would recruit people from soup kitchens and pay them to get tests and procedures.

4 NYC area doctors among 2

[Amethya]

I have this issue with this mother who is known to be a little... eccentric.

What I was told when I started that she is lying about her LDs having issues, especially Autism, so they can get checks easily from the government. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but our SPED coordinator said that the oldest who left last year for High School, was yelling that they were trying to do things to her that was not appropriate when they were testing her and they wanted to sue for that, but because the coordinator wasn't alone during the time, and they had another witness in the room, and cameras that showed that she was just sitting there, testing, it was dismissed. And that last year the last MA didn't do something she likes and she basically harassed her each day when she went to her car.

They tend to over exaggerate and I think enjoy the attention of them having health issues, because the mother LOVES to talk about health issues that their kids have and constantly doctor jump to get doctor notes.

So last year, I didn't say anything to the daughter,when she came complaining of leg pain, except do my little joke of "What's wrong? Are you bleeding, did you fall? Are you dying?" Then go from there to see what's wrong. I'm not sure what was wrong of me to say, but mother came and complained, that she felt like I was demeaning her. I did apologize and it was okay from there.

After that, the child went from doctor to doctor, for doctor's note. Apparently the student has legs issue, and we had notes that said she needed to use the elevator and no PE, NSAIDs for pain. This kept going on the whole first semester, until we didn't get another one for the second semester. Mother asked to give accommodations, but we explained that we don't have any more paperwork that states she needs it and the child was fine, didn't come at all like in the first part of the semester for pain.

So this year, the mother comes to tell me that LD is diagnosed with Cancer, a tumor in her leg in August, before Harvey. I told her my condolences and said that we need the paperwork that states this so we can give her accommodations and she said okay. We went the whole 3 months without the child coming in for anything or any paperwork.

Comes to know that she came angry at us because we haven't given the child accommodations, which is just the elevator pass and extra minutes between classes and we expressed with need the documentation, or we can't honor it. She keeps expressing that she has cancer, but we can't do anything without the paperwork.

She came to talk to the Principal, but I haven't heard anything.

[Amethya]

And I got all these papers this year on allergies and I called every parent, asking them about them, especially the ones that say Severe. "Oh he's not really allergic to peanuts. He just doesn't eat them." So he is? "No, he's not. We just don't give it to them"

"He's not allergic to fish, he just doesn't like them."

"She's not allergic to pork, we just don't eat pork." Religious reasons? "No we just don't eat it."

"He is allergic to peanuts! Very Severe!" Epi-Pen plan, please. "It's not that severe though, he just get red rash and we give him benadryl and it goes away."

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I had a conversation with our Nutrition Services department about this. Preference is not allergy, people!! We both agreed we need another blank on the health form for PREFERENCE.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

And I got all these papers this year on allergies and I called every parent, asking them about them, especially the ones that say Severe. "Oh he's not really allergic to peanuts. He just doesn't eat them." So he is? "No, he's not. We just don't give it to them"

"He's not allergic to fish, he just doesn't like them."

"She's not allergic to pork, we just don't eat pork." Religious reasons? "No we just don't eat it."

"He is allergic to peanuts! Very Severe!" Epi-Pen plan, please. "It's not that severe though, he just get red rash and we give him benadryl and it goes away."

[Amethya]

My feelings to a T.

What do we do at this point? I mean the parents tell them it's not severe, but they put it as severe.