New Head Lice Data - OldDude Institute for Head Lice Studies

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So I get a parent request to check her daughter's hair for head lice; said she doesn't know what to look for but her daughter said her head was itching - and she has big, thick, hair. I was just getting ready to call it as clear and I spied a louse fleeing from the inspection area. I grabbed the trespasser and placed it on a legal pad I had on my desk; to observe for scientific purposes. At first the louse would scurry about but would stop at the edge of the legal pad so I was leaning toward stating louse had depth perception and would avoid vertical surfaces. But eventually the louse did climb over the edge and onto my desk. Which led to my new head lice data. I scooped the louse from my desk back onto the legal pad and noticed it had landed on it's back; it's little legs flailing in the air. This went on for 10 minutes until I flipped the louse over and it returned to scurrying about on the legal pad. I again flipped it back over onto its back and, again, legs flailing but no luck in turning itself over. So the new scientific data is head lice is in the ranks of the turtle. They cannot right themselves if on their back without assistance or if they are on a slick flat surface with nothing to grab onto. Mark your calendar, you heard it first right here on AN...OldDude Institute of Head Lice Studies.

Specializes in ICU; Telephone Triage Nurse.
Cattz said:
We will always need to keep educating "our people". Who better to do it than us! I have a perfect example that I have been able to make some strides in the right direction.

This really happened last week:

One of my secretaries to me: Hey, so and so's teacher got a text from someone who wants to remain anonymous, that YOU need to check her head for lice. (No other information given. As she told me, I could tell that she thought this was not going to fly very far with me)

Me: I have to have a reason to check a student. I cannot just pull one out of class randomly.

Secretary: I know. But, I was supposed to pass that along to you.

Me: Tell the teacher that if she happpens to see the student scratch her head a little extra. To send her to me. Other than that, no way.

Teacher sends the student to me 2 times for minor things. Never once did she mention her head itching. So, both times, I sent her back to class, after I addressed what her actual complaint was.

At the end of the day. The secretary asked if I had checked the student. I said nope, that the teacher sent her to me 2 times for minor things; but I never had a reason to check her head. The secretary said..."I told the teacher that you just can't randomly check kids anymore."

My thought bubble was saying: YAAAAAAAAAAY! I have made some progress! 

Maybe if the teacher comes clean and finally requests a lice check through the proper channels you can convince her they are Yucatan head lice?

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Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..
Maybe if the teacher comes clean and finally requests a lice check through the proper channels you can convince her they are Yucatan head lice?

l love your thinking! I am giddy with excitement of how much fun I could have with THAT! :woot:

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Specializes in ICU; Telephone Triage Nurse.
Cattz said:
l love your thinking! I am giddy with excitement of how much fun I could have with THAT! 

Not sure if you have kids and ever watched Invader Zim, but there is a whole episode about the dreaded "Lice Queen" (she moves from school to school, laying eggs and infesting all the children with head lice:

lice-screen.jpg.3cec03143715ddbf32d21ab288134372.jpglice.jpg.ea582aa88d905cdb8d32284b1655fc44.jpglice-scenes.jpg.e5fca01532db5f08cd3e8f0f5ec3f9aa.jpglice-queen.jpg.6e00f7cfde8f510c17a503617a1cf7f5.jpg

(Above is a Yucatan head lice)

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3ringnursing said:

(Above is a Yucatan head lice)

ARG! No! No! Bad 3ringnursing! You go put this back into the sci-fi movie from whence it came!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
ARG!!! No! No! Bad 3ringnursing! You go put this back into the sci-fi movie from whence it came!!

I sent this photo to my campus and other district nurses!!

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Specializes in ICU; Telephone Triage Nurse.
ARG!!! No! No! Bad 3ringnursing! You go put this back into the sci-fi movie from whence it came!!

It's actual footage from the OldDude Institute of Head Lice Studies (aka: ODIoHLS). It's federally funded data found here:

OldDudeinstituteofheadlicestudies.com

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
It's actual footage from the OldDude Institute of Head Lice Studies (aka: ODIoHLS). It's federally funded data found here:

OldDudeinstituteofheadlicestudies.com

[h=1]This site can't be reached[/h]olddudeinstituteofheadlicestudies.com's server DNS address could not be found.

Well, darnitall.... someone should really buy that domain and put up a website!

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