I have been an RN for almost three years. My background is adult med/surg and a little bit of adolescent psych. I recently started as a school nurse for a brand new high school close to where I live.
I know the school year just started and I have to give myself time to learn but I just feel like I'm not doing anything right. I am trying to collect and sort through supplies that have been ordered, even when I'm not really sure what I'll need more of, I am trying to chart correctly on every student that comes into the office, and enter immunizations/health card info.
I just feel like I am not yet confident in my decision making. When I was working in the hospital, a patient could go home once a d/c order was written. It's like I will call the parents to pick up a student with recurrent diarrhea or vomiting or a fever and the parents ask me to get them back to class, but students come in for other issues that I don't think warrant going home and their parents will come get them. ?♀️
I had a recent experience when my principal asked me why I was not reporting kids who had gone home after stating they ate food from the school cafeteria (and whose parents are blaming the cafeteria food) but there were no kids who reported to my office saying that. I learned a little later that those kids had not come into my office at all and called their parents on their own to be picked up.
Another thing I have had happen today is that a guidance counselor told me that I need to be developing 504s and IEPs/IHPs for the kids who transferred to our school but I have no idea how to do that. She even went so far as to say that she has 17 years of experience and her previous school nurses know what they're doing. Like okay??? I'm trying my best. If someone could have just given me a crash course in what to do then I would be able to do whatever needs to be done...
A big problem is that I received no training. I had a feeling this was the usual from reading posts on this thread but I just feel like I am failing. I try to do right by the students and I have confidence in my nursing skills but I am starting to find myself surrounded by admin staff who don't take me seriously.
Maybe I'm just being negative because my engagement ended this morning and my feelings are just all over the place but any words of encouragement or advice you could send my way would be greatly appreciated. ?
