New School Nurse Feeling Swamped...

[MA8675309]

So I recently started working as a school nurse at a fairly large junior high school. I have between 1000-1200 students at my school with tons of asthmatics, a handful of diabetics, lots of allergies, and surprisingly quite the handful of epileptics. I’m feeling swamped. I don’t have a clerical assistant, so it’s just me reviewing and entering shot records for all 7th graders (who half of are delinquent on their 7th grade immunizations), making calls about missing shot records, sending out action plans (I’ve got about 160 pages of health issues to get through), and on top of it all, I really haven’t received much training. I’m feeling overwhelmed, and school starts back face-to-face next week. With all I have left to do before then, and being in the dark about how COVID will impact us, I can’t help but feel like I’m drowning. Any tips or helpful advice from someone who’s been in my shoes? 

[Bulldogs, CNA, EMT-B]

Take a breath.  I promise it will all come together I have jst started my 4th year and my first year was hard enough without covid. I struggled the beginning of this year being left in the dark and out of the loop.  The best thing you can do is request a meeting with your admin and get a clear picture on what your school wants, when to send home, protocol for return, if you are responsible for contacting health department when there is a postive case, who will do contract tracing?? {in my area its not the health department its the school} Good Luck take care of you, its been 5 weeks and I am finally finding my groove.  

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Year #27 and I'm overwhelmed!!  But I also know (and keep reminding myself) that it does get better, the paper gets filed, the care plans eventually come in

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Yes #8 with help (new and awesome LPN) and I'm still buried in paperwork and back and forth emails/texts/calls for said paperwork for the first three weeks every year. But you get used to it and it gets routine and better, I swear!

And in the COVID time, reminder to myself that yes, there will be new bumps this year (likely a lot of them) and that is okay. You take each of them and learn. 

[cowboysandangels, BSN]

You are not alone in this.  We all feel the same way and we are "seasoned".  One day at a time and one task at a time. 

[ruralseok, ADN, BSN]

Year 19 as a school nurse. Year 30 as a RN. I'm feeling overwhelmed myself especially with covid. I have prek through 12th about 900 students. I call other district nurses and ask them questions or email is easier. Join you state school nurse's association or National. It really helps to talk it out with other school nurses.