TLDR Principal calls 911 for a non-emergent. Doesn't notify nurse or parent of 911 call. Blames nurse for "poor judgement" without actually consulting nurse.
I had a young student visit me earlier in the day complaining of neck pain. Student is well-known for exaggerating injuries/pain/stories/etc. Denies injury of any kind 3 times and denies waking up with neck pain. Student is like "I can't move my neck." Proceeds to demonstrate which ways he can't move his neck with perfect ROM.
OK, ice. Sit for a minute. See how it feels. Temp is great! Kid stopped using ice about 1 minute in. Dismissed back to class.
Student returns two hours later crying that he can't move his neck. Student using neck same as before. Stops crying as soon as I call mom. Mom decides to have someone pick him up since it's almost the end of the day but she'll call me back once she confirms someone can get him. She talks to him real quick to do a verbal assessment (she's also a nurse) - same questions as I had.
Student sits for about 10 minutes asking to go get things. I'm observing the kid, but since he felt well enough to do so and he's not using the ice again- "OK, go and come right back. I'm going to lunch soon, so I'll let mom know if she doesn't call back soon."
Mom calls back as the kid is getting his stuff. I tell mom that I'll be at lunch and if it's okay with her, he can wait in the front office and come back after if he's not picked up by then. Ma's like "sure, I'm good with that. His auntie is like 25 minutes away."
Kid goes to front office with a note saying I'm at lunch and auntie is on her way. Meanwhile, I'm spending my lunch monitoring a student who is wheezing while I eat but she's good and making conversation with me.
The last few minutes of my lunch, the principal comes over the announcements and announces that the front lobby was on lock-down because an ambulance was coming through.
I jump up from my lunch and run to the front office panicking because I have no idea why an ambulance was called. I get there and I'm directed to the student who I had sent up earlier. The principal tells me she called 911 because the student had started crying that he couldn't move his neck, couldn't stand up, and told her his neck was broken. But when I get in there, kid's as calm as a lamb. Student had fallen asleep with neck bent in a strange way.
I start assessing the student. Vitals are excellent. Calm. A/Ox3. Everything is great. Encourage the kid to do a few deep breaths while I go get some more ice and encourage him to re-position. He refused because he was scared it would hurt.
Come back. EMS doing assessment on him. They find absolutely nothing except the model of perfect health. Gain the same information I have. EMS doesn't want to take him. I learn that no one notified mom that EMS was called. I have to call mom and explain that I was not notified either but that EMS doesn't want to take her child. She gives the authorization for me to sign off on no-transport. Principal is hiding outside of room from embarrassment.
I get an email from the principal the next morning complaining about how the "incident was handled" and that I "sent a student with a reported neck injury to the office so could go to lunch." She then had to make the "executive decision to call 911" and is "very concerned with [my] judgement at that time in the case of a possible neck damage report." And then demands a meeting with me on a time she selected.
Thankfully my supervisor is completely on my page and is backing me up. But that was the beginning of my week and I'm livid.
I actually hope the parent finds out this was all because of the principal and gives that principal a piece of their mind. Because I would if I were that parent.
However it was the child that escalated the situation.
Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..
Holy shnikes! I've been complaining about my principal this year because of her micromanagement, favourtism, and breeding a hostile work environment d/t her inner circle snitches, but this...this is just full on craptastic. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this.
Holy shnikes! I've been complaining about my principal this year because of her micromanagement, favourtism, and breeding a hostile work environment d/t her inner circle snitches, but this...this is just full on craptastic. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this.
Oh I had that principal before. Called the snitches her Minions. Divided staff, not a Minion = bad kid class. All staff had to come to every event on campus. Evidently at lunch they would talk about people. Had a LOT of complaints from parents and staff.
Specializes in Pelvic Neuroscience and School Nursing.
Update: So I had the meeting. Fun times, let me tell you.
The principal immediately starts off with "let me explain my line of reasoning" and provides the whole "my parental instincts kicked in" argument. Basically, what everything came down to is that he was too curious for his own good. Asked the front office staff why the student was going home. Made very explicit note of the fact that the student was asleep but his neck was tilted to the side in a "strange way" but thought nothing of it until he heard why the student was going home. Woke the student up once he found out and the student was groggy (you know...cause he woke up) and didn't sit his neck upright immediately. Feeds this kid the idea that his neck is stuck by asking "can you move your neck?" (And of course this student ate that up and spit it back out with fervor). "But I didn't call the nurse."
Meanwhile I'm sitting there with my supervisor who just stops taking notes with that last statement. "Please...explain."
Goes on to explain he didn't think he could interrupt my lunch for an emergency. And wanted it in writing - explicitly stating to us "I want it to be memorialized and I want her to write a statement that she is okay with me interrupting her lunch." To which my supervisor calmly explains that it's already a policy and also that it, ya know, goes with being a nurse. "This was sent out in an email at the beginning of the year."
Good Lord. I even stated "I do not send students to sit in the front office if they are not assessed to be safe and stable. I had a student with me during that entire lunch who was wheezing. This student was sent to sit in the office because both mom and I agreed he could wait there for pickup."
OOOOH! And there was also a moment where the principal was trying to say the health suite should be open at all times since I have a health assistant...who I have once a week. The best part is the AP was like "yeah, she's here only on Wednesdays."
AP is the best, I will have to say. Because of who this principal is, she was trying to be on my side while not being too obvious. Like, she offered to sit in my office and watch the kids if need be so the principal would stop demanding to know why the kids were in the front office. But again I explained that the students who wait in the front office are stable and safe.
Overall, it was ridiculously dramatic and unnecessary.
SchoolNurse91, BSN, RN
155 Posts
I am shocked. This is INSANE!! I've had staff members call 911 without notifying me, but it's always been warranted. I'm so sorry.