I am a medical assistant working at a middle school (we work under the district nurse, who is usually at a different location). Our RN is new, young and great to work with. We work for a different company that the school has contacts with. So there are many different opinions on how things should be done. This school is low poverty with low performance scores. In the begging of the year I of course go through the company's orientation. Then when I get to the school they tell me their rules. Like most of us working in school, teachers don't write passes, or try and do our job. Recently I feel like I get no support from staff.
Due to the recent flu outbreak being at the highest level and having deaths in Ohio due to the flu. We have had several students testing positive for the flu. Of course parents still send them to school. I had a student with an 104 temp that sat in my one cot dirty room they provide me with for 3 hours because I couldn't get a hold of the Mom. Resulting in me getting a fever and calling of sick for 2 days. (And I'm only offered 5 days PTO! On top of not getting paid for any of the vacation days ie: Christmas and spring break, not to mention I took a huge pay cut with this job, my mistake, I know). So due to flu crisis I have been asking parents to pick up kids who don't feel well who have a low grade fever 99+ as a precaution and advise them to make sure they are fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Of course I sent this student home, Mom told the recommendations and told her she should not come in the following day. But you guessed it she came in the following day. Temp higher then it was the day before but still in the low grade area. The principal called me to tell me she was at school and put it on me to take care of it. (Which I feel is not appropriate, since I don't make the rules and it's a recommendation) Mom (who tells me she was a nurse) was pissed, told me she is not picking up her kid and I never told her about the recommendation, (which I did and if she is a nurse she claims to be she should probably be aware of this) and I even gave the student a paper with this information about being fever free. She then proceeds to basically tell me how I shouldn't even be working in the school and I have no right to make a diagnosis (which I did not, but we are taking all precautions to not spread illness, specially with the flu outbreak). Basically she made me so upset I started to cry in front of another sick student in my office because she was saying some awful things to me. Which this I can get past. We all have had this moment I'm sure.
The thing that makes me so frustrated is that the administration and staff never support me. There is no procedure or policy in place for the school district regarding illness, fevers or outbreak emergencies. I feel the principle should have stepped in or at least help me out. Our district nurse and I have been trying to hard to get communication out to parents and staff with little results. The company that I work for that the school contracts with does not seem to inform the school what my job duties are and go over rules and regulations well and won't say much because they are scared to loose their contact. I've seen several schools board of education have policies for this that parents are made aware of and several principles who step in and help me out.
Basically I just want to know what or if your schools that you work for have policies? Does the administration or staff help you our or back you up? Any suggestions? There have been other circumstances I have been in that I do not feel comfortable with and I am just at a loss of what to do. (Yes, I am actively seeking a new job)
Also to all the school nurses and health staff that work in schools I applaud you so much!
