Nosebleeds

BrisketRN, BSN, RN · Oct 16, 2019

There's a set of identical twins in our preschool. Neither had ever had a nosebleed. Yesterday twin 1 had first nosebleed, today twin 2 had first nosebleed. I'm certain it wasn't the same twin, so it's a little bizarre they'd have their first ever nosebleeds (big ones too) just a day apart, isn't it?

Flare, ASN, BSN · Oct 16, 2019

i had a kiddo today repeatedly tell his teacher he's seeing pink and blue spots. Then later on he comes back to my office with a nosebleed. I had already called the parent to find out the scoop about seeing spots, but i called her back when he came back with the nosebleed. He also mentioned that he had a headache. I suggested that mom follow up with his doc and discuss the visual disturbances, nose bleed and headache.

Middle School Math Teacher · Jan 18, 2020

I am a middle school math teacher, and I deal with students ALL DAY asking to go to the clinic/nurse. Just to let you know, I do not send students down for every ache, pain, etc. I know the difference between wanting to leave class and an actual emergency.

I am commenting to YOU, whoever you nurses are, telling the teachers how to deal with nosebleeds. I sent a student down with multiple tissues, and an escort, to the clinic at 2:45pm with a profusely bloody nose. She went to the clinic, and I received an email from the nurse stating, "This isn't an emergency, I (the teacher) should know the excessive nosebleeders, and the clinic is closed after 2:30pm UNLESS it is a true emergency." Hmmmm....I have 103 students. YOU tell me, please, who these chronic-nosebleeders include.

If I want to get sued by parents, sure, I'll keep my students in the classroom. If there is blood coming from a child's face, I'll GLADLY have the parents file a lawsuit against me instead of the nurses/clinic.

In my opinion, you need to have a meeting with your school if this is the way you treat your staff and you have to resort to "snarky Stephen King" comments. The students are the ones who may pay the price.

guest464345 · Jan 18, 2020

4 hours ago, Middle School Math Teacher said:
I am a middle school math teacher, and I deal with students ALL DAY asking to go to the clinic/nurse. Just to let you know, I do not send students down for every ache, pain, etc. I know the difference between wanting to leave class and an actual emergency.
I am commenting to YOU, whoever you nurses are, telling the teachers how to deal with nosebleeds. I sent a student down with multiple tissues, and an escort, to the clinic at 2:45pm with a profusely bloody nose. She went to the clinic, and I received an email from the nurse stating, "This isn't an emergency, I (the teacher) should know the excessive nosebleeders, and the clinic is closed after 2:30pm UNLESS it is a true emergency." Hmmmm....I have 103 students. YOU tell me, please, who these chronic-nosebleeders include.
If I want to get sued by parents, sure, I'll keep my students in the classroom. If there is blood coming from a child's face, I'll GLADLY have the parents file a lawsuit against me instead of the nurses/clinic.
In my opinion, you need to have a meeting with your school if this is the way you treat your staff and you have to resort to "snarky Stephen King" comments. The students are the ones who may pay the price.

@Middle School Math Teacher: I can definitely understand that it's worrisome to see blood coming out of anyone's face.

My school's teachers flip out about literally anything with any amount of blood - a tiny scrape, a popped blister rubbed raw, a drop of menstrual blood on clothing. It sounds like you are more savvy than that.

But to give you some perspective about why nurses get a little testy about enforcing limits like the clinic closing time, or urgent vs nonurgent: I was literally called on the radio three times URGENTLY yesterday, and had to hang up on a phone call, to be presented with this question after I trotted across the building: "She's been in the bathroom a long time." I looked in the bathroom and the healthy high school kid was in there fixing her hair - no one had even checked, just called me over and over. Some school staff will literally interrupt anything from lunch to ambulance calls for stuff like that. It's hard to believe that your highly educated coworkers may have this level of health literacy but believe me, it's true. I had a staff member insist that I clean out his ear wax last semester, interrupting me while I was taking care of students. I regularly have kids sent to me during class time for chapstick. Just yesterday when I didn't answer my phone immediately, a teacher came to my office and banged on my door with a 16 year old "who needs to see you immediately because he has pinkeye" (both eyes look totally normal, no goo, kid's eye was itchy a while ago and another kid told him "I bet it's pinkeye dude").

Just as you have to battle with the constant BS in your classroom, we are battling on our side. It's exhausting both ways.

On top of that we have administrative burdens just like you do - committee stuff, detailed notes that must be written on every single kid I see no matter how ridiculous (because liability), entering vaccines for 500 kids. Most school nurses see far more kids/day than a health professional would ever see in a clinic. And we don't get a prep hour, at least I don't. Which is why I also close my office toward the end of the day unless it's life-threatening....there is literally no other way to get my work done and keep my job.

I can understand why you would be concerned, and I'm not even saying it was wrong to go to the clinic...just trying to give you a picture of the absurdities on our end. I try to keep a sense of humor and make amends when I find that the tone has become negative with teachers. In the moment, it's not always easy.

For the record, I don't worry about nosebleeds unless they are still going heavy after 10-15 minutes of firm and consistent pinching (which kids are bad at), or unless the kid has some other serious medical problem.

Middle School Math Teacher · Jan 19, 2020

I will not battle you back and forth. But I will tell you this: I will never tell a student to "Pinch your nose for 10-15 minutes" in my classroom while their nose is bleeding. I'll get a note from the parent(s), if needed, permitting their child to go to the clinic. I'm sure if I told the parent, "Well....the nurse said to pinch their nose for a while...", especially because it's the end of the day and (s)he can't "get their work done otherwise", I'm the one who'd get sued. So, YOU do your job. End of story.

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Jan 19, 2020

So you choose to come here, complain about ONE post that said that having a student bleed all over the place by not pinching their nose is stupid behavior and then saying we can’t criticize your viewpoint? I thank God above that my teachers are lifelong learners and can learn things and adapt. Maybe you should reconsider your career, I know there is a shortage, but I pray my boys don’t run into such a myopic mind in their short public school experience. Thankfully not all teachers adopt your prejudiced mindset.

guest464345 · Jan 19, 2020

It's a hard job to be a teacher - still, that's quite a lot of anger about one nosebleed. We all need to vent sometimes. But life is short, and to me it's not worth walking around mad about stuff like this.

I hope you and your school's nurse can figure out how to work together, for the sake of the students.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Jan 19, 2020

2 hours ago, Middle School Math Teacher said:
I will not battle you back and forth. But I will tell you this: I will never tell a student to "Pinch your nose for 10-15 minutes" in my classroom while their nose is bleeding. I'll get a note from the parent(s), if needed, permitting their child to go to the clinic. I'm sure if I told the parent, "Well....the nurse said to pinch their nose for a while...", especially because it's the end of the day and (s)he can't "get their work done otherwise", I'm the one who'd get sued. So, YOU do your job. End of story.

I don't understand why you are hanging out in a school nurse forum? Just curious?

guest464345 · Jan 20, 2020

On 1/18/2020 at 7:19 PM, NutmeggeRN said:
I don't understand why you are hanging out in a school nurse forum? Just curious?

Jeez, I'm glad I'm not on middle school teacher forums, they must be harsh! ?

This little distraction aside, I am often struck by how friendly and supportive the AN school nurse forum is. You just don't see nastiness and sarcasm in our group....I appreciate you all so much! Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday.

arlingtonnurse · Jan 21, 2020

I am going to give the Math Teacher the benefit of the doubt. I am not sure if he/she is still reading but perhaps they came here out of frustration after the bloody nose experience as a way to understand our role better. While this forum is super helpful as a place to learn from each other, what he may not realize is that, when surrounded by the few professionals that truly understand the frustrations of our job, we also use the forum as a great place to vent. Many of the things vented here are more to release negative energy to a sympathetic group of cohorts than because we truly believe many of the parents/teachers are as stupid/uncaring/lazy as these posts may imply. It sounds like this math teacher and the nurse were both put in the tough position of having to deal with a messy situation at an inopportune time. I think we can all agree that the best place for a student with a bloody nose depends largely on the maturity and the health history of the student, the amount of blood, and yes, the ability of another professional to be able to give calm accurate advice.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Jan 21, 2020

20 hours ago, laflaca said:
Jeez, I'm glad I'm not on middle school teacher forums, they must be harsh! ?
This little distraction aside, I am often struck by how friendly and supportive the AN school nurse forum is. You just don't see nastiness and sarcasm in our group....I appreciate you all so much! Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday.

I would agree!! I'm grateful every single day for the voices of reason on here!

BrisketRN, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2020

On 1/18/2020 at 9:24 AM, Middle School Math Teacher said:
I am a middle school math teacher, and I deal with students ALL DAY asking to go to the clinic/nurse. Just to let you know, I do not send students down for every ache, pain, etc. I know the difference between wanting to leave class and an actual emergency.
I am commenting to YOU, whoever you nurses are, telling the teachers how to deal with nosebleeds. I sent a student down with multiple tissues, and an escort, to the clinic at 2:45pm with a profusely bloody nose. She went to the clinic, and I received an email from the nurse stating, "This isn't an emergency, I (the teacher) should know the excessive nosebleeders, and the clinic is closed after 2:30pm UNLESS it is a true emergency." Hmmmm....I have 103 students. YOU tell me, please, who these chronic-nosebleeders include.
If I want to get sued by parents, sure, I'll keep my students in the classroom. If there is blood coming from a child's face, I'll GLADLY have the parents file a lawsuit against me instead of the nurses/clinic.
In my opinion, you need to have a meeting with your school if this is the way you treat your staff and you have to resort to "snarky Stephen King" comments. The students are the ones who may pay the price.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your nurse, but I don't think anyone in the above comments has stated that children should bleed all over their classroom. I let the teachers know how to deal with nosebleeds (so they can tell the student how to pinch their nose, hand them tissues, only pinch themselves if it's a young child) so that our large school doesn't have a 1,000+ ft trail of blood in the hallway, down the stairs, and leading up to my office. We're here to foster a healthy learning environment and keep kids who are healthy enough to be in class in the classroom. You're attacking the wrong people.