Now that we are working from home . . .

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Is anyone considering working in areas that need help with this pandemic?

Hospital, Health department, other ideas?

Considering how I can help out.

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I've decided if my area gets to an emergency point, then I will absolutely go help. However, we are not at that point right now, so I will continue to keep my distance and care for my kids from home. I've been talking to some friends who are still at the hospital and in various other community settings (I.e.: hospice/home health) and none of them have expressed the feeling of being overwhelmed yet. But I know that can change at any moment so my husband and I have discussed some options should the need arise and I have to return to the hospital.

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Specializes in Skilled Nursing.

I'm an LVN here in California and was so close to getting a job as a school nurse as I wanted flexibility and also plan on pursuing my BSN. I had my interview a week Before the lockdown here in LA area, and was so bummed that they had to put applications on hold cuz obviously the schools already shut down and I'm getting calls from agencies to put me on the floor and are telling me that they'll increase my pay.

I really, really want to help and I'm considering it everyday but it is getting worse due to shortages & lack of masks & equipment. I prefer a stay at home type of work in the meantime if anyone knows any please let me know that would be great.

Stay safe and hope everything is well in your area.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I feel badly when I hear the governors of NJ and NY saying they are contacting all the nurses, but I am not in a position where I can abandon my work duties, however banal they may be right now. If push comes to shove and I get a more strongly worded call to act, then I'll look further into it. Also, can't risk bringing home the virus. Hubby is required to be there.

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Specializes in School nursing.

I added my name to a volunteer database in the town next to me. I don't have kids and I know the head public health nurse there, and despite working from home, I am feeling like I'm not doing enough. Don't know if I will get called and for what. I'm not a hospital nurse - my experience is not thorough enough. But I'm all for helping with public help if I'm needed for contract tracking.

I tried Zoom virtual Nurse's Office hours yesterday and today - MS one had about a dozen attendees; HS no one showed up. Kids are getting overwhelmed by emails from Google classroom (this is what MS students shared with me) and it is hard. For everyone.

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Specializes in School nurse.
18 hours ago, JenTheSchoolRN said:

I tried Zoom virtual Nurse's Office hours yesterday and today - MS one had about a dozen attendees; HS no one showed up. Kids are getting overwhelmed by emails from Google classroom (this is what MS students shared with me) and it is hard. For everyone.

Just curious - what do your office hours consist of? Are you assessing students? Are you doing some teaching? Just talking and listening?

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Specializes in School nursing.
10 hours ago, bluebonnetrn said:

Just curious - what do your office hours consist of? Are you assessing students? Are you doing some teaching? Just talking and listening?

No assessing. I do teach MS health. I’m on email, student can check in with me if they want, just talking and listening. I’m part of our remote mental health crisis team, now focused on helping if teachers notice anything amiss with students in remote classes, etc.

I’ve launched a Google classroom with my colleague for grades 5-8; been debating one for grades 9-12. No work, just resources and health videos and way for student to comment as needed. Basically my virtual office in a social emotional way.

I’m checking in with a few families on my own list; including those students with high medical need and lower income to see if they need anything.

We are all learning; I’ll get paid, I know and appreciate that, which make me very lucky I know.

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Specializes in kids.
On 3/27/2020 at 9:16 AM, bluebonnetrn said:

Just curious - what do your office hours consist of? Are you assessing students? Are you doing some teaching? Just talking and listening?

We just got SNAP so we are doing a deep dive into the program...how to do letters forms etc, updating health histories etc. Getting immunization letter ready, ill be reminding my athletes about redoing their ImPACT testing, connecting with highly complex kids and their families, reviewing IHPs and 504, doing virtual 504 meeting for next year...all in my jammies, except video meetings LOL!!

Stay well everyone!!

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Do y'all have a local Medical Reserve Corps (Google it if you don't)? Usually you have to have some FEMA training and a HIPAA type training to participate but I bet they're waving all but the HIPAA at this point. It's generally connected with a local health jurisdiction. I have answered the COVID hotline, and this week I am organizing their case files so that the EPI staff can contact health care centers where patients in our county who tested positive visited. It is not uncommon for a patient who was afebrile with other sx to have visited at least two health care facilities prior to getting a test.

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Specializes in School nursing.

I'm jumping more full in volunteer-mode with the public health department in a nearby town to me with contact tracing as well now. Just got set up on their software. It is all phone calls from home, but seriously contact tracing will be SO important to move ahead so I'm happy to help.

I've still got my office hours 9-1 and this week I'm working with my counseling team to launch a Google classroom for both parents and students full of resources. We know who the kids are that were on our radar at school, but I also worry about the kids that weren't or ones I see that just needed occasional check-ins and managed that might be doing less well at home.

But like the above, I'm also moving in to projects I can do from home - immunization letters for next year (meningococcal vaccine is becoming mandatory for grades 7 and 11 next year, so prepping for that). My boss and I are reading a couple of books about teens and sexual health (Boys & Sex and than Girls & Sex, both by Peggy Orenstein) to discuss. I still have my weekly zoom for kids. Still going to zoom meetings and helping where I can with teachers.

Help you are all well here - missing our usual traffic!

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I went to public health too. I previously worked in Epidemiology there, so I texted my friend and two days later I had a temporary job! It feels good to help out, and public health nurses are just as amazing as school nurses :)

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Hi Jen, I quit my job about a year ago as a pain management/pre op RN and I have been searching for a way to get involved in this crises from home. I would absolutely love to do contact tracing or answer a Covid hotline part time but I cant find out how to find these jobs. I live in OKC but our health department provides zero information on their website about helping out and it is almost impossible to get help on the phone. Should I keep trying with them or can you suggest another route. Our major hospitals post their open jobs but they are all for full time RNs at the hospital. I also dont know where to look for telephone triage jobs from home.

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