A student was caught texting on her cellphone in 2nd period ( around 9:00). The teacher took up the cellphone and asked who she was calling and then offered his classroom phone. She wanted to call her mother, she felt ill. After hanging up the phone, the teacher asked if she needed to se the nurse. The student said no because my mom is on the way to get her and she wants to wait in the front office. In the office she told the secretary mom is coming because she doesn't feel well. After sitting for about 30 minutes and with the start of 3rd period, the secretary says she looks fine and that she could go to 3rd period to wait for mom. In 3rd period the student texts mom again on cellphone and around 10:10 the mom calls the clinic angry and hot and yelling for us to go check her daughter for chest pain. We go to the choir room where she is standing near a desk wall writing classwork. I rush in and ask who the sick student is . The student had not said anything to choir teacher who was standing in the middle of the room surrounded by several students. She was not in any distress and we walked her to the clinic, which is only a few steps away. I assessed her, she has pinpoint chest pain underneath her left breast, doesn't look to be in any distress, has no sob, all vitals signs are good and she has no other complaints. We called the mom and gave her our assess. Mom states she is a pediatric nurse and asks me over and over what my professional assess is. I tell her again that the vitals are good, the student has no sob and no distress is noted. She says I just want to know the facts, I don't need any attitude just facts. Mom comes at 10:30 and picks up her daughter. I go to the front office to tell her the vitals signs and she's balling out the front office clerks. She then turns her attention on me. She says,"and you call yourself a nurse". "I want a meeting with the principal and Supt. about how my child was treated. I don't want to hear anybody's side of the story right now because my child needs to be checked right now." Mom exits the door at 10:35 a.m. The next morning her daughter is at the school taking the TAKS test (state test) all day without problems. I call her in the clinic and she says tests are not back yet but says, "they think I have a large chest" (not sure what she means). Today, the prinicipal secretary informed me that the mother wants a meeting with the nurse and the principal this Friday at 8:00 a.m.. I told the secretary that I wanted the 2nd period teacher and the front office attend the meeting so they can tell their story because they saw the girl before I did. I saw the girl 20 minutes before mom decided to come get her. What can I do to get this nurse for making false accusations on clinic ? She was very unprofessional not hearing the events from the nurse. We have dealt with many distressed students over the years and this doesn't give us credit at all. In the past, the principal sides with the parent for PR's sake, he says. But I don't want to cut her any slack because she's loud, rude and arrogant.
I'm glad that is over for you, and am so glad the principal was awesome enough to support you and your aid. That is so critical in situations like this! If there is a positive, there is a policy being addressed (coming to SN office before calling home) to prevent this from happening again.
Great advice above, and this post is probably too late.
Chances are there won't be a meeting, and mom was just blowing off steam.
If there is a meeting, the child may be very upset that mom is raising a ruckus.
Practice not getting upset. Practice responding only to content, not the emotion. Take your time responding.
Use words to diffuse the tension - yes, Mrs. Jones, I can see you are upset. we ll want what is best for Janie's health and safety......of course you are concerned about your daughter....in the future, we would ask the teacher to make sure she sees the nurse straightaway......agree agree agree as much as possible.
There is something else going on here in this mother daughter dynamic. Possibly there is something else going on at home that compounded the child's anxiety over the testing.
Aneroo, LPN
1,518 Posts
I'm glad that is over for you, and am so glad the principal was awesome enough to support you and your aid. That is so critical in situations like this! If there is a positive, there is a policy being addressed (coming to SN office before calling home) to prevent this from happening again.