Nurses Pass?

Amethya · May 7, 2018

7th-12th and yep, passes or no go. I have sent students back to class for a pass. And because we require passes, we can catch kids skipping class and this year I caught one of my FF HS student forge a pass from me, complete with a faked signature. Teacher knew something was up, emailed me, student was not with me, showed my picture of pass. It went straight to the dean. Turns out student was vaping in the bathroom instead...

I gotten this before. This is why I make my signature impossible to copy and I only let teachers get my official passes.

I find it funny when they ATTEMPT to copy my signature.

peacockblue · May 7, 2018

Our high school and junior high nurses require passes...plus the kids "check" themselves in on a computer as they arrive.

I love the idea of the kids checking themselves in. What type of program do you guys have?

Queen of Icepacks, RN · May 7, 2018

Not sure what program OldDude uses but we are using Magnus and the students check themselves in when they arrive. We also use Nurse slips. The teachers will not allow the students back in the classrooms without a signed slip. Great way for them to communicate things like "the class is having a quiz right now. "

ABRN2012 · May 7, 2018

I require passes but most do not send them with one and its too much trouble to send LD back to get one when most of the time it is something stupid anyway. I have about 20% that use a pass. And it has not stopped the small goofy things they send them to me about.

OldDude · May 7, 2018

I love the idea of the kids checking themselves in. What type of program do you guys have?

Skyward

grammy1 · May 7, 2018

I require passes but most do not send them with one and its too much trouble to send LD back to get one when most of the time it is something stupid anyway. I have about 20% that use a pass. And it has not stopped the small goofy things they send them to me about.

No pass, mine get sent back to class to get one (unless it's an emergency). It's amazing how many think it's not worth it to get the pass and come back. :laugh: The exception is PE or cafeteria, but they call us on the walkies to let us know they're sending someone.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · May 8, 2018

Definitely use a pass. Teachers are a lot less likely to send frivolous complaints to the nurse if they actually have to fill out a pass. It helps on two fronts, one, once they realize their reason for sending is ridiculous, they will just tell the student to sit down, and two, some don't like to be bothered having to find the pass and fill it out. Also, this cuts down on kids just showing up without the teachers knowledge. (I always know when a teacher has refused to send a kid when they show up at lunchtime (without a note) or from one of the ancillary teachers-- always a sign the kid is fine but determined to see me).

Amethya · May 8, 2018

Skyward

I use the same system, how do you let them check themselves in?

lyrern · May 8, 2018

Our district requires a clinic pass for each student's visit. I like them for multiple reasons. One - my first year as a school nurse, I had a 4th grade child enter the clinic without a pass, but looking horrible and had been vomiting; he had a fever; I sent him to pick up his back pack while I called his mom - who sent his grandma to pick him up. He never returned to the clinic where the students wait to be picked up. After a while I called the teacher. She hadn't seen him since she sent him to the bathroom. She didn't know he went to the nurse - much less that he was febrile and going home. He wasn't in the office. It turns out he picked up his back pack in the hallway where he had a locker, never went to the classroom, was walking back to me when he saw his grandma pull up in front of the school, and he walked out the front door, and no one saw him. Grandmother did not know she needed to enter the building to pick him up. I tell the teachers this - clinic slips protect them, because it lets me know they know where their student is supposed to be.... Second reason - on the clinic slips I have a spot for teacher's observations, which is valuable. Example - child crying, and teacher states he never cries. I have 850+ students, so I don't know all of them as well as I wish, so I value the teacher's opinion. Third reason - I think of it if it is worthy of a clinic visit, my time, charting, etc., then it is worthy of a few seconds of a teacher writing out a clinic pass. Plus, I supply them with clinic passes. I make hundreds of copies, and I keep them in the mail room for the teachers to pick up. I think if I require passes, then I will make copies for the teachers. It is give and take, and it works.

cooties_are_real · May 8, 2018

At the high school and middle they are to have a pass. Either the class pass or the nurse's pass which has a spot for the teacher to sign and then a spot for the nurse to sign out and initial.

Our kinder campus and elementary campuses have a pass the teacher can send with them.

Due to the inconsistency of the use of the passes, I will see LD without one. However, if you are a repeat offender and I have learned you will tell the teacher one thing and then come see me, I will send you back or call the class to see if the teacher knows you are in my office. Our Nurses at the elementary have things down to an art on their campus. If it's right after lunch recess, music, or pe you are not getting to see the nurse unless you tell your teacher. The LD will just be walking by the nurses' office in line and decide they need to see the nurse. Nope, LD go to class then ask the teacher to come see me.

pedi_nurse · May 8, 2018

I require a pass (or phone call) to be seen/treated in the clinic with just a few exceptions - emergencies (mostly significant bleeding or breathing issues) and med kids. I won't see students during passing period or lunch either. At my school (6th-8th) we have a lot of teachers who kick kids out of class despite the principal telling them every other day that kids have to have passes in the hallway. These kids tend to wander quite a bit. Teachers will also often send "good" kids without a pass, but I have no way of knowing which kids are well vs poorly behaved. Usually it ends up that the kids that see well behaved to me are terrors in the classroom.

Right now, I'm pretty lenient on what constitutes a pass, but I'm looking to change districts and am hoping to enforce certain standards a bit more. Passes definitely cut down on visits for me. As do small bandaids in the classrooms. I still get plenty of silly visits though.

halohg, RN · May 9, 2018

So this is how I explain why on the elementary level why they must come with a pass unless from gym. #1 the pass is the only way I know that an adult on the other side knows the child has left their responsibility. #2 the pass must include a name because getting a 5 year old to tell me their name is sometimes harder than anything else I must deal with. I don't want a full editorial but most times it's included even though I have made the most idiot proof passes with checkboxes but they never fill it out properly. Our passes have a carbon copy and becomes a communication tool for parents which helps cut down on phone calls.