Parents keep medicating their febrile kids in the morning

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This is getting ridiculous. I have sent home several kids this week with fevers who are medicated early in the morning and then when it wears off, they spike a temp. I know this because they always say "my mom gave me medicine this morning". So they have spent hours in the classroom contagious, possibly infecting other students. It takes all I have to not be completely inappropriate with these parents and ask them why they would risk the health and safety of other kids. And these same parents I am sure would be furious if their kid contracted flu from a kid who came to school contagious.

The current K student in my office has a temp of 102. She tells me "My mommy took my temperature this morning and said I have a fever and gave me red medicine to make it go away". This is a student who is missing her boosters for MMR, Varicella, Polio and DTaP because mom, who is a pharmacy tech by the way, claims they "no longer immunize because of our religion". Drives me NUTS. And now mom is not answering the phone because I am sure she knows I am calling to come get her sick kid. Grrrrrrrrr. OK, rant over.

On 3/29/2019 at 1:09 PM, tining said:

I tell students & parents "Our school district does not give Ferrari's for perfect attendance, nor do you get into a good college."

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In my kids school they get a cookie. Seriously. Every month of perfect attendance = cookie from the cafeteria. My daughter was fighting me to go to school on the last day of Feb so she could get a perfect attendance cookie.

Leaving 30 minutes early or arriving 15 minutes late for a doctor's appointment (with note) = NO COOKIE. Perfect attendance has to be absolutely perfect.

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12 hours ago, rbytsdy said:

In my kids school they get a cookie. Seriously. Every month of perfect attendance = cookie from the cafeteria. My daughter was fighting me to go to school on the last day of Feb so she could get a perfect attendance cookie.

Leaving 30 minutes early or arriving 15 minutes late for a doctor's appointment (with note) = NO COOKIE. Perfect attendance has to be absolutely perfect.

I'll buy a box of cookies and give them one if it will keep them home!

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Specializes in School Nurse.

I seriously detest a reward system for perfect attendance. It only encourages sick kids to come to school and spread germs.

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I share your frustration. My deal today is a 17 year old who can't stop vomiting/diarrhea/severe stomach pain since 930:am. Parents tell me they have no one to pick him up.

When I call mom to say someone needs to be home when he gets home because he is unable to care for himself (keeps laying on the bathroom floor next to the toilet and vomiting on the floor) she assured me she will leave work early and be home.

She then goes on a rant about how 'these people who send their kids to school sick is why he is sick." I assured her no one in the class is ill, and that I have concerns for what he is spreading through the building staying here all day!

SIGH . . . . . .

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I began working in a very low income/high poverty area and this has happened quite a bit already. I had one kid tell me she took medicine in the morning and came to school because mom had to get the house ready for visiting relatives. Her temp she was 102. Kid fell asleep on the cot while we waited for her mom who was waiting for someone to come home with a car. I took the kid's temp after 45 minutes and she was now 104. The mother showed up a few minutes later and while I wanted to be mad, I was pretty calm but also quite firm about her not blowing this off and calling the doctor.

I've heard of a neighboring city school system that has standing orders for Tylenol. While I've heard those nurses are happy with it, I'm afraid parents will know about it and abuse it.

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Specializes in School health, Maternal-Newborn.

I'd be ok with standing tylenol orders for pain, not so much for a fever. A fever is an indication of infection that is more than likely contagious and tylenol won't stop it from being contagious. Furthermore a child with a fever should be at home resting so that their immune system can do it's job, whether or not the fever is controlled, something people can fight about in a different thread.

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