Parents sending kids to you before the bell

Flare, ASN, BSN · Feb 10, 2015

i have gone back and forth over this over the years. Sometimes I close and lock my door, which just earns me a cacophony of knocking or the kids will go to the office who will then in turn call me and tell me that i have a "customer" (which irritates me beyond belief). Because of this, I have just taken to leaving my door open like I do all day and letting the chips land where they will. If A parent walks their child down, i simply tell them that I am not a doctor, can't diagnose or prescribe anything, then grill the child about what the parent has been doing for them over night/ all weekend. This serves 2 purposes: I hate talking about the child like they are an object/ not there and it gives the child a chance to be honest and let me know the real scoop (Me: What did mom give you to feel better? Child: Nothing Me: Nothing - look quizzically at parent)

I don't have a whole lot of it - more so I have the students that come to me 5 minutes after the bell to start the day rings come in to say "Mom said to try today but if I don't feel well to come to the nurse and call her to pick me up." Nice try... I'm pretty sure if mom wanted to pick you up 10 minutes after she dropped you off she would have just kept you home. You don't have a temp, you have a cold - go back to class and try a little bit longer. I usually give those parents a courtesy call and let them know that they CAN pick up their child, but I'm not excusing the absence.

loveschoolnursing · Feb 10, 2015

I get letters from parents that say " please call me at work if you see Billy, I will just come get him"

And of course.....here comes Billy at 8:02 a.m. ready to see the nurse. :banghead:

Flare, ASN, BSN · Feb 10, 2015

i call that the get out of jail free card - and i will tell parents that - "Billy is down here cashing in his get out of jail free card - i am guessing you just got to work - he's saying he is too sick to stay" You can usually feel the regret coming through over the phone line.

NanaPoo · Feb 10, 2015

Oh, I'm stealing that one Flare!

I love the "get out of jail free card" line and I'm using it ASAP!

loveschoolnursing · Feb 10, 2015

AGREED: LOVE IT

SnowyJ, RN · Feb 10, 2015

Yes!! you know that 9 times out of 10 if a parent says "just try to go to school but see the nurse and I will pick you up if you feel sick" the kids will be in my office RIGHT off the bus! It makes me crazy.

I love the "get out of jail free" comment. I may have to adopt that one! :geek:

cynmrn · Feb 10, 2015

It drives me crazy when I see kids laying in the health room before the bell rings. I will walk my own child down to breakfast and drop my things off in the room at about 7:20 and they will be in there saying they don't feel well and that their parent told them to "try and if they still don't feel well, see the nurse." Unless these guys vomit or have a fever, I usually make them get to class and really give it a try. I have also received the notes that state, "Call me if so-and-so still doesn't feel well and I will come get him," and inevitably, I will see them. Kids apparently see the act of just crossing the threshold as trying, so parents, at least be more specific if you are on the fence!

OldDude · Feb 10, 2015

I can relate. It drives me nuts when kids are standing at my door when I arrive in the mornings. If they don't deal Flare's get out of jail free card, I tell them if their parent didn't want them to be at school they wouldn't have brought them and to go on to class. If they play the get out of jail free card, I immediately call the parent, if I connect, I'll preface the conversation with, "I wouldn't be calling you normally but "little johnny" said for me to call if he isn't felling well at school, so that's what I'm doing. I'll let you talk to him to see if YOU need to do anything about it."

Flare, ASN, BSN · Feb 10, 2015

oh, indeed to that - i make the parent the make the final decision all the time - and i tell the student - it's really up to your mom (or dad or whomever i'm calling at the moment - and no... mom and dad are at work... so you have to call my aunt, uncle, sister.. doesn't fly unless this is me trying to get you out the door - not you playing off the sympathy of your big sis - cause even still i'm going to call your parent so they know your whereabouts) if they get on the phone and tell you to deal with your sniffle then i best not see you in my office again today.

Wave Watcher · Feb 10, 2015

I make the child go back and get a clinic pass from their teacher. Also, if they come to me and say that their parents want to know if they can stay, "Well, little Johnny...they sent you didn't they? You are staying." Common sense should be a requirement to be a parent or an animal owner. I have been known at times if a child comes into my clinic first thing in the morning to call a parent and let them know they are standing here.....then let them talk to them. Oy vey.

kidzcare · Feb 10, 2015

I can relate. It drives me nuts when kids are standing at my door when I arrive in the mornings. If they don't deal Flare's get out of jail free card, I tell them if their parent didn't want them to be at school they wouldn't have brought them and to go on to class. If they play the get out of jail free card, I immediately call the parent, if I connect, I'll preface the conversation with, "I wouldn't be calling you normally but "little johnny" said for me to call if he isn't felling well at school, so that's what I'm doing. I'll let you talk to him to see if YOU need to do anything about it."

This is very similar to what I do. I'll call and say "Little Johnny came in with a stomach ache. There is no fever and no vomiting but he told me that you requested I call if he was not feeling well" Then it's usually one of three scenarios.

1- Parent immediately says they will come pick kid up

2- parent says "uh, did he even GO to class?? Let me talk to hiim..."

3- Parent has no idea what I'm talking about since the kid is lying.