Phone Calls

schooldistrictnurse · Jun 19, 2013

days when I work a full day (I'm half time) I usually triage something in another building twice and might have two parent contacts. Lots of emails. I might have to visit another building but that's not the norm. My community is really small so travel time is very short. I'm never without my phone, even on my days off. (I know, I know). Those days off phone calls have really diminished since we hired a second nurse to work opposite me.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2013

I spent very little time on the phone when I was doing per diem school nursing. Only if I had to call a parent to pick a student up. For routine things, I communicated with parents via email.

Clubsingr28, ASN, RN · Jun 20, 2013

You will rarely be on the phone, maybe 3-10 minutes per DAY total! As a school nurse the MAJORITY of your time will be spent listening to student's (mostly tedious) complaints while trying to remedy them so that they may return to class. Just a heads up but most of your time and day will be spent on the "frequent flyers" who (sadly) will consistently appear in the office throughout the day in order to manipulate you so to stay out of class. (Sad but true, this is approximately 90% of what an ordinary school day will consist of. Now at the beginning of the year you will have paperwork, immunization records that are out of date, medication permission slips that you will agonize over trying to get the student to return. Other than that there will actually be a few who are ACTUALLY ILL and will need you! :) -Also, lots of allergies, so be familiar with them and their epi-pens, check dates, etc. Also you will probably have several students who take medication and maybe a few IDDs but most are very good at self-monitorin. Unfortunately your prior phone skills will not be a big asset! lol-

schooldistrictnurse · Jun 20, 2013

In many parts of the country, the one nurse one school model isn't financially feasible anymore. Clubsingr describes one style of school nursing, but It is not the norm in my state.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2013

I very rarely email with parents unless that is the only way to reach them (I have very helpful teachers that let me know when a phone call does not work with certain parents). That being said, I am not on the phone very often. Probably 30 min or less a day. Thanks to the lovely New England weather, I have a lot of students with asthma and allergy flare-ups. I don't send many kids home, but if some symptoms raise a red flag, I call and chat with mom and dad. Even so, I find that good phone/general people skills are a must for this job!

I also suppose I am lucky about frequent fliers - oh, sure I have 'em, but most have legitimate chronic health conditions (asthma, diabetes) that need attention. Those that don't are in/out two minutes and if it interferes with learning (which is usually the case), I talk with the dean of students, counselor, and the student and a plan is worked out/we phase out visits, starting by giving the student 1 visit to my office a day that lasts under 5 minutes.

Morganalefey · Jun 20, 2013

Well, some days I make A LOT of phone calls. Other days, just a few. It really varies. Each phone call typically only lasts a few minutes, tho.