Poorest lack of judgment EVER!!!

Published

Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

*Admins please do not post on Facebook*

My hours are 8 am - 3:30 pm. Every single day. I have made it clear many times that anything that occurs before 8:00 am needs to be dealt with by admin or call the parents directly, etc. Any emergency they call 911.

As I am backing out of my driveway at 7:12 am this morning to drive my kids to school, I get a text on my personal phone from one of our teachers that "A student was hit by a car this morning and is waiting for me to check her in my office"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I proceeded to text back "Absolutely NOT OK. Call 911 NOW, Call Police to file report and call family. In that order. I am driving my kids to school and cannot be involved in a back and forth about this". A few minutes goes by. Another text. "Grandma is with her. I don't think the car was driving very fast when it hit her". :banghead: I again sent the above text and then reminded her that I am not on duty yet, have NO WAY to evaluate the status of the student and they need to call 911. If grandmother refusing that, to have her take the kid to to ER. I also reminded her that I was driving, in my car (I was not texting and driving don't worry) and could not have this conversation and they needed to deal with it. She proceeded to text me a play by play for the next 20 minutes. I did not respond.

I am currently sitting in my office, door closed, trying to decompress so I do not attack anyone. The teacher who texted me is outside my door teaching a class and I am counting slowly to 100 before I go about my day.

Am I being unreasonable here to think that this was completely out of line and a complete lack of judgment? Who cares if the "car was barely moving when it hit her"?! No one saw the incident occur so no one can determine how fast the car was going, if she fell and bumped head, etc. No one. What did she think I was going to do over the phone? This also occurred in our crosswalk, with one of our teachers acting as the crossing guard, so I am assuming there is liability, etc. I am having a meeting with my OPs director ASAP (she is not in the building which is probably why this happened in the first place).

Vent over. Thanks for listening. Kid is fine by the way, in ER now to be safe and just shaken up more than anything.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..

Holy mother of God! You have set a professional boundary and this teacher has decided to ignore it.

My $0.02:

Go to her when you are calm and explain once again why it was inappropriate to contact you. If she gives you any indication that she is blowing you off, go to admin and explain it to them and ask to have a confernece with the teacher and the AP and/or principal. Then send out a non-detail revealing, yet very specific email about your professional boundaries. Make sure you include your nursing chain of command in all of this as well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing.

I'm just sitting here shaking my head. I don't understand why people don't use common sense. They want to shift responsibility SO FAST and accommodate everyone so that instant gratification is received by all parties, even if it is actually delaying the safest course of action.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That's awful. I definitely agree that you need to say something (once you are calm). That was way overstepping in what could have been a very serious injury.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

What has you so upset is that you your compassion, concern, and complete engagement with your students is tugging at you. One of your "little ones" was injured at school and you can't be there to help her and the buck passing buffoon wanted to shift that responsibility to you instead of taking care of the student; two quite emotional dueling dynamics.

It would have been completely different if the teacher had contacted you, asking for guidance, and then acted on your instructions but that wasn't what she wanted to hear so she wouldn't give up.

As you are doing, take the time to rage and be pissed, and move forward but it would be appropriate for all parties involved to "debrief" with your administrator. Your instructions were spot on...excellent, advice by the way

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Let Admin. handle it. I want to smack that teacher. I hope the kid is okay. You, too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School nursing.
What has you so upset is that you your compassion, concern, and complete engagement with your students is tugging at you. One of your "little ones" was injured at school and you can't be there to help her and the buck passing buffoon wanted to shift that responsibility to you instead of taking care of the student; two quite emotional dueling dynamics.

It would have been completely different if the teacher had contacted you, asking for guidance, and then acted on your instructions but that wasn't what she wanted to hear so she wouldn't give up.

As you are doing, take the time to rage and be pissed, and move forward but it would be appropriate for all parties involved to "debrief" with your administrator. Your instructions were spot on...excellent, advice by the way

OldDude took the words out of my mouth.

I don't mind if someone calls me when I'm in route to school to ask advice for a kid that is currently there and ill or hurt. As long as they follow my instructions. Which luckily they do. You offered advice - this teacher ignored it. You feel feelings because they ignored it and while it did not affect this student's outcome, it could affect the next student's outcome if this situation or one like it repeats itself.

Meeting with admin is a great idea. Do you have emergency instructions for staff to follow when you are not in the building? I mean, they are mainly "use common sense" but I have learned to assume nothing these days :).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Update:

I just had a conversation with my DSO, followed by a conversation with that teacher. My DSO had no idea that the teacher had even contacted me. No one had told her to contact me, and the situation was already being dealt with. Everyone actually DID do the right thing according to our procedures (minus the teacher), but the teacher took it upon herself to "loop me in" because she thought I would want to know. The teacher was being nosy and heard the commotion and texted me. I explained to the teacher that her texting me was not appropriate and the wording absolutely implied that she was passing this off to me. I had her re-read her texts and she agreed with me.

The one positive that has come out of this is that we have been fighting with our local police department for three years to have police detail at our intersection. We have documented emails with them with every excuse in the book about why they can't help us (not in the budget, too early in the morning, not enough police officers) and now that this happened the chief of police is furious and working on getting us a detail ASAP. Seems like everyone at the police station was passing the buck and he never knew (so he says) that we needed police detail.

The child is totally fine, she is already back in class thank G_d!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in kids.

Jeezummmm Crow... That's all I got. Im glad there was a good outcome!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

You do not have to accept assignment until you clock in/darken the doors/set foot on campus.

That being said - when this is all over and you've had your meeting...my new district has a set of emergency guidance for laypeople when there's no nurse around. I am not sure that it would have worked here because - PANIC! A kid was hit by a car!!

Hang in there. I know it's frustrating. But on the plus side - they trust and respect you...even if it doesn't feel that way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Glad it turned out all ok!!! Once again though, this entire debacle goes back on the teacher for sticking her nose in where it DOES NOT BELONG!

We are not ON CALL nurses, we are not paid to be in the building 24/7 and at every single activity. It amazes me that staff make this assumption though! Every adult in the building is responsible for the safety and welfare of students, not just the nurse. A few years ago (a different school district than I am at now) the office manager called me on a day that I wasn't even on campus ( small school, only there 2 days week) at 5;20 ( even if I was there, i would have left at 4:00) and requested I come back and look at a teacher's ankle to see if it was fractured. I was at home (a 45 minute drive away) so I told her no, teacher needs to go to ER or urgent care. She still insisted so I told her I have no x-ray and don't diagnose either. She hung up on me and reported me to my supervisor who told her I acted appropriately. We had a good laugh about it together later!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

my 2 cents... I would not answer the phone or reply to a text before I was officially on the clock. as a good friend of mine says "Not my circus, not my monkeys" We can't be responsible for our students 24/7/365

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion