schoolnurse1118

I’ll try to make a long story short. Thursday I was paged to come check on a teacher “bring the BP cuff ASAP!” I run upstairs and find her in a very catatonic state. Do a FAST assessment on her. She can’t speak, can’t raise her right arm, can’t smile, she was just....out of it. Looked almost grey, eyes glassed over. She made out the word “stabbing” and used her left arm to touch her right arm. Immediately told my coworker to call 911 and page for another to grab the AED just in case. Her vitals were pretty normal, lower BP but nothing too crazy. Luckily EMT’s were literally at the light near my school so they got to her less than 5 minutes than I did. They do an EKG, normal. Vitals normal. Transport her for testing, started IV in ambulance. On the way out tears are streaming down her face and she can make out “no hospitals” Fast forward until this weekend. I hear from some very reliable sources that “these episodes happen all the time” and that she apparently had one at home that morning. She herself told her teaching partner this. Some days she’s so tired she goes to the break room to sleep. Basically her teaching partner and the assistant principal are covering for her. I’m beside myself. When I did a little investigating I was able to find out I was called 27 minutes after she had a “fainting spell” in class. No one said a word about it that day. So they took it into their own hands to handle it and then once she deteriorated they called me. -Found out she was texting less than 2 hours after it first began. Also that she takes BP meds when convenient for her. So far all they’ve told me is she had very low potassium levels. She’s home and will have further testing this week. A few teachers asked if she could have Munchausens. She does love attention but this would be crazy! Just the texting so soon and not wanting to go to the hospital. It was definitely something but if she’s messing with her meds it’ll obviously throw your levels off and really screw with your heart. I will not stand for this or have my nursing license on the line for this. I documented the *** out of it and I have a meeting with this assistant principal as well as the principal on Mondays morning. I have no idea what all the principal knows, but he’s about to find out everything. I feel that in my anger and disappointment I’m not thinking straight. What else do I do? These teachers must be held accountable. I can’t help but think if they were nurses they’d be charged with negligence!!

Our health dept is saying the same thing lately. Seriously though, if a kid has a cough and congestion they’re going home and not returning until they’ve been 10 days symptomatic? Then they return to school and allergies hit or flu season and I’m sending them home again......

Do you plan on sending every kid home with even just one Covid symptom? Our school nurses in the area have been telling me that’s their plan. I would be sending SO many kids home. With allergies and flu season, everyone will be affected pretty much! The list of symptoms is so long and so similar to multiple other illnesses I wish covid was more obvious....why can’t you get a purple tongue with it?!

Hi, What are your thoughts on a covid isolation room? It’s been recommended that we find an available room, with sink and bathroom available and possibly an exit door. Any child expected to have covid will need to wait there until they can be picked up. My worries are: —Who is monitoring this room (in full PPE gear) while I’m tending to sick kids in my office? Do I try to get someone else to help with routine visits while I man the isolation room? Budgets are tight —I feel like a TON of kids will be sent home given the list of covid symptoms. How many kids with cough or nausea or headache do we see that stay in school? Now kids with any of the 10+ symptoms must be sent home? I will need 30 isolation rooms! It just feels so overwhelming especially since you can also be asymptomatic. Will I spend the majority of my year triaging “Is this possibly covid?” ??‍♀️ Thanks for any advice!

No GB but blistered head to toe, they thought she may have gotten measles from it. Mom said she was quarantined for days at the hospital and infectious disease docs were baffled. That’s just what I got from the parents.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I should have mentioned it’s a Catholic private school. We don’t accept religious exemptions since vaccines don’t go against Catholic teachings. I was just curious how it was for everyone else. I guess I’m wondering if kids can go to school without their immunizations....why would anyone be surprised if there was a measles outbreak and that child had it?

Hi guys, I just wanted your take on this. I work at a private school in Texas. To some extent I know we make our own guidelines, but obviously follow state law. I have a 6 year old trying to enroll for second grade next year. The girl apparently had a terrible reaction to her MMR at her one year checkup. She hasn’t gotten the second dose. She had been hospitalized, infectious disease met with her, etc. Would your school allow her to be exempt from the shot or is it mandated she get it prior to beginning school? Also........how susceptible is she to getting measles? I’ve heard with just the first shot you’re around 94% protected? Just wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter. Thanks!! Maggie