nurse__ab19

Need some in-service day topics that aren't the basics (seizure, EpiPen, DM, CPR, first aid, etc.) I go over these topics at the beginning of the school year and have another in-service day I have to speak at. For context, I am in a high school. What are some attention grabber topics I can yap about for 10-15 minutes?

That's awesome! Just for curiosity's sake, how involved are you with the IEP/504 plans? We have a staff member specifically to manage all of those. I am never involved with the meetings (unless I have a new diabetic student). I know who all my 504 kids are and have their plans printed but other than that I'm totally hands off. Just curious what other people do.

Whoever sets off the PA system for our active shooter alarm is to announce where they saw the shooter. Our school's plan/policy is that depending on the shooter location, the teachers and students (we are a high school) determine if they think they can run or not. We have 2 off campus re-unification sites that students and staff are supposed to run to. Those that are too close to the shooter to run are to lock down and barricade. There is nothing specific in the policy about what I am supposed to do.

Bringing this thread back up because one of our local schools' active shooter alarms went off a few weeks ago on accident which sparked a discussion amongst us nurses at the various schools in the county. Do you plan to run if there is a shooter and you can get out safely? Personally, I am torn. I would want to run because an injured nurse can't help anyone and I know emergency personnel are on their way. The other half of me just wants to stay put. I have SO MUCH stuff I would need to bring with me to evacuate - first aid kit, emergency meds, my "brain" which is my big binder with all the student info in it. And at that point, will I actually be able to run effectively to get out? What are your thoughts?

Like clockwork the week after prom in our high school and everyone is convinced that they're pregnant. I can't give out pregnancy tests, but I refer them to our local Planned Parenthood/ health dept. I'm absolutely willing to help and guide to resources but also eww....I don't want to know you did that this weekend, I knew you when you were a baby (I'm from a very small town)?

Curious what things you never thought you'd see or deal with as a school nurse. My naive self never thought I'd have one of my high schoolers come in c/o a hangover....no I cannot send you home because you're hungover - however you do get bonus points for the honesty on why you're sick. Go get some junk food and a Gatorade from the vending machine, best of luck solider - play stupid games win stupid prizes.

They are, as stated in the last sentence of my original post.

I agree, but also parents never answer the phone, and I cannot call the squad 3-4 days a week and run to the hospital with them every single time and sit there all day until a parent decides to show up. Don't get me wrong, I will if I have to, I will never put a child's life at risk. But we are trying other techniques to lower BP as long as they're stable before calling the squad - most of this issue is anxiety related. I have 600+ other students that also need me, and I am the only nurse. It's divorced parents playing hot potato with the kid, neither wanting to interrupt their own lives over this.

Hello all, I have a student in our high school that will have bouts (I'm thinking anxiety) where their HR shoots up to the 140s - 160s, BP like 200s/100s. No substances involved, no caffeine, this is very good student. We have called a squad before, and they actually ended up being in SVT. This has happened a couple of times since then, minus the SVT. Mom keeps saying there is a Dr. appointment scheduled but I've heard nothing. I am about at my wits end as I feel this is a huge liability and unsafe. Is it irrational to tell the parent that the student is not to return until I have a doctor's note saying everything is stable and they're OK to be here? And before its asked, yes, CPS is involved and aware of my concerns.

Yes, I have also noticed this. I had kids give me a laundry list of things they're "diagnosed" with and respond with "Wow, none of that is listed in your forms. I will call mom/dad and discuss this with them because it's important that I clarify these." and am usually met with "No! Don't call them." hmm....

Chat gpt, tiktok...IDK. My cynical take is that this generation loves the victim roll. They all have "trauma", and all have some sort of health problem - this is not to take away from the children that absolutely do have these things. But it's become a trend to self-diagnose based off things they've seen online. We have several kids this year telling our school psychologist that they have dissociative identity disorder, that's this year's trendy mental health diagnosis. It affects roughly 1% of the population....

Hello! For context, I work with high school students. I recently had a student complain that they had not urinated in 24 hours - they came to my office within the first 20 minutes of school telling me this. Parents were unaware of this issue. C/O some lower abdominal tenderness but nothing severe. Gave them a bottle of water, had them try to urinate in the clinic bathroom, did this a couple of times, no success. The parent couldn't come get the student for a couple of hours and had nobody else to come get them. In my hospital brain, I would bladder scan. One of our nursing programs actually has a bladder scanner. From what I've researched, bladder scanning is nursing assessment driven and does not require a doctor's order. I didn't end up doing it but had parent come get the student and emphasized they HAD to go get checked out. What would you have done? Should I have done something different? I'm sure someone will probably say I should've called a squad since the parent couldn't come for a couple of hours. My rationale was, this has been going on for 24 hours, is 2 more hours that big of a difference? And the student wasn't complaining of severe pain, and after asking a few questions they are on a new medication that can cause some urinary retention. Also, we are out in the boonies - a squad call for bladder pain would've easily taken at least an hour before anyone came.

I don't offer to call parent's right off the bat, unless obviously its emergent. Our school offers basically any OTC medication you could dream of....don't ask me how I feel about this ? I want to change my "Nurse's Office" sign to a light up Walgreens one. I digress. But I usually offer them a midol/tylenol/ibuprofen, I also keep disposable heat packs to use (I get them off Amazon) and offer for them to lay down for 10 minutes. I also explain that cramps aren't something to be sent home over and you can't just leave your job anytime you have period cramps - I have 11th & 12th graders, so this usually gets their attention.

If your state allows exemption from vaccines for school (I'm in Ohio, we allow good cause, religious and medical exemption) do you readily provide info that parents have the option to exempt their kids or only offer the info to parents who ask about it on their own? If that makes sense. I put a short little sentence in the letter I send home "If you wish to exempt your student, please contact the school nurse and a form will be provided to you." I am very PRO vaccine but also feel like parents should know their options because I do have a few kids who are truly medically exempt right now. I'll attach the waiver form I use. MCV4 Immunization Exemption Form