topsyturvy

I recently sent out an e-mail giving suggestions on what not to send to the nurse because like someone said earlier..every trivial thing!!!!! I wasn't able to get to my important things so I took care off it. It has helped a lot but I've had one teacher that has acted like a 2 yr old! She is making it her mission to make me miserable! She has bad mouthed me in public and here at work. At first it upset me but then...you have to look at the source.........

Hello out there! I am just trying to keep up with all that is expected of me. Sometimes I wonder if all this paper work is necessary...really...It would be a lot less stressful.

Regarding the headlice situation...nipping it in the bud so parents can't say they got it at school. With my past experience proving them wrong only makes them more angry and complain more. I never go looking for it anymore. You are fighting a losing battle. Just take it as it comes..realize that you will never cure some of these families that keep it. I am now seeing the 2nd generation and they also have lice and when I first came here I made home visits, helped clean house and heads, supplied the shampoo, and treated them at school to no avail. I came to realize I have more important health concerns to take care of.

I had a first grader come in from lunch yesterday pale and not feeling so good. I checked him out and he denied c/o stomach discomfort or anything else. After my investigation I determined that while he was eating lunch a classmate decided to show him a bloody sore that he had making the little guy a bit squeemish.....He rested on the cot and returned to class with no further problems! I didn't realize that school nurses have to be detectives also!

I know what you mean! I have a low tolerance for a lot of things I see through here!

I had a student today that fainted after having a few minor abrasions cleaned and bandaged. I have had a few do that in my school nursing career. Have any of you school nurses had this happen in your clinic?

We have schools around here that only has an LVN. It would be the same here if I quit. They hired me when I was an LVN and would hire another to keep the cost down. You have to make the decision and assessments if you are the one and only.

And there isn't a thing wrong with choosing your battles!

I don't give icepacks for red spots. No swelling or bruising..no icepack! I use wet paper towels also. I think I am going to go to all classes next year and teach the students what will and will not be seen in my office in FRONT of the TEACHER! I know teachers are scared of law suits but good grief have some common sence! I think I will send a note home to the parents also so they all know!

If the student doesn't have a reason to go home such as fever or something I send them back to class and tell them that we do not go home unless there is a real reason. I don't care what the parents say. They should have kept them at home to begin with. I've never had a parent come back at me...yet;-) The teachers just have to deal with it.

I pretty much do the same as stated above also..In my older grumpier years I have been wondering about something....Whats wrong with the teacher addressing this issue????? Why do we get this job when we haven't even witnessed it??? I have spoken to kids before at the teachers request that I personally didn't see a problem with.. I am starting to feel that if it offends you address the problem! Stop being scared..treat them like you would your own...If I have a student that comes in and I notice a smell or dirty teeth I address it right then just as I would my own child. I don't mind talking to the student but I think the teachers should jump on board too.

When you make the home visits how do you discuss this with the family? I have found in the past that talking to the student does no good. It may work for a bit but right back to the same habits they are used to at home. I have had parents come to school mad because I spoke with with their child about this issue. Some people are just not as clean as others and I don't think we can change the way they live. When teachers want me to do the dirty work I ask that they help with it also..teach them like they would their own child and tell them straight out. I don't think that it should be left up to the school nurse only to talk to the students...also..I had a teacher yesterday wanted me to talk to her 1st grader or the mom about him smelling and being very dirty..I checked him out and to me he wasn't the most well kept but by far not dirty or smelly. I was shocked!

We are a small country school. We have a councilor on the high school campus 6 miles away but she doesn't work cases on my campus. Our councilor quit 5 years ago and they never replaced her. Thanks for your suggestions. I will continue to work at this. The obesity is a problem in this family. The mom is approx: 300 lbs..the older sister is very over wt also. How do you handle students that are sent to you with hygiene problems?

I have not spoke with the physician. Around here if mom doesn't sign a release the Dr. will not discuss his situation with me. I asked mom to do that and she never did. A home visit..no. I do know that there is a older sister in the house with special needs who also wears a diaper. Social worker..we don't have a councilor or a social worker. We have had him on a toileting schedule off an on since kg. When he starts doing better we give him more freedom only for him to return. I have asked for documentation from his dr and never received it. I turned it over to the principal and he called and requested it also...no documentation...

I have a 196 lb 3rd grader that poops his pants frequently. His mom allows him to wear a diaper. Sometimes it doesn't just have poop in it..it is soaked with urine also. I think the diaper at this age is such a bad idea. I think it promotes laziness especially in this case. Another thing that bothers me about his situation is that it doesn't seem to bother him at all. He often gets sent in by the teachers to clean up because the smell is so awful! He has been to the Dr but I don't think the mom is consistant with the treatment plan. His wt is another issue..how do we discuss this with the parent without stepping on toes. The mom is a huge lady also. I really feel that with a healthy diet and some good parenting at home he could over come this but what do you do? His mom let him come to school one day with a t-shirt on that said " THIS IS HOW I ROLL" with a picture of a roll of toilet tissue on it! OMG! I think we are fighting a losing battle!