PattyB RN

Hi 110 kids! Here's how I do it: I log in every single kid I interact with. I have about 10 daily medications, 2 blood sugar checkers, and 2 students who have straight cath orders. Yes, I log each one in because I interact with each one. I speak...

Hi JZ...In my school district the nurse are not required to do the diapering/toileting of any child...whether early intervention at age 3, pre-school or special needs. Instead, the Board of Education requires paraprofessionals, who assist teachers, ...

Caregive 1977..I'm not sure where you practice, but it's always a good idea to know your school's policy before something happens. I work in CT and we follow the state of CT guidelines for life threatening food allergies. It was stated very clearly t...

I also work in a large urban school district. We have many students with life threatening peanut allergies. When the discussion turns to abolishing peanuts (shellfish is not an issue, we're too poor for that) we, the nurses, were the ones to point o...

To answer Flare...would I use another child's epi-pen to save the life of a student who doesn't have one? Yes. Without hesitation...as long as it was the proper dose (Epi-pen jr for a smaller person) and if was boxed & labeled from the pharmac...

It's heartbreaking when a preventable tragedy happens. I am a school nurse in Connecticut. In my district, we have a standing order to administer epinephrine to anyone exhibiting signs/symptoms of anaphylaxis. Also, upon registering for school, al...

I am an elementary school nurse in CT. It is state mandated that we weigh, measure and calculate BMI on our 3rd grade students. The problem is, once we have the result, we aren't allowed to anything with it but chart it in the health record. In my sc...

No, we don't screen for acanthosis. I think it's a good idea. Makes you wonder if the parent even notices the furry darkness of their child's neck! Thanks for the thought.

I agree, checklists can cause mistakes. I was in nursing school back when we all wrote a narrative at the end of our shifts. Blue ink for days, black for evenings, red for nite shift. Ahhhh...those were the days! We all had Bic four color pens! Th...

Thanks so much for the details. Really helps put a few pieces if this puzzle together. I've had a ton of kids with just really red throats (sore of course) but no fever. Now I'm curious to see if those same kids come down with the fever/flu sympto...

I completely understand and "feel your pain". Whenever a parent writes a note like that you can take it to the bank that that kid will be in your office :angryfire. My question is why do we care? If we evaluate the student, find nothing to support...

I just saw on the TV yesterday (an infection control specialist for a large well-known hospital) that here in Connecticut the flu has just been upgraded to "Regional" from sporadic (From the CDC). It seems the flu is off to a slow start but it was ...

First off, I want to say that I LOVE your name! My next cat will either be Don Chich or Mrs. Fanuch. I may have the spelling wrong but you know who I mean, right? I'd have to say that after 20 yrs. in nursing I've settled into my niche. I've done g...

I know you posted this a while ago but I just read it and have to say I'm chuckling to myself. I'm an elementary school nurse and it just crossed my mind...I wonder how many of your "frequent flyers" were the same in school. I'd love to take a poll...

I agree with my school nurse colleagues. This job may not have the highest pay or the highest technological skill level but I love it. I am the sole medical person in my building responsible for about 600 people; that's an awesome responsibility! ...

see I told you i 'm glad i don't have to take tose tests any more...my bad!

It's true that sometimes in nursing school we had to choose the best answer out of the four not necessarily what we would actually do. I'm just happy I don't have to take those tests anymore! Too much second guessing!

Really? "A"? I can't begin to imagine challenging the patient to alter distorted thought patterns...what the heck? In late stage? I had an uncle and a mother in law with that horrific disease and "A" wouldn't have been an option...they were non-ve...

It seems "D" is the only possible answer. You can't actually get the patient to do any of the suggestions in A,B, or C and to use humor with a patient who is "last stage" alzheimers is pointless, perhaps even demeaning to the patient. I used to hat...

i wish i could sit down & talk with you but listen....just hold on. take care of yourself. talk to a friend, or even your nursing director if you have just finished nursing school you should be very proud of yourself. you have a new life withi...

No nurse I know would advise a patient with both a fever and a sore throat not to have it cultured. We know strep does not have to result in "the inability to function" to be present and an untreated GAS can be very harmful. I do not think CMA's are...

God bless you hanging in for 16 yrs! I've been a school nurse for 8 years. I work in a small city of diverse culture. From a socioeconomic point, the population is working poor, lower income, and blue collar types with a few well to do thrown in the ...