shammy

I interviewed and was hired last year. The district gave me 6 scenarios and I was to choose 3 and then give my answer. I don't really remember any of then other then 1 of them and that was .... a known and usually medicated ADHD/ADD child is sent to the health room for unruly behavior in the classroom. You call the mom and she says she can't remember if she gave the student their medication that AM and she says - just go ahead and give him another 1/2 tab from their lunch supply as the MD is thinking about increasing the student's dose. What do you do? To which my answer was I don't have an order to medicate student in the AM at that time and that we (the school) would need to find a way for student to work on school work and not disrupt the entire class - maybe a quiet room without distractions and then at the prescribed time medicate student with his prescribed medication. AND to teach mom that medicating student is really important and needs to get done EVERY day and problem solve with her some different ways to help her remember to medicate student. But really I thought all the situations were easy to answer sitting in a room with a panel but it is a lot harder in reality when mom is PTA president or volunteers at the school a lot and/or is friends with the principal. Not impossible but difficult. Just my 2 cents. Good luck wtih the interview.

HHMM? I'm wondering at both the elementary school and the High school I've been at we do keep some OTC (mainly motrin and triple ABX ointment)... but I don't administer it to anyone - more if a teacher/staff member come in and ask for it they are shown the drawer and medicate themselves. Much like at the last hospital I was at we could stop at the in house pharmacy for OTC for ourselves. Now I'm wondering if I should continue this practice. Food for thought!

My comment is to first speak with your nurse manager and the nurse educator and your preceptor. If nothing changes I then look for a new job - but you do need to speak up for yourself and say what you need.

Yes meshing with the principal then skills second may seem backwards but welcome to school nursing. I'm still a pretty new school nurse (only starting my 2nd year) but you work for the principal in their school. You need to believe in their philosophy. And as much as most educators/principals recognize that you bring something valuable to the school they don't totally get what we do. We do so much more then putting bandaids on scraped knees!:wink2: Best of luck at your interview. School nursing is great!

Thanks for the input. I did call the BON and got the word from them. No nurses can NOT administer meds without MD order unless waivers are signed by parents but BON said even then it is questionable. So that is the position I'm staying with..... It seems that the day camp is going to try to get a first aider to come and do it or find a nurse who isn't savy and unknowingly puts her license at risk.

Have a question that came up. I volunteer as a Day Camp nurse for Girl Scout Day camp. I'm in a new geographical location and they are wanting me (an RN) to administer OTC with only parent permission - I've said No I don't think so but I will check with BON to be sure. This is in WA state. I volunteered as Camp Nurse for Girl Scout Daycamp in Fort Worth and did administer prescribed meds but NO OTC, as RN's don't prescribe! And they don't have a doc that can sign standing orders. Have any of you more experienced Camp nurses come up with this and how did you rectify it. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Ask your manager about a leave of absence, it that doesn't work ask about changing to per diem (you would have some good experience to make per diem work for you)... and if all else fails, there is agency nursing. And have fun traveling around!

I used to just apply to a few at a time and see what came... Now my approach is much more aggressive. I send a resume to EVERYWHERE I WANT TO WORK. Even If there is a hiring freeze, sometimes if the right candiate comes along they will find a way (I was told this by a manager a long time ago). Then when interviewing I usually make it known that I am looking for a career position and am exploring all my options = looking at other companies. And a sugar coat it with I want to find a place that I can stay and grow with, not waste their orientation dollars with me leaving in a few months. Good luck with the job search!

I always give ventro gluteal. I learned it in school and have found in practice that most nurses use dorso gluteal so I continue using ventro d/t site rotation. My pts always comment that it doesn't hurt when I give IM vs my collegues. I think if you learn how to do it in school you will continue and just because it isn't the common practice on the floor doesnt't mean it shouldn't be taught. Think back not so long ago gloves were encouraged not mandatory. Teach them right! The other perk for pts is that when I worked on a ortho floor with lots of hips and knees I could admin IM much easier with less positioning to aleviate pain.

When I lived in TX we had a HUGE ice storm (six inches of ice over night). My employer didn't expect anyone to risk their life for work but to make it in if they could. I drove home the 1st night of the storm then was scheduled off for 3 days. But many nurses that were working would get in and then work a double or stay in a empty room and work the next shift (if doubles weren't their thing). But my last job in Home Health in WA was you come in irregardless and be prepared to see pts even in rural areas.

Well I don't know what in nursing is Glam! But I do love being a nurse! As for ortho... I love it give it a try. When ever I manage to get back to hospital nursing I will be back in ortho. :chuckle Ortho does give you lots of "nursing" experience for a new grad. (Not that skills= nursing but it gives you confidence). IV's, dressing changes, transfers, post op assesments, pain control, foleys, drains and you get to work with OTs and PTs who can teach you a whole lot. Good luck!

It depends on why you are unsure? I've taken jobs for the hours and was tenative about the job then loved it! But have taken jobs that I was sure I wanted then HATED the job and regretted it. I think it really depends on what you are unsure of!

Just had to respond... Sorry about your day! And yes take it as learning experience. Now you know how you want to be in the real world of nursing. Sounds like you did a GREAT job of communicating with the family and trying to advocate for the patient.

Well we had a nurse retire last year at the place I used to work. They took a collection and bought her a gold watch WITHOUT a second hand (no more counting resp and pulse). When my Grandmother retired from working at the hospital. They had a VERY nice dinner catered in a hotel banquet room. BUT the meal was served on Hospital Dinner trays. Those are my only ideas. Good luck on the planning.

Well thanks for your reply. Your answers are pretty much what my answers were.... And I DID get the position... I start on Tues! It is a split position.... 2 full days at an elementary school, 1/2 day at the high school And if the funding is found it may increase. I'm VERY excited!

I had the interview on Friday. It was a panel of 6 people. 3 principals, 1 school nurse, and the assistant superintendent. It was definantly stressfull. They said they were interviewing 4 people for the position and would have a decision by at the latest this coming Friday. I can't wait to find out. But i have a question for all you experienced school nurses...these came from my interview. You have a child with ADHD who is acting out come to your office. HIs mom can't remember if he took his med in the AM. She says the doctor was thinking about increasing it so she says just to go ahead and give it. What do you do? The other one is a child who needs to urninate more frequently and eat small frequent meals throughout the day. The teacher feels that these are special previleges and does not want the child to be able to go to the bathroom so many times or eat in the class frequently. What do you do. There were other questions but I can't remember them now.

Hello to all you school nurses. I don't usually post but had a burning question. I applied for a school nurse position and NOW I have an interview. I actually didn't think I was a good candidate as I don't have a BSN. I've heard the pros and cons of school nursing. Off when the kids are off (good I have 2 that go to school in the district I'm interviewing for) and the poor pay (actually comparable to what I'm making now in HH). But any advice on how to sell myself for this position? TIA!

Thank you. Your stories brought tears to my eyes from laughter. I too say silly things that come out and I'm left thinking why didi I say XYZ.

Have you asked the MD about something for spasms.... that would help with the leaking possibly. At least it has in my experience. Also read an article that said going bigger in size often aggrevates the bladder causing more leaking.... what size cath does he use? Not the balloon size which is 30cc As for the clogs... maybe a all silicone cath instead of a silcoated cath.

I actually took that refresher course.... It was good but it is to get you thinking like a nurse again. Nursing process... assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation. There was some hands on but that is really stuff that is quick to pick up if you know that theory behind what you are doing. And there was a small clinical portion. There is also M&M in Arlington that has a refresher course (didn't take it but am familiar with it) and it is the same sort of theory base. Another option to get the hands on.... would be to go to any of the hospitals (Baylor, or Harris have formal programs for medsurg, but Plaza worked something similiar out for me) to gain confidence with skills. If the hospital you want to work at doesn't have a formal program make a plan with the NM on the unit. Just wanted to share my 2cents.

Was it a 1 step or a 2 step? I had an weird reaction to the 2nd step. Itching, and redness but NO wheel. The MD and NP that looked at it both decided that it was neg. I've since had 1 step tests be completely negative.

When I worked in the hospital there was no policy per se. The hospital did provide scrubs for the OR staff only. But for my own practice I don't wear my scrubs (or work shoes) out in public for infection control reasons. One is I don't want to take any germs to work with me. But then going home I don't want to spread the germs collected at work around to the public. I don't take public transit... never really thought about it. But I don't think I would want to sit on the bus/subway in my scrubs and like to think I would change at work.

The last hospital I worked at it was every other weekend for FTE. And no that didn't change EVER unless you swapped with someone from the opposite W/E because that way you could look out at your schedule 6months out to see "Yeah I have ___ W/E off" and could make plans accordingly. Yes sometimes it works out well and you get a long weekend and other times it doesn't and you work the entire long weekend. :uhoh21: Just think at somepoint it will all come out in the wash and even out.

YES 4 days of orientation as a new grad is unrealistic!!!! I would say atleast a month of orientation. Even though you know the floor from your preceptorship as a new nurse you will be responsible for you patients, the CNAs, etc. And you won't have your instructor to call for advice.... you will be on your own. Good luck.

The agency I work for has 5 male RN and 5 female RN, and 3 female LPN. For the most part patients don't care either way. Only one time did we have a pt the the male nurse who admitted her noted that females only for her - never did ask why, her request or some other reason. 3 of the men are floats and don't case manage. I've had them go out for cath changes/problems on some female pts (and the pts don't mind, of course). And one admitted dehis c section and changed the dressing on the pts dehis abd wound after having baby. Pt didn't care, we talked about it later. The only comment any of the men have ever made to me is that because he works W/E only and does many admits... He never does a complete skin assessment without their verbal permission and with a family member present. And if the pt is at all hesitant, he lets them know that he'll have a female come out on Monday and they will do the skin check. I'm not a guy but these are the things I have seen/noticed