Massmagic

I am out this year. I did school nursing for 4 years. It was the hardest job I have ever had. However, I do appreciate the support everyone on this boards has given me. This is a terrific place to seek advice and garner wisdom from experts in the most difficult field of nursing - school nursing. Wow, what a wonderful group in this forum - Experts +++ I really never had the administration's support or appreciation and this did not help me stick with it. I landed a job in March working with elderly doing clinical eligibility for state home care services. Love it. I miss the summers off though, but I am happier and less stressed. I really want to thank everyone on this board as you all are great nurses - dedicated to a field of nursing that is extremely difficult with an overwhelming responsibility. No one realizes this until they actually do this kind of work. Thank you over and over - Massmagic

I do screen students with glasses. I like to make sure they are for distance and not just "reading glasses." I check vision with and without glasses. I do send home a referral and call the parent if they fail the screening with glasses. This year, I have so many who have lost their glasses - I still screen and refer just to have the screening documented and to let parents know that their child still needs to wear glasses. This age group - tons of lost glasses - I have 3-6 graders. I am finding that many of these parents were not planning on getting their child another pair. Strange. So, my phone call and the referral paper helps to give them a little push towards the eye doctor. One student told me that they lost their glasses and then said, "I don't have to wear them anymore, even my mother said so." Well, he failed the screening, and I called mother. She said, "I am so glad you screened him as he keeps telling me he can see fine without glasses, and I wasn't going to bring him to get another pair." I do refer those with glasses who fail - I guess I like everything documented.

I use the sponges as well. At the beginning of the year I have reusable cold paks, but those last me only a few months. Youi can get the sponges pretty cheap at the dollar store. They work well too and last longer.

The training that I use for food allergies is great. The link is below. There is a training for staff through the computer with a certificate upon completion so that you have documentation on who has done the training. The Mass Department of Public Health recommends this training for staff. My only complaint is that the training is a little long. However, the link is great to give to staff so they can review it whenever they feel the need. AllergyHome - Your Home for All Your Allergy Needs -AllergyHome.org Schools @ AllergyHome.org - Helping Schools Manage Allergies Hope this helps!

It is so difficult when you talk to those parents who don't immunize their children. Most tell me, "I want my child to get them naturally." I have to restrain myself with all my might when I hear that. I want to say - "Are you crazy - out of your mind or where is your mind?" I do not have many refusals - but I do keep a list readily available so if there is a case of measles those little darlings with out protection can stay home for 2 weeks with mother. That virus will seek out those not immunized.

Granny RRT - I agree with you about the inhalers being readily available to students. We have a rule in our district that all doors need to be locked when out of the room. I do not lock my door when I go out of the med office as Inhalers HAVE to be available to all asthmatic students at all times. I have argued with other nurses about leaving door unlocked when not in office, they feel as if they just can't do that, and plus they feel like it is a medication that should be locked in their med cabinet as well. I feel differently as inhaler access is essential. I keep inhalers in an unlocked cabinet and not in my med cabinet. I have the cabinet labeled in BIG letters and inform all students that their inhalers are in that particular cabinet. I have many asthmatics but I have one that is a problem and mother fails to recognize the importance of daily long term inhaled medication (advair, flovent,etc). When I try to tell her that her son needs this daily, she gets angry. I think she feels as if I am telling her that she doesn't know how to take care of her child (even though she doesn't). I have resorted to teaching the student (6th grade boy) that he needs to step up and take responsibility in taking his Advair daily - every day even when he is feeling fine. When he is having difficulty with tightness, his pulse ox ranges from 96-98%. A low pulse ox is a late sign of not getting enough oxygen. This boy knows how he feels and I can tell he is having difficulty by just looking at him. I always call his mother when he feels as if his chest is tight and having difficulty breathing. I tell her that I have done everything that I can for her son -rescue inhaler/nebulizer, and that he continues with chest tightness. I then let mom talk to her own son and I let him tell her how he feels. This has worked much better than me telling her what she should do. (Some parents are just hard to deal with). She always comes and gets him. She has never not come to get him. I try to do the best I can with each TYPE of parent. The mother making the decision has helped in this particular difficult case. School nursing is a challenge - I do like this site as many of you school nurses have so much to offer. I learn so much from everyone. Great site.

Britrn04 Your news is not surprising to me. I wish you the best of luck. The education degree is a great idea, especially if you are young enough to use it. Congrats!

I know that we all have those frequent flyers daily. My school has increased in size this year as one school closed and the kids are stuffed into my building. I have Grades 3-6. I have experience with frequent flyers, but it is just getting to me right now. I see the same 30 kids with the same complaints everyday and sometimes 3 times a day. I know this is common for all of you. Has anyone found anything new that will keep these kids in class? Suggestions …..help…please….suggestions? Thanks.

BritRN04, I am in the same boat as you as far as having a downright MEAN secretary. Just this one person can make work miserable. What I have resorted to is to try to get along without the secretary and try not to go to her for anything, but there are things that have to involve the secretary or secretaries. I feel for you and know just how you feel. I often go home crying ..all because of one mean person. I am like you … nice and will go out of my way to help anyone, so to have people be so mean just plain hurts. The secretary thing….I have tried everything. This is totally not like me but for my survival, I ignore the secretary. I do not say good morning” to her or anything. I used to try the nice things like saying good morning” but I would just get a nasty smirk and no reply back – that really hurts. It is the most difficult thing in the world, and plus ruins the job. I am sorry, as I know what it is like. I go into work with a good attitude…happy and smiling and conversing with others and try my best to ignore the secretary. I pray daily that she will change and like me….I know it will come...it just needs to happen sooner. I have found, like the others, that school nursing is somewhat lonely as we are not teachers, so we are always on the outside. I deliver fluoride rinses weekly to the classrooms before school and take that time to chit chat with the teachers and sometimes I go see a teacher right after dismissal to discuss a student that they may have sent to me. This helps to build up a rapport and a friendship with the teachers. I try to focus on those who are nice.

In Massachusetts, Diastat can only be administered by a registered nurse. I have a student with a Diastat order. I have to go everywhere he goes – meaning, if the school walks to the neighboring school for buddy reading – I have to go. If parent can not go on a field trip with him – I have to go. When his class walks to deliver food for a food-a-thon – I have to go. We have a Halloween walk around the square – I have to go. Yas, no one but a registered nurse can give Diastat, insulin, benadryl (allergic reactions) and EpiPen for undiagnosed students. Trained staff can give EpiPen to students who have an order, but not to students who are undiagnosed. I can't designate staff to give benadryl for allergic reactions as it takes assessment (per DPH). We have to take a med delegation course and renew it every two years in order for us to train and delegate Epipen, medications, and inhalers to staff for field trips.

In our school district, we use paper logs to sign off medications that we give and use a computer program for all documentations of student visits. Most programs have immunization logs, screening results and dates, etc. Each school district varies, depending on the computer program they are using. There are so many different computer programs – some good and many not so good.

Blue Moon, Just another note…I am a dental hygienist also and one of the dental assistants that I used to work with took a job teaching Dental Assisting in a Tech School. She loves it. She has been doing it for like 14 years now and loves it. I think I read one of your posts stating that this would be in a Tech School. I think you would enjoy it. …that is my opinion.

Hi Blue Moon! Well, I had added stress from doing both jobs - running out when someone in gym needed an inhaler or ice pack and finding time to do my screenings and prep for classes. I enjoyed the classroom setting. There were some classes that I enjoyed more than others, as some had more discipline problems. I taught 3rd and 4th graders. I found that kids are very interested in science, health, and physiology. I was not trained in the discipline part and quickly learned that each teacher had their own discipline system, and that I was just left hanging there with no discipline plan. The problem was that when the teacher came back in, if I had a system where a misbehaved student warranted disciplinary action, the teacher was not happy as then they had to handle the discipline. I think if I had to do it over, I would try and get some sort of discipline plan that would not involve the action of the classroom teacher. If you have your own room and students come to you for the lesson, I think you could develop some kind of plan. On the other hand, there were some classes where the students were fully engaged, and highly interested. That experience was delightful as they really love what I was teaching. Wow, a toss up……. All the fake complainers trying to go home all day long, every day, and fighting with them every day ….or…. teaching all day long. I think I would say the teaching. I would grab the teaching now that I really think about it. I found that kids like action work and experiments. They loved experiments and hands on medical things. I think that would be an advantage as the subject matter can be much more creative than the regular curriculum of reading and math. I would go for it - just make sure it is legal with the Dept of Ed in you state before you bite.

Yas, the letter home to parents never works well for me. It is like mass hysteria when a letter goes home. Plus, the kids think they are sick or going to get sick because they are hearing about it. Just recently our Tech teacher was out sick and when she came back to school she told all her class how sick she was and her symptoms…..well, I had so many kids come in thinking they had what the Tech teacher had because she was in their classroom the day before she became ill. Or they told me My tech teacher said she was dizzy and I am dizzy, I think I am getting what she had.” The GI bug goes around all the time. I do not get upset as there is nothing that can be done. I never get upset or react as the kids pick up on it. It is very hard to stop that virus in a school setting or any setting for that matter. I just keep telling the kids to wash their hands. People over react and I am not downplaying the illness as it is not pleasant as we all know, but the kids pick up on the fear and anxiety of it all.” There is really nothing you can do….encourage good hand washing…that bug goes around all the time. Don't sweat it…it too shall pass.

I do very similar to FLARE and I also keep a written list of daily med takers times, grade, teacher and med as a fast cheat sheet. But I make a log sheet for all medications, even the PRNs I place the students with Daily Meds in a binder in the very front and I clip the LOG Sheet with a student picture, Doctor Order and Parent Consent together. The PRNs are then placed in the notebook similar way but in Alphabetical order for easy access. I do make a cheat sheet and I use a cheat sheet for myself daily. I always have. I guess it is what people get used to. I find that it is easier for me to keep the sheets under my desk blotter and cross meds off as I give them and then log them on the log sheets. I know that when I used to sub I love that paper cheat sheet - the only problem is that it has to be kept up to date. In my sub folder, I place emergency plans or Care Plans on students with emergency meds in the opposite front pocket of the sub folder so that they are sure to see it.

I am a School Nurse in Massachusetts and certified with Department of Education (DESE). Our administration had us school nurses teach the school curriculum HEALTH class last year. The health teacher retired and they decided to have the nurses and counselors be the Health Teacher. We taught everyday for one hour, plus do our other duties. What was insane was they had us teaching while gym was in session. Administration did not want to hire a Health Teacher so used us to teach health. Well, guess what? School nurses teaching a curriculum course in the classroom is ILLEGAL with the Department of Education. School Nurses in Massachusetts are certified as Professional Support Personnel – we are not certified teachers even though we are certified with the DESE. Well, we did report it to the Department of Ed and they could not believe the superintendent was allowing this. DESE wrote numerous letters, emails to the district but they failed to heed the warning, in fact they just laughed. We filed a formal complaint and the Department of Ed came down on the district hard as it is illegal for a School Nurse to teach a curriculum course as we do not have a license to teach – we have a license to be a nurse.” Students have to receive a certain amount of teaching time from a certified teacher. Just because school nurses have licensure with the Department of Education, this does not make us teachers – DESE licensure gives School Nurses Professional Support Staff status. They also had the school counselors teaching the Health curriculum and that is illegal too as they are Professional Support Staff. WE ended up teaching one hour a day the entire year. They were formally reprimanded and were asked to submit a plan of correction. Well, this year they did hire a health teacher. This is how the law goes here in Massachusetts, our administration was pulling a fast one on us and it was not a fun year. I spent more time preparing for my classroom lessons than on my job. The Department of Education was furious” that we were teaching – red hot livid.

I am on my 4th year as a school nurse. I loved my job - the first year. The last 2 years I battled with administration as they did illegal things that involved the nursing department. The administrators did and still do not feel that school nurses are important as we do not teach the students. That is all they can think about is scoring "high" on the state tests so they will "look" good. This attitude toward school nurses was the foundation of their mistreatment. We actually had to file formal complaints with the Department of Ed. This year, I have 2 more grades as they closed a school and packed in 200 more students into my building (3rd - 6th). I have twice the student population and I go home crying almost every day - I am so busy - I go in early and stay late to get things done. I went and spent a lot of money and time on a BSN as Massachusetts requires this for school nurses. I was fine with it and took me 2.5 years to complete - it was rough and I am sure most of you have experienced online classes. Well, this year the superintendent just tore the heart right out of me for various "unfair" reasons. I found myself dreading to go to work (this is a new feeling for me). I know that sometimes other jobs can look greener on the other side, but I am willing to try it. I think school nursing is a great job - I love the kids and how they all run into my office and tell me their little tales, how they say "hi nurse" when I walk down the hall, and run up and hug me when I walk into the cafe (even though their greasy hand prints remain on my clothes). They are precious and the job is such a rewarding one. I never thought of leaving but now am. Administration can make or break a job, just like in some hospitals. If your school administration is good - be thankful.

Great ideas. I appreciate them all. I really don't like open house, but feel as if I should be there to support the school. Thank you all for your support. You all help me every time I post something. THANK YOU!

School nursing is demanding. I don't know about you but those kids suck the life right out of me. It is OK to take a little nap when you get home. I often get on that couch when I get home and take a quick 15 minute cat nap before I get dinner ready. It does wonders as it gives me energy to do the things I need to do at night. I think you are quite normal. I remember feeling that change within my body at your age. I know that young people have a difficult time with that realization and the idea of cat naps, but they work wonders.

We have an open house every year. The students bring their parents to look around the school and see their classrooms. I am school nurse for grades 3-6. I attend and man the hallway (or let say a greeter), but think that this would be a great opportunity to reach out to the parents with some sort of information (something that would draw them to a table possibly). Do any of you do anything for open house or similar events? Any suggestions?

Wow, I think being with another nurse in a school would be perfect. I continually feel alone and find myself saying" I wish I had another nurse with me or work with another school nurse some place. I have a nurse friend who did just that - she left an elementary school grades PK-2 and got a job as a school nurse float in a small city. She loves it as she says she is never alone and gets to go from school to school helping all the other nurses. Your offer to be with another school nurse sounds wonderful to me. Just a thought!

Unfortunately, I do not have administration that supports me as well as they should. My first year working as school nurse with PK-2, I had issues with incontinence. Parents would not answer their phones to come change their children - the list goes on and on about parents. I would beg them to send in a change of clothes and keep in nurses office - but no - never received anything. So what do you do with a child who is wet and parents will not answer phone? Bottom line is that I had to have brand new under wear in stock. I went to my principal and asked if any money to purchase underwear - nothing ever become of it. So, I was purchasing underwear every week. A teacher hear my cry and she belonged to the St. Vincent De Paul Society at her church and approached the society and they give me a $100.00 Walmart Card whenever I need it. Amazing. I don't know what grades you have, but I cover 3-4th grades now and still get accidents. I know that the bottom line is that I need underwear - as you can't keep a child sitting in urine and feces. If anything that may cost out of your pocket is underwear. Other than that - occasional socks....some parents at good and ask if there is anything that is needed for the kids and I always say socks and sweatpants. I stopped buying cough drops.....warm saline gargles from now on....and when I run out of cold packs I purchase sponges from the dollar store and baggies and use those as cold paks. Hope this helps....

I also give the students plastic tooth necklaces for lost teeth. I have learned not to give out things as my office is flooded with "visitors" and "talkers" constantly. I enjoy them, but my office gets so crowded that I have to shoo them away. I swear they have a secret announcement system as when I give 1 kid something - I get 20 kids asking for the same thing and then 20 more and 20 more....! I have never had a student who is nervous about coming to see me - even when I took care of PK - 2. I wish I was not so popular. It is a problem..really it is because I don't like to shoo them away. I lay awake at night thinking how I can discourage them from coming to me...(they come for nothing really, just a walk and break from class). So......I have to keep myself in check about what I give to the kids, or else whammo...a herd! And then I end up being crabby to them. Your students maybe different from my student population.

Thanks all....I protested and they are going to tile have the room for me. I had looked into runners, but I think they understood where I was coming from and they are going to put linoleum down or tile....half the room. It is a large room so I will keep seating and first aid station close to the tiled floor...and it is close to bathroom. Thanks so much. Funny how we have to beg and almost threaten to administration to do anything. Well, my administration that is. Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Does anyone have carpeting in their health office? I was told yesterday that I am being moved to another room - one with wall to wall floor carpeting. I cringe thinking of all the times kids try to make it to my office and throw up on the floor and not to mention the dripping blood from bloody noses and injuries. I have checked and it is not law that school health offices have to be tiled, as many old schools have asbestos tiles under the carpeting. Any carpeted health offices out there? Suggestions? What was used to cover the carpeting to protect against vomit and blood?