Providing Care to Staff

Specialties School

Published

This is my first year as a School Nurse. I am at a high school, so it can be pretty slow in the clinic. I have on several occasions, had a teacher or staff member stop by for a temp check, BP check, etc... I have never thought twice about this, as it never interferes with my care of the students. Recently, a teacher asked me to be a standby support as they learned to inject a new medication. I made it clear that I will not inject, however if available, I would be in the clinic with her. Well, that has come back to bite me in the bum big time now. I was out with THE FLU last week and unable to provide this support, so apparently the teacher demanded that my unlicensed back-up do it for her. This person of course refused and the situation escalated all the way to the principal. What a disaster!!! My attempts to do a simple Teach and Train out the kindness of my heart, created a terribly dependency. Not only that, I fear it looks like I wasn't doing my job. So my question is, do you all see teachers when they come in? If no, how do I change my methods mid-year like this? Help!!! I just want to set up camp under my desk at this point.

15 minutes ago, Ice keeper said:

My first supervisor insisted her nurses informed all staff "I will only check your BP etc if you guarantee that you will do what I advise" before they did anything for a staff member. She told us if they didn't agree, to send those grown adults on their way. If we didn't know how high their BP was we were not liable and didn't need to stress about them not following up. I still apply that rule now. I have had a few obviously sick teachers change their minds after the fact, but on occasion (chest pain etc) I have involved the Principal and had them call 911

I LOVE THIS!!! I have had so many teachers have high BP readings or other concerning symptoms and they him haw around - "well, I can't take any more time off or I don't want to leave my class today, blah, blah, etc. etc." But then, they want to lay around on one of my cots or continue to come back and see me throughout the day. Meanwhile, I am usually slammed with kids and giving medications.

My focus needs to be on the kids - adults are responsible for their own healthcare and decisions!

Specializes in School Nurse.
1 hour ago, SchoolNurseK said:

Thank you, I really don't feel like I did anything wrong. The resolution of the situation is that if I want to "voluntarily" stand-by while she self-injects, then the liability is on me. I have since told the involved parties that I will no longer be doing this, because clearly this is too much of a mine field. Also, there is no liability to me because I don't even do the injection. Ugh...

Hmmm, not gonna do it. Sorry the staff member became a colossal @$$.

48 minutes ago, BiscuitRN said:

had a teacher get her finger caught in a closing fire door (severed, nurse got it in a bag on ice

OMG I would be DEAD!! This nurse is def not one who handles trauma like that. I would have passed out and the fingerless teacher would be calling 911 for ME ?

Specializes in school nursing.
48 minutes ago, Ice keeper said:

My first supervisor insisted her nurses informed all staff "I will only check your BP etc if you guarantee that you will do what I advise" before they did anything for a staff member. She told us if they didn't agree, to send those grown adults on their way. If we didn't know how high their BP was we were not liable and didn't need to stress about them not following up. I still apply that rule now. I have had a few obviously sick teachers change their minds after the fact, but on occasion (chest pain etc) I have involved the Principal and had them call 911

Yeah, for any CP complaints or serious issues, I always involve my principal and she can force the issue more than I can without so many repercussions. She has personally driven many staff to the ER, and has also supported me if I called 911 for something I thought was much more urgent.

1 hour ago, SchoolNurseK said:

Thank you, I really don't feel like I did anything wrong. The resolution of the situation is that if I want to "voluntarily" stand-by while she self-injects, then the liability is on me. I have since told the involved parties that I will no longer be doing this, because clearly this is too much of a mine field. Also, there is no liability to me because I don't even do the injection. Ugh...

Thats crazy! This teacher just burned her bridge....my resolution from now on would be "please call your doctors office if you need assistance".

I will provide first aid for injuries for my staff and emergency care when needed but other than that I try to just direct to whatever they need and tell them to help themselves.

One thing I did was set up a Auto BP cuff in the teachers lounge with info/directions from American Heart Association on how to use it - teachers now can check whenever they feel like it without interrupting me.

31 minutes ago, MHDNURSE said:

OMG I would be DEAD!! This nurse is def not one who handles trauma like that. I would have passed out and the fingerless teacher would be calling 911 for ME ?

Right? I don't think I could have handled it either.

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

We have a friend who works at the school who asks us to do Vitamin B shots, but it is in the friend capacity. I wouldn't do it for a staf member.

And as someone else mentioned - these things are a slippery slope. You do it for 1 person and then all of the sudden, you have a line of staff out the door needing this and that!!!

And I find that I am getting older and crankier and these teachers are getting younger and needier, NOT A GOOD COMBO!

My clinic is basically an urgent care center for staff. I'll gladly take a quick BP and/or temp and I have in the past done extended assessments for CP or other more complex complaints (because I feel like I'll be liable if a teacher comes in with an MI and I didn't attempt to catch it ?)

But I feel the staff thinks that I'm a replacement for going to their primary or going to the hospital, like "Oh I'll just go see the nurse at work today." Trying to break that culture but it's hard!

The job I used to work at, people would come in to The medical dept all the time for a B/P check. And it didn't matter what you were doing they expected you to drop it and check their b\p. We had heavy

med passes to get prepared and it wasnt always convenient to,check staff. They needed to realize it wasn't a requirement in our job to check them . it was a courtesy. Then it became even more annoying because they wanted you to say whether or not it was too high. And of course you cant say,that on just one b/p check. It wasnt my place to diagnose them anyway. I would just tell them they needed to discuss it with their doctor. I'm so glad I don't work there anymore.

18 hours ago, MHDNURSE said:

This makes zero sense to me! How can they expect an unlicensed person to inject a medication, especially when you are licensed and refused??? You did the right thing by not agreeing to inject. I am not understanding why the teacher thinks it is OK to make someone else do it in your absence.

Today’s children apparently can have many sources from which to learn the entitlement syndrome.

here is my two cents..again its what I do...not telling anyone what to do.

teacher comes in for a BP check and its way high..I say you need to leave to go to Dr now and they say no I can make it, if they refuse, I immediately call the principal in..heres why.

the said teacher decides to stay the whole day then strokes out while driving home...kills self and other driver..who do you think is responsible? yes ..me as the last person to care for her.

They are adults, but if you are not going to take my advice..dont come in.

I have been put in several situations and never again will that happen.

my license is too precious

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