" If you don't pick up your child NOW I'm calling 911.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

Today I actually had to threaten a parent to pick up their child or I was calling 911.

Background Info: Child comes in this morning C/O SOB and is using accessory muscles and is clearing having labored breathing, RR 28. I checked her record and called dad and student have no hx of asthma. Dad does say that she has an inhaler at home for when she had " breathing problems" before. Step mom comes in and administers inhaler and student goes back to class. Student was told by step mom and me that if she is still SOB come to the HR right away.

Student comes back to the HR with still c/o SOB. RR 18 and she is crying and has anxiety. Step mom called and advised, however she couldn't pick the child up. I called my supervisor and gave her report and she told me to call dad and threaten to call 911 if he doesn't come with in the next hour. So thats what I did and dad caught an attitude. :angryfire

He tells me that she just has a sore throat and breaths like that all the time at home. I told him that her breathing pattern is not normal ! She is wheezing and is clearly having labored RR. I told him that URI's can even trigger asthma sx and etc. He was such a jerk ! Anyway, the 911 call threat made dad come right way. When dad came in the student started crying even more and I can tell she was scared of her dad. ( Dads in the military and HUGE).

Well I stood flat footed in front of dad and explained to him what I was seeing and how he needed to get her to the doc or ER ASAP.

I don't know if he'll listen or not but you better believe I'm going to follow up with this tomorrow.

[Aneroo, LPN]

Did your supervisor not offer to come check out the student also? I'm not doubting your judgement, but our nurses that have health assistants will try and come to the school if 911 is being called (even if it is being threatened).

[guest83140]

We once had to tell the parent that over the phone( that we will call 911) after a head injury with symptoms. After waiting over an hour, we told the parent we would tell the principal the situation and that did it. She came right away and stayed another hour complaining to the principal that we threatened the principal on her. I guess the word, Principal hit a nerve.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

Did your supervisor not offer to come check out the student also? I'm not doubting your judgement, but our nurses that have health assistants will try and come to the school if 911 is being called (even if it is being threatened).

Nope she did not come. Wish she would have though. She told me to not really call 911 because the child did not sound like she was in Resp. distress. However, I believe in prevention and if I was a nurse working on my own, I would of called 911 especially since she was in my office for way over an hour before I was even advised to call dad for upteenth time.

[caliotter3]

I'm glad I don't have your job.

[SchoolNurseBSN]

Just curious, did you do a peak flow on this student?

[BunnyBunnyBSNRN, ASN, BSN]

Nursing Student,

When a similar situation happened here, my principal called the mom and told her if she wasn't here in 1 hour, we were calling the authorities. Maybe, your principal or supervisor should make that call.

s

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

your supervisor said that she did not sound like she was in resp. distress ???? don't you really need to witness it to know for sure. (not over the phone) !!

you did the right thing. i would have done as you did also.

praiser

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

Just curious, did you do a peak flow on this student?

First of all she doesn't have a hx of Asthma according to her records and parents.

Secondly, we do not have peak flow meters in the HR and I'm at my district the child will need an Asthma Action plan that states his or her personal best ranges.

Maybe we should have peak flows in the HR.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

your supervisor said that she did not sound like she was in resp. distress ???? don't you really need to witness it to know for sure. (not over the phone) !!

you did the right thing. i would have done as you did also.

praiser

i agree !

[dennysbfly]

I have had to make the same threat several times and have actually had to call 911. More often than that I call the school resourse officer who drives to the house and tells the parent they need to pick up there child.....That works!!

[SchoolNurseBSN]

Sounds exactly like a case I had last year. Mom kept telling me the student did not have asthma and I was useles, etc, etc. Well, I finally just called 911. After giving her a nebulizer treatment and still unable to get her 02 sats up - she was transported to the hospital and finally diagnosed with..................ASTHMA!

I could not even reach her the day I called 911. We had to send someone out to her house to notify her in person.

I brought up the peak flow topic because it just helps explaining to parents that you did a "test" and then give them numbers objective numbers!