Reaching my breaking point with middle schoolers

[nursex23]

Has anyone else ever had a period in time where they've just kinda had it. I had a student come in, no pass. Nope, go get a pass. She rolled her eyes as she left. She came back with a pass saying she needs an ice pack for her finger because she bent it back with her other finger. Full ROM, no bruise, no swelling, no redness, nothing. Give me a break! It's a combination of the attitude, the exaggeration, and the fact that the teacher let her leave class for this. It's also that SOOOOOO many students come in asking for ice and when I ask why, I hear the most ridiculous answers. I almost want to ask them if they have a whole freezer with ice packs at home that they use for every ailment. Ok rant over.

[nursex23, BSN, RN]

Just now, tining said:

I will call parent on speaker phone.

My fear is parent will say something worse.

[SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN]

Middle school has to be tough! I have two of my own and some days, I am so happy to come hang out with my high school students! Only once have I had to pull out the "Try again" in my mom voice because a student barged into my clinic using a demanding tone. We have such a nice group of high schoolers and now I am starting realize, maybe this is a strange magical place compared to other schools! ?

[SandIsMyGlitterRN, BSN, RN]

Ugh!!! Totally normal to feel the way you do! Some days I think that I am just a dumping ground for students that are annoying the teachers. I am in an elementary school and I see students for the silliest things. "I held my pencil too tight and now my finger hurts", headband stuck in hair, " my earring fell out", " I spilled water on my pants", etc. Most days I love my job but when they are all coming down because the teacher is tired of saying no......I get annoyed. Remember why we are here, it helps. We are here to take care of our students that truly need us in many different ways. It may be tube feedings and seizure meds one day and just TLC on another. For the most part, my job is very fulfilling and I am thankful and blessed to be here.

[SaltineQueen]

23 hours ago, tining said:

All. Dang.Day.

"Teacher told me to get ice pack"

Well you said knee has been hurting x 5 days, no known injury, no swelling or bruising.

= No ice pack as I explain my rational.

Has anyone had a parent get mad for NOT giving an ice pack? I'm getting pretty tired of all the "I hurt myself over the weekend" type complaints but I've got littles and I don't want to deal with parents calling and complaining that why couldn't I "just give their darling an ice pack...what's the big deal?" The big deal is that I'M trying to help your child learn some coping skills and that not every tiny thing is a big deal...maybe you should try it.

2 hours ago, nursex23 said:

If something like that happened to me I think I would quit on the spot.

Yes, quit, or I would be in jail for how I responded, LOL

[JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN]

I shadowed a middle school nurse this past fall as part of earning my certification. She told me her students enter the school with their thumbs in their mouth and leave the school with the middle fingers raised.

[tining, BSN, RN]

[bluebonnetrn, BSN, RN]

19 hours ago, SaltineQueen said:

The big deal is that I'M trying to help your child learn some coping skills and that not every tiny thing is a big deal...maybe you should try it.

THIS
Yes, this is why I have no problem being an ice pack nazi. I will gladly give an ice pack when it's warranted and I will withhold one when it isn't and gladly explain why.
I think of this issue right here as a big part of my job and I am not in the business of handing out placebos.

[SchoolNurse91, BSN, RN]

I require a HAND written pass signed by the teacher. No pass, back to class. That goes for all of my elementary kiddos. I'll allow high school students in my office without a pass if it's passing time. Emergencies are obviously the exception.

[tining, BSN, RN]

NO visits during passing period for me.

I have to email attendance clerk with name, ID#, period = headache.

I will give a pad though.

[SchoolNurse91, BSN, RN]

When I'm at the high school, I see maybe one kid a day. It's my elementary schools that send down for everything.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

On 1/15/2020 at 11:21 AM, MHDNURSE said:

Ah yes, middle schoolers...I have two of my own. I think mine are fairly decent humans, but some of their friends ? The MS nurse in my building was just telling me a story recently about these two girls at the school in 8th who had been arrested a week before for shoplifting. Were also suspended for three days from school (another offense) and had just come back were were essentially wandering the halls and refusing to go into class. One of them had a belly shirt on and went to see the nurse and she asked her to cover herself (dress code) and the girl pulls her shirt all the way up to expose her breasts and slaps her stomach and tells the nurse to suck it ? I realize this is an extreme example of MS behavior but there are quite a few students like this here and I could NEVER take care of them. I would be to judgmental and angry at them to be caring.

Oh, I'm worked with some MS students like this, including a few students with diagnosed oppositional defiant disorder. I've been cursed at and given the finger. Not been flashed, but it might happen eventually.

Nothing phases me anymore. I involve our Dean. It is a team effort and it takes a lot out of you. But these students are the ones that need us the most usually.