Recess/Gym Restrictions - Where do your students go?

[k1p1ssk]

When you have students who are (per MD requirement) not supposed to participate in recess or gym, where do they go during these times? I have a small office with basically no privacy and it has come up several times already this year, where a student has had an injury or (most recently) is 1 week post-op for a tonsillectomy.

My concern with the post-op student, is that she has been sent to my office for recess and of course, I get a student with a fever immediately after, and they now have to share space (and coloring utensils)... What do you think about that? What does your school do?

[scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN]

Elementary school, and they just go with their class and sit out where the class is, they do not come to me.

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

They sit on the bench outside with their chromebook or ipad with dreambox/lexia or something fun.

In PE, they sit on the sidelines or hang out in one of the other specials for that day.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I've never had students with activity restrictions wait in my office. They can sit on the sidelines wherever their class may be. There is no reason for them to sit in the office or clinic.

[Keeperofbandages, LPN]

I'm K-8. I can count on 1 hand the amount of times I have had a student just outside my office due to an injury and cannot participate in Recess/PE. Most of the time my PE Coaches will have the student keep score or some other task so that the student still feels involved with the class.

For my Elementary students, my teachers will bring an Ipad out to recess for the student to do cool math or some other educational game.

[k1p1ssk, BSN, RN]

My issues stem from the fact that the principal does not want the recess/gym staff responsible for making sure the kids aren't participating... somehow, this is too much work/too dangerous.

I agree with you all, and feel that if a student is given restrictions by their doctor, and the child is informed of what they can/can't do, then the responsibility lies on the student.

So now, for any kid with recess restrictions per MD order, I have to connect with the parent and get a verbal OK that they can still go outside and be responsible for themselves....

[Schoolnurselpn]

My struggle is the students who are excused from gym due to a concussion. Do I make them rest in the health office? Do I send them to the library to study? If I send them to sit on the side lines in gym...what if they get hit with a ball?

im sorry I’m full of questions and no answers!

its a hard call

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

10 hours ago, Schoolnurselpn said:

My struggle is the students who are excused from gym due to a concussion. Do I make them rest in the health office? Do I send them to the library to study? If I send them to sit on the side lines in gym...what if they get hit with a ball?

im sorry I’m full of questions and no answers!

its a hard call

Concussions should be in your office. They really need to be on brain rest until cleared by MD, so library is out and sidelines, as you have identified, carry increased risk. I send concussions home and our private school mandates doctors note to return.

[shark_nurse14, BSN, RN]

I'm not sure how close you are to your guidance counselors or librarian, but those are resources I use for these students. Because most of these kiddos have a length of time they are to sit out for, I'm usually able to work out a schedule for them that makes it so they aren't just sitting in my office coloring/reading, but are actually participating in something academic.

For example, I had a student last year that was post op and needed to sit out x8 weeks. Together, the PE teacher and I had the student work on a powerpoint presentation in the library during his PE block about the importance of exercise and nutrition for adolescents. With it being just one student, the librarian is typically willing to let them hang out. If it ever became a behavior issue in the library, either I or the PE teacher would be called.

Also for students that work closely with their guidance counselor, we've had it so that they are able to be with guidance during these times. Guidance can help coordinate with core subject teachers about what the student should work on, and sometimes those core subject teachers are willing to have the students sit and work in their classroom during their prep periods.

Don't feel like because the student has to sit out for a medical reason, that you're the only one responsible for them! The purpose of school nursing is to increase time on learning when appropriate, sitting in the nursing office with a broken arm does not mean they can't learn! ?