Restroom Access

toomuchbaloney · Jan 31

You are right to advocate for the health of your students. Young menstruating females can be susceptible to things like Toxic Shock syndrome or other maladies if they are forced to make unhealthy choices. The school policy and attitude needs updating.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Feb 1

toomuchbaloney said:

You are right to advocate for the health of your students. Young menstruating females can be susceptible to things like Toxic Shock syndrome or other maladies if they are forced to make unhealthy choices. The school policy and attitude needs updating.

I agree with this. 4 minutes to get from one class to another is cutting it close already. To expect the kids to use that time for restroom breaks sounds almost impossible, unless the school is very small and has restrooms close to all the classrooms.

The policy is ridiculous and needs updating.

Nurse Trini · Feb 4

We have a bit longer (I'm in a high school). The students are asked to use the time between classes (and during lunch). It is at the discretion of the teachers during class. We do have a form for students with a medical need to go more frequently than typical so that the teacher knows and they won't get sanctioned.

beachynurse, ASN, BSN · Feb 6

I am in a large high school which is a fairly new school. We have bathrooms on each classroom community both up and down stairs. There are plenty of them. Our teachers are pretty much the same as yours, some limit, some don't. I don't give out bathroom passes unless I receive a note from the MD with a diagnosis that supports the need to use the bathroom as needed. This note needs to be renewed annually as conditions can change..

toomuchbaloney · Feb 6

beachynurse said:

I am in a large high school which is a fairly new school. We have bathrooms on each classroom community both up and down stairs. There are plenty of them. Our teachers are pretty much the same as yours, some limit, some don't. I don't give out bathroom passes unless I receive a note from the MD with a diagnosis that supports the need to use the bathroom as needed. This note needs to be renewed annually as conditions can change..

Requiring a doctors diagnosis for allowing a menstruating student extra bathroom time is awful, IMV.

Women's reproductive health issues are under diagnosed or misdiagnosed regularly. As many as 25% of women with menstrual complaints are suspected or diagnosed with psychological problems, it used to be worse.

BD-RN, BSN, RN · Feb 7

I ran cross country and track in high school in the Temecula Valley, where it can get hot. Practice for all sports was after school, therefore we needed to be sure we were adequately hydrated throughout the day. Naturally, the more you hydrate, the more you'll need to use the bathroom. Some of our teachers didn't let us use the restroom. Some even restricted our fluid intake during class. I distinctly remember one football player classmate end up relieving himself in the sink in science class because the teacher wouldn't let him leave. Finally our principle, after hearing multiple complaints from our coaches and parents sent an email to all the teachers stating they HAD to let us use the restroom during class.

For Pete's sake, let kids use the bathroom.

beachynurse, ASN, BSN · Feb 7

toomuchbaloney said:

Requiring a doctors diagnosis for allowing a menstruating student extra bathroom time is awful, IMV.

Women's reproductive health issues are under diagnosed or misdiagnosed regularly. As many as 25% of women with menstrual complaints are suspected or diagnosed with psychological problems, it used to be worse.

Notes are not required for menstruating females. It is for student that have urinary issues and diagnoses that need to use the bathroom frequently. We have students that say they are going to the bathroom and are hall walking for a majority of the block. I do not have the authority to tell teachers how to manage their classrooms, some teachers are pretty lenient about it, and others are very restrictive. They may allow 1 pass per 90 minute class, or 4-5 during a quarter or semester. Again, I have no control over the bathroom policies,

seedanurse · Feb 7

beachynurse said:

Notes are not required for menstruating females. It is for student that have urinary issues and diagnoses that need to use the bathroom frequently. We have students that say they are going to the bathroom and are hall walking for a majority of the block. I do not have the authority to tell teachers how to manage their classrooms, some teachers are pretty lenient about it, and others are very restrictive. They may allow 1 pass per 90 minute class, or 4-5 during a quarter or semester. Again, I have no control over the bathroom policies,

This is how I handle it. My thought is that I should not have to write a yearly bathroom pass for all menstruating students. Menstrual care should be manageable within the school's general guidelines.

Currently our toileting plan doesn't seem reasonable for menstrual care (or for students who are properly hydrating and need to pee several times a day)! The overall plan needs updating, but since that isn't in my control, I'm not sure how to handle the parents who call asking for non health plan related restroom accommodations.

toomuchbaloney · Feb 7

seedanurse said:

This is how I handle it. My thought is that I should not have to write a yearly bathroom pass for all menstruating students. Menstrual care should be manageable within the school's general guidelines.

Currently our toileting plan doesn't seem reasonable for menstrual care (or for students who are properly hydrating and need to pee several times a day)! The overall plan needs updating, but since that isn't in my control, I'm not sure how to handle the parents who call asking for non health plan related restroom accommodations.

Is you are powerless then direct the parents to the power. However, you are the health professional, your voice shouldn't be powerless.

BD-RN, BSN, RN · Feb 7

toomuchbaloney said:

Is you are powerless then direct the parents to the power. However, you are the health professional, your voice shouldn't be powerless.

This right here! Exactly! as I said in my post, the principal is the one who sent something out to teachers. But you are a healthcare professional. You have the tools to add health science to the argument. A teacher can easily say "well I can't go to the bathroom during class" you're also an adult with the frontal lobe development that handles impulse control. Kids don't. And kids have to hydrate. And not allowing kids restroom access can cause other health issues.
I get it some kids will abuse the privilege, but we know that's not the majority.

beachynurse, ASN, BSN · Feb 8

seedanurse said:

This is how I handle it. My thought is that I should not have to write a yearly bathroom pass for all menstruating students. Menstrual care should be manageable within the school's general guidelines.

Currently our toileting plan doesn't seem reasonable for menstrual care (or for students who are properly hydrating and need to pee several times a day)! The overall plan needs updating, but since that isn't in my control, I'm not sure how to handle the parents who call asking for non health plan related restroom accommodations.

I agree that passes should not be used or needed for menstrual issues, which is why I don't provide them. Unfortunately, I have no control over the classroom rules of the teachers. I do think some of them are too stringent, but that is not my call. I think the students should be allowed to use the restroom as needed, and if it becomes a problem, handle it as a behavioral issue, rather than make it a medical issue, when it may not have to be.