Returning pants

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Okay so this isn't anything medical but I have a problem at my school with clothes not getting returned. I work as a school nurse at an elementary school and I get a lot of wet pants. I am going into my second year and I am trying to develop a better plan of action so that I am not always buying new pants or underwear. I now keep a log of who is borrowing what and then I always call the parents/guardians to see if they can bring extra clothes. If not, I lend out pants and/or underwear an then give them a note telling them to wash and return the clothes. Some parents are awesome and will return it in a day(some will donate clothes and give me cash to buy more) and then there are the parents I never hear from. This is getting so frustrating and I should not have to buy more clothes when it is just October.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Ask the pta to do a donation drive to stock the supply. Other than underwear that should be new/unused everything else can be hand me downs

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I have a lot of stock now.

Honestly, there are times where I probably wouldn't want the stuff back. Some of our students are really living in sad conditions. I've had stuff returned stained, covered in cat hair, etc. :unsure:

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

My life is a lot easier now...since I got out of the clothing business; my school is PK-5. We encourage parents to send a change of clothing to school to keep in the kid's locker and tell them by way of a letter in the enrollment/first day packet, if they don't send a change of clothing, they will be called to come to the school to take care of whatever clothing issues occur. In the olden days I would rifle through a mishmash of clothing to find a size that would work - only to have a kindergarten kid tell me, "I don't like that!" and refuse to wear it.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Hospice,Med-Surg.

My daughter's previous school required that the younger kids (K-2nd grade) always keep a change of clothes in their backpack in case of accidents, spills, etc. This way each kid was guaranteed to have a fresh pair of clothes that would fit.

My current clinic keeps various sizes of uniform pieces for me to go through for each kid that has an accident. I keep them very well organized so that it's easy to find the right size and, when a kid has to borrow my stuff, I immediately send an email home asking that they wash and return ASAP. I haven't had too much of a problem with losing things so far.

At the end of the year our PTF has a school-wide consignment sale for parents to sell outgrown uniforms to other parents. Uniform pieces that don't sell or don't make the cut (ie, have small stains or tears) are donated to the clinic if I need them. It works out very well as long as I stay organized.

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Specializes in Home Health,Dialysis, MDS, School Nurse.

I lend out quite a few pairs of pants also. About 1/2 bring them back. I have access to a washer/dryer in our life skills room, so I wash everything returned even if it looks like they have been washed. I get lots of donations from staff if I ask, and pick up donations through the summer from rummage sales. I also get pick of the lost and found table at the end of the year - this is a gold mine! I guess I don't get too worked up about them not coming back - If I don't have any, I don't have any....parents will get a call.

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My life is a lot easier now...since I got out of the clothing business; my school is PK-5. We encourage parents to send a change of clothing to school to keep in the kid's locker and tell them by way of a letter in the enrollment/first day packet, if they don't send a change of clothing, they will be called to come to the school to take care of whatever clothing issues occur. In the olden days I would rifle through a mishmash of clothing to find a size that would work - only to have a kindergarten kid tell me, "I don't like that!" and refuse to wear it.

OH how I wish we could handle the clothing issues like this. I'm lucky to get a parent to answer the phone much less come tend to the child.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i don't mind lending out clothing, and i face the same struggles getting the clothing back. I find i get a slightly better return if after providing the student with a bag, i staple a note between the handles requesting that the clothing be washed and returned to me ASAP. I do have a standing request though, with some friends for their children's outgrown underwear, gym shorts, and sweats. When you take that last sentence out of context it sounds like i have an odd obsession ha ha.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Hospice,Med-Surg.

Flare-are you going around town asking little kids for their used underwear? If so, that could be a real problem.

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Flare-are you going around town asking little kids for their used underwear? If so, that could be a real problem.

:yuck:

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Specializes in School Nurse.

At my previous school I would write with a sharpie - "Return to blah blah school" somewhere conspicuously in the clothes. I had so many donations of clothes my head would spin. I would only pick the best shirts and could care less if they came back. Still had tubs full of shirts. With this donation also came the organization and folding of these items - which I detested - Hate going to work to do laundry. My new school - I am out of that business - sing and dance for joy.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Hospice,Med-Surg.

Yeah, I am SO not doing laundry for 400 kids! I already wash dirty sheets a few times a week for the clinic. I screwed up and ordered a CANVAS covered cot which I can't wipe down between kids this year. So I had to cover it with a plastic mattress cover and get white sheets for it. So now, every time a kids rests on that thing, I'm changing sheets and taking them home to wash on the sanitize cycle.

Kids know their life will be threatened if they even think about resting on my cot just for kicks and giggles.

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