Scheduled Closings and Lunchbreaks?

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Hi everyone! I am new to the board and relatively new to SN. Last year my supervisor (an RN) told me I should keep "office hours" and close the office to regular visits daily. This would allow me to catch up on paperwork, phone calls needing privacy and especially CPS reports. I see an average of 50 kids a day in a busy urban school district.

I didn't do this last year thinking I was making myself more accessible. That I was-to students and staff. I ended up staying late in the day to get the pwork and private phone calls done and it was becoming a bit stressful by June. My lunches were a stab in the dark, unchanged from my hospital days, I might add.

What do you seasoned school nurses do? Thanks for any advice!:bow:

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Specializes in Med-surg, OB, school nursing.

Back when I used to be a school nurse I informed the staff that for the last hour of the day I would not see any kids unless in was an emergency because by then the kids would be going home soon and if they made it all day they could make it the last hour in most cases. That was my "planning period" in teacher talk and they were really good at respecting that.

Lunch was trickier because that's when you have a lot of meds to pass out so I would pick the closest time around lunch that I didn't have any scheduled meds or other procedures and take a half hour. In some schools I had a nice principal or secretary who would cover for me while I ate lunch but I had to either go to the teacher's lounge or literally leave the building because if I was in my office then it was just assumed I was available. Other schools where I didn't have anyone to cover I would inform the staff when my lunch period was, put up a note, and hope for the best but no matter where I was in the building kids would find me because the "helpful" teachers would tell them where I was or the secretary would page me so most of the time I would just eat at my desk so I could just treat them without running back and forth. The hardest part about that was the kids wanting something I had in my lunch! Hope that helps-good luck!

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Specializes in Med/Surg; School Nurse.

I'm not a seasoned school nurse--this is my second year. I take my lunch at 1030 as it's the only time I have free in between meds and procedures. I have to shut my door and I usually eat at my desk, otherwise they find me. As for paperwork and phone calls, I try to keep a running "to do" list and work from top to bottom. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something when I can cross something off.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I have a sign on my door that sayes the "The nurse is at lunch from 12:15-12:45 if you have an EMERGENCY, go to the office, otherwise come back after this time." It works pretty good and if there is a really sick kid, the secretary will call me. Sometimes they are wiating in the hall at 12:45 for me, but they do not bother me before. (but I have to lock the door!!)

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Specializes in school nursing.

Well as you know - in nursing you can never truly schedule breaks. You sort of have to go with the flow. I try to eat lunch early - around 11:00. Otherwise, I will probably not eat at all. I close my clinic the last period of the day to catch up on paperwork. The only way staff will respect your "clinic hours" is to be firm and specifically list what emergencies are. You can also specify what does not constitute an emergency so it is very clear. If they send someone anyway - send them back with a note reminding them of your schedule / clinic rules.

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In our school district, the nurses do not take lunch! There is only one school out of four where the lunchtime is consistent and honored. I float and when I am alone, it is impossible to get my time. There is no downtime for paperwork either. Last year was my first in this district. If I am with another nurse, I schedule my lunch time with her and check out of the office. This year I am determined to either get lunch or get paid for lunch. I need that time. I talked to my boss, the asst. super. and he said to talk to the principal. I talked to the principal and he said talk to the asst. super. I will have to "talk" to three principals before this is all over. Not only will I have lunch but I will expect to be paid if a bloody nose or belly ache interupts it. Every other employee in the district get lunch and it's a battle I am willing to fight this year. Wish me luck!

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I'm in my ninth year and this is the first year I have an aide scheduled to cover me for a 1/2 hour lunch break (11:15-11:45). They will handle small things (they are both experienced mothers) and will call me for meds or things out of their comfort zone. I can't tell you how happy I am for this. In the past I had to sort of beg the office staff to cover for me and many of them weren't very nice about it.

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The elementary principal just informed me yesterday that the secretaries in the office will have to cover me for lunch. That doesn't go smoothly everyday but at least it's a plan.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

you will have a nice long line of students waiting for you when you come back from lunch.....believe me, i have tried this too !

good luck ! :heartbeat

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you will have a nice long line of students waiting for you when you come back from lunch.....believe me, i have tried this too !

good luck ! :heartbeat

that's if i'm lucky. most of the time i get called back for a "bloody nose" or a crying kid with a superficial cut. the kid with the nose picked it and the only blood is on the tissue! if i have a line, at least i have my nerves unfrazzled and a full belly to deal with it! : ). i love floating because lunch is a challenge at every school, every day! (yea, right!)

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery/ Postpartum/ School.

I try very hard to schedule my office everyday. I schedule my lunch when I do not have medications or treatments scheduled. I try to also keep a half hour window of time, with nothing scheduled in my HR, so that if I have to start my lunch late- I can continue to eat lunch late, I want my 1/2 hour!

Also, I definitely take a planning period every day. In Delaware, SN are on the same salary as teachers and also have to join the teachers union. So I am going to get every advantage teachers get if I have to pay those teachers dues and jump through the same hoops they do- ie- taking Praxis tests.

So every morning from 9-945 I shut my door. The teachers get 45 minutes, so that is what I take. Its about 15 minutes after morning announcements and I almost always get the entire planning to myself, unless one of my diabetics need me and they have a free pass to open the door anytime. I really wanted to take my planning period the last 45 minutes of the day. But there is a recess almost constantly from 11am until 3pm. So I would just be interrupted with recess injuries the entire time.

I am going to send some sort of email request to the staff asking them not to send students after 3:15, unless emergent. Dismissal starts at 325 and I cant believe how often I get students coming to me even minutes before dismissal for the smallest things. Have these teachers any common sense?? Some kids do have daycare for another 2 hours or more after school so I try to consider this as well.

I also try to think back to my hospital days when I barely got in a bathroom break! Its just frustrating and almost demeaning when you are pulled out of lunch for something incredibly minor.

My secretaries do say that I deserve my lunch but I know that sometimes they'd rather intercom the teachers lounge and fish me out of there than deal with something themselves. I am going to get a pretty basket from the Dollar Store and fill it with bandages and antiseptic wipes, to keep at the secretaries desk. I will also put in some instant ice packs. I know that is expensive but that is going to be the districts price for tearing me out of lunch! Then the secretaries can just do whatever they need to do really quickly without having to come into my room- even though its right next door! I am hoping this helps some. It also helps to kiss butt. I know I know, but it does work. Be overly thankful for the things they do, that goes for almost anything in life. I give them each something on secretaries day with a card thanking them for their help during my off times, as well as everything else.

I am glad to know I am not the only one out there who goes through these things. :nurse:

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I was told by other nurses in my district to schedule my lunch. I take it from 2:30 to 3:00 and then I designated 3:00 to 3:30 as my prep time. This is a first for the teachers and there is some teaching to do with some of them but for the most part it's working.

I know that's late for a lunch but lunchtime at my school is from 10:45 until 1:30 and then I have some meds and procedures to do until 2:30.

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