School Culture - can we shift it? maybe a little?

[CAdreamerRN]

I help out at other schools in my district some days and the culture from school to school can be night and day – some health offices see hardly any kids at all, some see only injuries at recess, and others have kids coming in all the time for math-aches, I mean stomachaches!

One of my schools has a lot of… sensitive” kids?!! And the staff coddle them to the point that I would be weirded out if that was my kid – not sure if they are seriously that concerned or if they learned to CYA because of some of our parents – either way it makes for a looooot of unnecessary health office visits and time away from class.

I know sometimes kids need a mental health break like the rest of us and I'm happy to have them take a breather in the health office. But what about the rest? Any tips on how you've worked with teachers and playground staff to curb the numbers and keep kids in class? I googled around and one nurse made a memo with reasons to send to the health office” (vomiting, head injury etc.) and things that can be taken care of in class” (this list included nosebleeds and nausea – which I feel like would never fly in my sensitive” school). Thoughts??

[Tina, RN]

Oh, boy. My school is incredibly "sensitive"... I wish I could change things a bit, but it will not happen. It has been made clear.

I, too, sometimes get uncomfortable with how coddling the staff is with the students. The boundary lines are seriously blurred. I joke that instead of helicopter parents (which I do have some of), I have "helicopter staff". They all want to "out-care" eachother, and it is creating a bunch of neurotic children.

I would love to hear how some school nurses managed to change the culture a bit, even without support?

[Farawyn]

Math aches, lol.

[nyy2]

I work at a very "sensitive" elementary school as well. Administration has even said half of our job is to be good at "customer service" to keep the parents happy regardless of what we believe. I think the teachers and staff would have a heart attack if I said to keep nosebleeds and nausea in class! My lunch break gets interrupted at least once a week for both of these things.

Like Tina, I wish that things could be changed, but it has been made clear that this is part of the job. This is my first full year as the school nurse (I subbed previously). I have been trying as I go along to educate the kids that sometimes we have to push through our day even though we may not feel 100%. So many of these kids think they should be sent home for the slightest illness!

[lvnforschool]

All I tell myself at night when Im unwinding and thinking about my day at work is, Im NOT THE FIRST, Nor the LAST, to try to change things. Ive just learned to embrace it!

[kidzcare]

I think the teachers and staff would have a heart attack if I said to keep nosebleeds and nausea in class!

I was thinking the same thing!

[GmaPearl BSN RN]

We have bandaid boxes in each classroom. This cuts down on health room visits for picked scabs, hangnails and the dreaded life threatening paper cut. :) I thank God that for the most part staff through the years has been realistic and education centered!

[100kids, BSN, RN]

Definitely have a very sensitive school here as well but I try to make little changes each year to toughen everybody up a little, kids and adults alike. For one I don't send a lot of children home sick. You have to be sick to go home, I am not your get out of class free card. Before I was here I think a lot of kids went home when it wasn't really warranted. Also, I have started to work on the parents. They coddle their kids which is why these kids think they need someone to come fix them for every little thing that happens. I make more calls home (especially to my frequent flyers) saying: Mary is in my office. She isn't sick but has a paper cut. She is concerned her hand will fall off or she will bleed out but I gave her a Band-Aid and assured her this wouldn't happen. I'm going to send her back to class but I just wanted you to know. This kind of clues the parent in to the ridiculousness of it all and many of them talk to their kid after getting a call like that and their visits decrease. I also try not to buy into the drama they bring in and call them on their bs when it's obvious. Oh! You can't remember what hurts, then you are probably fine to go back to class. I have a good rapport with these kids and now most of the parents so they are learning that I am kind and compassionate but not a push over. I've talked about it with the teachers as well and they see kids coming back more quickly and without any intervention if there's none needed, this has decreased visits. The main teachers have improved a lot but now the kids know to really push the special teachers to send them my way. Baby steps...

In no way have I decreased the nonsense visits enough but it's good for these kids to toughen up a little and not look for someone to always "fix" them. Sometimes you just get up and shake it off. It's ok.

[vvasq87, BSN, RN]

My school is one of those schools where you hardly see students; I have busy BUSY days, but mostly slow days. I still see lots of nonsense complaints along with my frequent fliers. Most of my frequent flier visits decrease once I call home and the parent scolds their child over the phone. There are still a handful who just don't get it and it doesn't help that staff doesn't seem to get it either. There's one kid that's always here and as much as I say there is NOTHING wrong with him, it seems administration doesn't understand. Sadly we live in a time where everyone is too petrified to tell a kid to sit his butt in the chair and stop bothering the nurse because everyone's too afraid that the parent might sue them. I think the only way we can shift school culture just a little bit is by toughening up our kids and reaching out to their parents, because some school staff and administration just don't get what a real medical issue is.

[Farawyn]

My school is one of those schools where you hardly see students; I have busy BUSY days, but mostly slow days. I still see lots of nonsense complaints along with my frequent fliers. Most of my frequent flier visits decrease once I call home and the parent scolds their child over the phone. There are still a handful who just don't get it and it doesn't help that staff doesn't seem to get it either. There's one kid that's always here and as much as I say there is NOTHING wrong with him, it seems administration doesn't understand. Sadly we live in a time where everyone is too petrified to tell a kid to sit his butt in the chair and stop bothering the nurse because everyone's too afraid that the parent might sue them. I think the only way we can shift school culture just a little bit is by toughening up our kids and reaching out to their parents, because some school staff and administration just don't get what a real medical issue is.

I agree with what you are saying in theory. In practice it may be more difficult.

I never knew I was such a "Mean Mom" until I met the "Wanna Be Friends with Their Kids and Never Tell Them No Moms".

[SnowyJ, RN]

Part of the problem is the WAY over reactive parents who feel their child was ignored when they told the teacher "I have a stomach ache." Child goes home and complains that teacher said "no" to a nurse visit, and all hell breaks loose.

Never mind the fact that same child is ALWAYS faking being ill. How would we even know when it is legit?

The teachers I work with just don't want to take the time to negotiate. If the kids ask enough, they get to see me even if it is nonsense. I guess they feel it is my job to figure it all out.

I agree that sometimes enlisting the help of a parent can make a difference. Sometimes the parents are frustrated as well. I tell them "if your son/daughter is too sick for school, they should go straight home to bed." I saw one of the "sick" students I sent home at Panera a couple hours later. (Busted.)

Make them Amish, and see how much fun it is to go home.

[GmaPearl BSN RN]

I agree, Snowyj. When parent comes to pick up a "sick" kid, I establish eye contact with both the parent and "little sickie" and say,

"My RULE when you go home sick is, you go to bed and NO computer, video games or tv at all for the rest of the day". Parent usually smiles and nods and the kid actually starts to look sick!