School nurses and other RNs not supportive of decision to send their child home

Specialties School

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I have to tell you all I left school last week LIVID. Flu and strep are hitting hard here with most cases happening in one class. I had to send home kids with fever in droves. Some only had fever while others had a variety of symptoms. Two of the mothers, both RNs (one is a school nurse) proceeded to insist my thermometer is broken/inaccurate as they "didn't have fever" at home. They then proceeded to stir the pot on FaceBook with other parents. I did not see what was said because I do not "friend" parents, students, etc. as it crosses professional boundaries. However, the teacher relayed what was said.... And in came the emails from other parents questioning my thermometer, swearing their children were fine. REALLY?!

I gave our principal the heads-up. The principal had no issue with how I am handling everything so I went about my business. I have been an nurse for 10 years and have never been accused of not checking temperatures properly. I base decisions using appropriate tools, assessment skills, and experience.

Since then, most students who were sent home last week ended up flu and/or strep positive. One tested negative initially but the back up culture grew out strep.

I guess I am needing to share this experience so we can all be mindful how we treat other nurses. We may not all agree on decisions made but should still be supportive. There is no need to be rude and cause more stress and drama than already exists. This job is difficult enough. Most school nurses are the only medical professional on site at any given time. I am terribly disappointed that another school nurse could act like that. She knows the job and still chose to not only be insulting over the phone but also on social media.

Thanks for listening.

Specializes in School nursing.
Not a school RN...but sheesh, I'm sorry that happened to you. Remember there are jerks in every profession. Some jerks in ours happen to be parents of your students.

True to this. Jerks exist everywhere. Heck, sometimes I am one when I've had a bad day!

I've had a parent be very nasty to me on the phone this year re: my reporting a possible shoving incident to our dean involving their child. The parent was also a nurse, upset with my findings that physically her child was fine (no bruising, slight "limp" that disappeared after icing area and observing in my office for 20 minutes) and that I had passed the discipline part on to the dean to investigate before I contacted her. In a non-emergency, doing so is our policy so I can call the parent, report physical findings and transfer parent to the dean (or vice versa if the dean makes the call first).

The parent actually screamed on me on the phone and it was hands down the most unpleasant phone call I've dealt with (and I've dealt with more than I'd like).

24 hours later, parent apologized - to the dean, telling him to pass it to me. Never got an apology directly. Cringe when I see the child in my office and I have to call the parent; a shame because the child is a great kid!

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Not a school RN...but sheesh, I'm sorry that happened to you. Remember there are jerks in every profession. Some jerks in ours happen to be parents of your students.

Absolutely! Dealing with the public will always yield some jerks!

I will never understand how parents can be this way. It's ridiculous. I've had students with a fever, and the parents claim they were "fine" after they got home. Sorry, I don't buy it. Your child came to me not feeling well, and I did my job which included an assessment of their temp. If they felt better later, a parent should consider themselves lucky. Especially given the amount of illness we are seeing!

Don't let them get to you. Odds are they just don't want to have to deal with their own child. And that's sad. The kids are lucky to have you care for them.

I can totally relate to parents not being happy about having to leave work to pick up their child since not everyone has a job that allows them to leave easily. Also, they may be losing money to leave and then keep home the next day if they don't have anyone to help out. Not that they should take it out on you, but I understand how it can be upsetting. Working as a nurse is the only job I've ever had that offered paid time off. And school nursing offers a crazy amount of sick days (I get 12/year that roll over. Most I've had in any other job is 6 that expire- and that was for working 12 months).

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Specializes in hospice.

They're not talking as nurses. They're pissed you screwed up their child care.

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As a School Nurse you are definitely damned if you do and damned if you don't. One parent complains because you sent their child home and they are fine. The next complains you sent their kid back to class when they were ill. With some parents you are just never going to win! If your administration backs you up you're lucky!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

As a reminder to parents and "nurses," especially those not familiar with pediatrics......antipyretics to reduce fever have only been used in the general population for about 100 years. So....really....the human body is capable of eliminating a fever on its own. Temperature fluctuations in a sick person, especially a child, are quite common as the body constantly strives for homeostasis. So, saying a kid is "fine" because they don't have a fever an hour and 45 minutes after they had a fever, is like saying a kid, who had diarrhea 15 minutes ago, is "fine" because they don't have diarrhea now.

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I can totally relate to parents not being happy about having to leave work to pick up their child since not everyone has a job that allows them to leave easily. Also, they may be losing money to leave and then keep home the next day if they don't have anyone to help out. Not that they should take it out on you, but I understand how it can be upsetting. Working as a nurse is the only job I've ever had that offered paid time off. And school nursing offers a crazy amount of sick days (I get 12/year that roll over. Most I've had in any other job is 6 that expire- and that was for working 12 months).

While I understand it can be a hardship to miss work, your child should ALWAYS be the #1 priority. Have a backup plan..A friend, neighbor, family member if need be. Children get sick and sometimes need to be out of school.

I have a generous leave package, but subs are really hard to get. On the rare occasion my son is ill, I have backup. It's a necessary part of parenting.

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As a reminder to parents and "nurses," especially those not familiar with pediatrics......antipyretics to reduce fever have only been used in the general population for about 100 years. So....really....the human body is capable of eliminating a fever on its own. Temperature fluctuations in a sick person, especially a child, are quite common as the body constantly strives for homeostasis. So, saying a kid is "fine" because they don't have a fever an hour and 45 minutes after they had a fever, is like saying a kid, who had diarrhea 15 minutes ago, is "fine" because they don't have diarrhea now.

Agreed. With my own kids, I don't medicate a fever unless they are uncomfortable or it is bedtime.

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I love this place sooooo much, that I set it as one of my Home Page tabs. :)

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They're not talking as nurses. They're pissed you screwed up their child care.

Most likely. Hey, we have to go get our sick kids too. It's a pain to leave work but that is part of being a parent.

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As a reminder to parents and "nurses," especially those not familiar with pediatrics......antipyretics to reduce fever have only been used in the general population for about 100 years. So....really....the human body is capable of eliminating a fever on its own. Temperature fluctuations in a sick person, especially a child, are quite common as the body constantly strives for homeostasis. So, saying a kid is "fine" because they don't have a fever an hour and 45 minutes after they had a fever, is like saying a kid, who had diarrhea 15 minutes ago, is "fine" because they don't have diarrhea now.

A MILLION TIMES, YES!! Thank you.

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I can totally relate to parents not being happy about having to leave work to pick up their child since not everyone has a job that allows them to leave easily. Also, they may be losing money to leave and then keep home the next day if they don't have anyone to help out. Not that they should take it out on you, but I understand how it can be upsetting. Working as a nurse is the only job I've ever had that offered paid time off. And school nursing offers a crazy amount of sick days (I get 12/year that roll over. Most I've had in any other job is 6 that expire- and that was for working 12 months).

I get the frustration, trust me. I have worked as many as three jobs while raising an toddler by myself. I can identify with lost wages and stress caused by missing work. This is why I do everything in my power to keep kids in class if I can. If I am sending a kid home, I am certain that is where they should be.

The most upsetting part of this is these two pulled other parents into their drama and went even further posting on social media for hundreds (or more) of people to see. That was totally uncalled for. Did I tell you all this is a private Catholic school? That puts a different spin on things as well.

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Specializes in kids.

Yup, send a kiddo home (to a house with two MD dx'd cases of the flu) and saw (step)mom yapping about it on FB....This kid can do nothing right, not even stay well in petri dish.......

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