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

Specialties School

Published

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 Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

I would be tempted to send a very professional letter to the parents simply stating that if at any time they would like to question the policies and procedures of the school you would be happy to have a meeting. I would toss in a little tidbit about illness and "as a registered nurse with x years experience" you are confident in your abilities though always open to learning more and welcome an open dialogue.

Kill them with a some sweetness mixed with a little "caught your nasty ass".

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I get this every now and then drives me crazy sometimes. Usually from a parent with kid having truancy issues anyway - so my sending the kid home pushes alerts to admin.

The whole Facebook/social media gripping gets to me too. I make it point not to be "friends" with parents but do have friends of friends situations - though sometimes I can see posts coming across Facebook. My principal is great about social media, he can't stand it - when he hears/sees the complaints with names of kids, school, teachers etc he contacts the parents and somehow gets them to remove the posts.

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I would be tempted to send a very professional letter to the parents simply stating that if at any time they would like to question the policies and procedures of the school you would be happy to have a meeting. I would toss in a little tidbit about illness and "as a registered nurse with x years experience" you are confident in your abilities though always open to learning more and welcome an open dialogue.

Kill them with a some sweetness mixed with a little "caught your nasty ass".

I was going to do something to address it but the principal thought it best to let it die out. I was somewhat disappointed by that because this is the 3rd incident with one lady wanting to debate validity of the temp readings.... Even after reiterating it was checked multiple times with multiple thermometers (way more than necessary). I learned after the first incident she may try to cause trouble so I covered myself by overdoing it. I don't think I will do that again though. It is what it is lady. Deal with it. I have tested my equipment on well and sick ones to make sure they are functioning properly. I changed the batteries. They stay cleaned. I use good technique. This is not a hospital or urgent care center. What we have is totally fine to screen for elevated temps. Honestly, if I had NO thermometer I could probably accurately weed out students who should not be on campus based on other assessment skills. 9/10 times my gut is right on. Come on, most of us can look at a kid as they walk in the door and know if they are brewing something. It is an instinct developed over time after dealing with thousands of sickies, whether in a school setting or otherwise.

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I get this every now and then drives me crazy sometimes. Usually from a parent with kid having truancy issues anyway - so my sending the kid home pushes alerts to admin.

The whole Facebook/social media gripping gets to me too. I make it point not to be "friends" with parents but do have friends of friends situations - though sometimes I can see posts coming across Facebook. My principal is great about social media, he can't stand it - when he hears/sees the complaints with names of kids, school, teachers etc he contacts the parents and somehow gets them to remove the posts.

I wish I could get someone to obtain a screen grab of the thread. I could be good to have if anything else happens down the line.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, School Nursing, OB.

Wow-such class! Esp the Facebook part. Poor her-having to pick up her kid. I just love when parents do that. As if we're lying because we want to have to take the time to call someone and wait for them to get their kid. I had very bad attitudes from other nurses and I'm always shocked because they should be the last people to question us but I've learned it's more the kind of person they are and less what they do.

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Specializes in Med surg.

My heart goes out to you! I hear you on this issue. So many nurse moms fight me on my decisions and they do not seem to remember that I have the jurisdiction to ask for a student to be removed from campus, as it is a public health risk to have infectious diseases running rampant on campus.

I have it worse in some ways, because I am a CNA. I get so much flack for it. I really do understand that I do not have the extensive training of an RN. I am missing many important skills that I can't wait to learn. However, many of those skills are not essential to my daily job. I can assess injuries, take vitals, discern whether or not the vitals are a cause for concern and do all of the other essential tasks that are required of school nurses. I have gained so much experience from this position and I do not appreciate my future colleagues undermining my accomplishments.

Sorry, that's my soapbox.

Thank you for what you do every day!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I have it worse in some ways, because I am a CNA. I get so much flack for it.

I've learned as much, maybe more, about patient care and patient advocacy from CNAs and Techs over the years as I have from "Nurse Educators." It's not necessarily the "paper" on the wall that makes a good "nurse." I've worked with some licensed RNs that are about as bright as a sack of door knobs.

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Specializes in kids.
My heart goes out to you! I hear you on this issue. So many nurse moms fight me on my decisions and they do not seem to remember that I have the jurisdiction to ask for a student to be removed from campus, as it is a public health risk to have infectious diseases running rampant on campus.

I have it worse in some ways, because I am a CNA. I get so much flack for it. I really do understand that I do not have the extensive training of an RN. I am missing many important skills that I can't wait to learn. However, many of those skills are not essential to my daily job. I can assess injuries, take vitals, discern whether or not the vitals are a cause for concern and do all of the other essential tasks that are required of school nurses. I have gained so much experience from this position and I do not appreciate my future colleagues undermining my accomplishments.

Sorry, that's my soapbox.

Thank you for what you do every day!

Don't wanna be a wet blanket but no, you CANNOT assess the same way a nurse does. You are NOT a nurse and you do NOT do everything a nurse does. I can understand why some nurse parents may take issue with your saying so.

When you ARE a nurse, having completed your education and training and have some experience, and have passed the NCLEX, come on back and let us know how things are.

Sorry to poo on you but you need to be very careful in how you present yourself.

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Specializes in Med surg.
I have it worse in some ways, because I am a CNA. I get so much flack for it.

I've learned as much, maybe more, about patient care and patient advocacy from CNAs and Techs over the years as I have from "Nurse Educators." It's not necessarily the "paper" on the wall that makes a good "nurse." I've worked with some licensed RNs that are about as bright as a sack of door knobs.

Thank you, that means a lot. I may not be as qualified but I have my own valuable skills. Being a Health Assistant at a charter school is a lot different than someone on the outside may think. I spend the majority of my time being an advocate and mentor in this position and it is a unique position to navigate. Thanks for caring for our world's children :)

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Specializes in Med surg.
Don't wanna be a wet blanket but no, you CANNOT assess the same way a nurse does. You are NOT a nurse and you do NOT do everything a nurse does. I can understand why some nurse parents may take issue with your saying so.

When you ARE a nurse, having completed your education and training and have some experience, and have passed the NCLEX, come on back and let us know how things are.

Sorry to poo on you but you need to be very careful in how you present yourself.

NutmeggeRN,

I did not claim to be able to assess the same as a nurse, that I was a nurse, or that I do everything a nurse does. In fact, I specifically mentioned that I am missing many important skills that a licensed nurse has. I do understand why some parents may question why a CNA would be in this position as it is typically an RN or LPN at the very least. However, they come to trust and respect me when I care for their students and everything turns out fine.

When you say "us," to whom are you referring? I have extensive medical and scientific education, as I have a bachelor's in Public Health and I completed two full years of pre-nursing coursework, including pathophysiology. I have more knowledge than a CNA with no prior medical experience. My passion lies within caring for people and the science of medicine and disease. It pains me that someone might think that that doesn't matter or isn't useful for my job simply because I haven't gone through the same exact training as an RN or higher.

Would my employer have agreed to hire me for this position and ask me to return for a second year with a spotless evaluation if I wasn't qualified and skilled? I'd like to think not. I am presenting myself as a medical professional, an aspiring nurse and a caring human. I am sorry to "poo" on you, but the way in which you have just presented yourself is unsavory and judgemental.

As a school nurse, I am restricted as to what I am allowed to do. The vast majority of the tasks an RN is required to perform in a hospital/clinic setting are not legally allowed in Hillsborough County schools. I have been trained and re-trained by a tenured RN that trusts and respects me on what I am responsible for. I am perfectly capable of handling medical emergencies and administering CPR and the use of an AED.

My point was to bemoan this exact kind of mindset that I encounter in presumptuous and rude parents (and unfortunately other nurses that I am supposed to look up to).

Best,

A useless CNA.

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Specializes in hospice.

Sorry to poo on you but you need to be very careful in how you present yourself.

Dang, who peed in your Cheerios this morning? The poster was very clear that he is a CNA and never claimed to be anything else.

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Specializes in Med surg.
Dang, who peed in your Cheerios this morning? The poster was very clear that he is a CNA and never claimed to be anything else.

Haha, I like that one!

I'm a she, by the way. I know my hair is short and my jaw is enlarged in my photo :specs:

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