School nurses, what is the worst emergency you've had?

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Oct 24, 2019

Hoop player, tripped over another kid. Whacked the floor with his head, blood EVERYWHERE. Completely out. Came to while being loaded into ambulance, Extremely confused and somewhat combative and sent to local hospital.

Get a call a week later from dad who asked me to change my documentation and state he did not get knocked out. Kid also played AAU hoop and had a tournament to play in...ah NOPE!!!?

Flare, ASN, BSN · Oct 24, 2019

I got called for a student collapsed. As i was going toward where the student was, the gym teacher came running, carrying a limp 7th grader. We went back into my office where he set him on the ground. We has completely nonresponsive, weak pulse, but breathing. Didn't react to sternal rub, and boy was I rubbing. He finally started to come to as EMS was arriving, but was still out of it. Returned the next day with very little explanation of what happened. The school MD sent him for cardiac clearance, but still, nothing found. I found out later that the student had an inhaler he had brought from Colombia and he said he used it a lot that day (discussed med policy etc...) but i still think something else was up.

Cas1in72 · Oct 24, 2019

Intentional drug overdose of an 8th grader. Im still processing it. Never in all my 25 years have I been that scared!

Guests · Oct 24, 2019

Thankfully only epi pen administration, diastat administration and one seizure on an undiagnosed epileptic that happened in my office. No severe injuries or anything like that. Those three all happened within months of each other last year and were enough, LOL.

1 minute ago, Cas1in72 said:
Intentional drug overdose of an 8th grader. Im still processing it. Never in all my 25 years have I been that scared!

So scary! What happened?

Cas1in72 · Oct 24, 2019

17 hours ago, Avill said:
Just had the worst one I've had since I've been here. Kids got into a fight, hit cement, kept hitting him while on the ground... Pinpoint pupils, in and out of consciousness, bleeding... so a head injury.
Got flown to a different hospital.
I'm shook up to be honest. I always feel like I am not doing enough.
Do you guys have any extra training for emergencies like such?

Im so sorry you are shook up. Its understandable. You did everything you could do. The student is alive. You called for help and got him transported out. I think as a school nurse, when we have the big emergencies, the realization that we are the "only" medical professional in that moment comes crashing down. Not like you can call the CODE team. ALL YOU CAN DO IS THE BEST YOU CAN DO AT THE TIME AND LEAVE IT. Thinking of you and sending you love and support

Cas1in72 · Oct 24, 2019

4 minutes ago, MHDNURSE said:
Thankfully only epi pen administration, diastat administration and one seizure on an undiagnosed epileptic that happened in my office. No severe injuries or anything like that. Those three all happened within months of each other last year and were enough, LOL.
So scary! What happened?

I wrote about it 2 years ago. Search " Suicide attempt while at school" This forum honestly kept me together after. The support of people who understand how hard school nursing is was more important than I could have imagined.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2019

Holy H-e-doublehockeysticks. I had a foster kid who attempted suicide in the gym locker room. The trainer bound the bilateral wrist wounds and then called me (bless him). I wasn't about to undo those because she had good cap refil. She took the razor blade thingy out of a pencil sharpener (the pocket kind). Turns out she had been on suicide watch and the foster family chose not to tell the school.

I was less traumatized by the attempt as I was by comforting the student athletic trainer who found her, alerted the trainer, and then cleaned up the bathroom. That sweet girl never should have had to do that....

Avill, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2019

3 hours ago, NutmeggeRN said:
Get a call a week later from dad who asked me to change my documentation and state he did not get knocked out.

Why?! Because he was an athlete?

Avill, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2019

1 hour ago, Cas1in72 said:
Im so sorry you are shook up. Its understandable. You did everything you could do. The student is alive. You called for help and got him transported out. I think as a school nurse, when we have the big emergencies, the realization that we are the "only" medical professional in that moment comes crashing down. Not like you can call the CODE team. ALL YOU CAN DO IS THE BEST YOU CAN DO AT THE TIME AND LEAVE IT. Thinking of you and sending you love and support

Thank you, that means a lot! I'm better today after talking to an EMT who re-assured there was nothing else I could do.

scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 24, 2019

WOW, you guys are all hero's...seriously! You did great! No matter how it feels, you do what you can do at the time!

I am elementary and thankfully, I do not have to deal with the sports injuries (we do not even have a field or any sports teams).

I had a kindergartner that had a febrile seizure, and several bad asthma attacks where I had to call 911, but other than that, nothing too bad, thankfully.

Avill, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2019

6 hours ago, Cas1in72 said:
I wrote about it 2 years ago. Search " Suicide attempt while at school" This forum honestly kept me together after. The support of people who understand how hard school nursing is was more important than I could have imagined.

I looked for it but didn't find it?