Can a school nurse leave the school clinic?

Specialties School

Published

Hello nurses! I have one important query about school nursing. I am working as a school nurse in a nursery in the UAE. If i am not mistaken, I am the 3rd nurse who worked here. it was a long time practice here that the school nurse will go for rounds twice a day (nursery is working only for 6hrs) to go for rounds to each and every classes. there are 3 villas in this nursery and sections are from A to R plus Playgroup. one round will take me 1 1/2 hour to finish. many times it happened that I was in my rounds in one of the villas when an emergency happened in another villa and they sent the child to the clinic assuming that I am there. I came from the farthest villa and it took me time to reach the clinic. Still, the principal has not noticed that it is really not good to leave the clinic and go for rounds. in this case also, the teachers are mind set to think that I will be the one to go to their classes to check the children. So if complaint is there in the 1st villa, and i am on my rounds in the 3rd villa, the helpers will look for me and tell me to go to that class, which is very difficult. for long time, i was trying to find a written literature that says that the nurse is never allowed to leave the clinic (unless deemed necessary) but i cannot find one. Can you help me with this?

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

I'd go bonkers if I could never leave the clinic. It only makes sense that the nurse shouldn't be gone for 3 hours of their day, though. It sounds like you have a pretty unique situation with a large campus. What is the purpose of you doing rounds?

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i don't do "rounds" per se. But I do need to leave my office to tend to calls and issues that can't come to me, make copies, meet with parents, attend meetings, check the aeds, check my mail, have lunch, refill my water bottle, stretch my legs, etc. All in all it doesn't take 3 hours of me being out of my office, but to be fair, I am not on a very large campus. I will say that I do try to get up and stretch at least every hour - even if it's just taking a walk around my cell - er office.

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Yeah I also go out of my clinic for lunch breaks, refilling my water bottle, check the first aid boxes. But to be in the rounds for a long time is really not good. Its like im a mobile school clinic. I want to tell the principal about this but she wont listen, only this school is having this very unique policy as far as I know, and which I could not get the point.

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The purpose of my rounds is to check the children in each and every classrooms. I will bring my thermometer with me and check who ever has fever or any other complains. Its like i am a mobile clinic. Yeah indeed it is a very unique situation, I would want to do something about it. I was trying to find some articles from the Health Authority but I couldn't find one to back me up when I talk to the principal.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

I leave the office hourly to get my 250 steps in so I feel Fitbit successful...

However, my nursing boss discourages us from leaving campus. We're not told we CAN'T (that would be a violation of labor laws) but what stuck with me was "you're the only nurse on campus and everyone in that building is your responsibility".

So I try to take lunch, I try to take breaks....but do I ever leave campus? Nope.

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Yes, you're correct. It is like everyone there is my responsibility. I am not leaving the campus, but I am always outside the school clinic which I think is wrong. Not a problem if i am only in the same building, but 3 buildings are there and to every building I have to go. So if any complains is there in one building, i have to run from wherever I am to attend to the class where the complaints is. Worse is if there any emergencies, the nurse, I will be very difficult to locate.

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I leave the office hourly to get my 250 steps in so I feel Fitbit successful...

However, my nursing boss discourages us from leaving campus. We're not told we CAN'T (that would be a violation of labor laws) but what stuck with me was "you're the only nurse on campus and everyone in that building is your responsibility".

So I try to take lunch, I try to take breaks....but do I ever leave campus? Nope.

Yeah, no. I leave for lunch. I have my phone on and the secretary is pretty good about taking a temp. She won't send home without letting me know, and if there is an emergency, they call 911.

It's not a trauma unit, peeps. It's a school!

I also walk the halls for my 250 Fitbit steps, meetings, etc.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I do leave sometimes, just so I can stretch my legs and go to the restroom. It's no biggie, just as long as you come back.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i don't usually leave. Occasionally i will to get some pizza or a sandwich.

I have learned to always have bandaids in the pockets of my labcoat. If the kids see my in the hallway and they were on their way to me that's the reason a good 75% of the time.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

When you say nursery, are you talking about infants? What ages are there?

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I do leave sometimes, just so I can stretch my legs and go to the restroom. It's no biggie, just as long as you come back.

This made me laugh.

I'm often tempted NOT to...

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