Chronic "accidents"

Specialties School

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Specializes in Pedi.

I have a couple of kindergarten special needs students who have almost daily urinary and/or bowel accidents. In your schools, does the responsibility of cleaning and changing them fall upon you, or do the teachers manage it? I'm happy to help when needed, but it is not a medical issue (definitely behavioral on their parts), and my time is needed elsewhere.

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I'm not sure of the severity of "special needs," but at my school ,I call a parent "EVERY" time there is a bowel accident to come to school and assess/change them. If the child has a urine accident, and the parents have provided extra clothing, I let the child change themselves and send the soiled clothing home with them in a plastic bag in their backpack; if they have no extra clothing I call a parent to bring clothes. If you're talking "special needs" like life-skills - the special ed/lifeskills paras do the changing.

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

teacher's aides assist with toileting and do the cleaning and changing

for episodes of incontinence

these episodes can sometimes be reduced by scheduled toileting,

which is something the teachers and aides can do, but not you

Specializes in Community Health/School Nursing.

Potty accidents are not a nursing issue. I don't get involved. Now, there is always an exception. If there was a child sitting in urine or poo and there was absolutely no one around to help....yes, I am not going to let their little bottoms sit in acid.

My school is really good about dealing with these issues on their own. Thank goodness.

The teachers at my school take care of the ESE students who have accidents.

I find that I get dumped on quite a bit for this. Our kg aides will take care of the issue if the child has clean clothes at school. If not they send them to me to find some or call the parent. I always try calling the parent first. If no one available we make due with what we have. I have the child clean themselves up. Unfortunately this is almost a daily issue as we have a lot of parents not sending in clothes OR answering their phone even though they know their child has a chronic issue with accidents. :(

I currently clean them otherwise I would have poop all over the bathroom, though I am changing that for next year - already notified the principal because I just get tired of it and frankly he is tired of me requesting money for underwear/clothing :)

My plan for next year is that I will contact parents to come clean them up unless I have a medical diagnosis with documentation.

The spec ed teacher or aides take care of them. I already have to deal with the the kids who are NOT spec ed that wet/soil themselves. :eek:

Specializes in Acute Care, CM, School Nursing.

Ugh. I had 5 students poop their pants today, kindergarten and first graders.

Please, Summer. HURRY!!!!!

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