Do you ever NOT give out ice packs?

Specialties School

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I feel like I'm becoming some sort of icepack Nazi! I have literally gotten so low on icepacks that I'm now hoarding the few I still have for those instances where ice is NECESSARY and not just wanted as a comfort.

A few of the complaints I haven't given icepacks for include:

*Getting hit in the forehead with a plastic Frisbee (no marks, no swelling, no bruising...looked like a normal forehead)

*Ankle that hurts when I step on it like this: *contorts foot to unnatural position*

*I got hit in the head with a rock (rock was flat and about the size of a quarter. Again, no mark, no swelling, skin intact, no bruising, student not in distress AT ALL)

*My finger hurts (once again...no swelling, bruising, etc.)

*I'm hot

*My pencil eraser "BUMPED" (exact words, mind you) my face

These are just a few of the things I've had in my office just today. I feel bad for telling them no, but they are HORRIBLE at returning my icepacks. They're not even busting them or anything! They're just setting them down and then they get lost in translation throughout the school. Plus, I mean really...some of the reasons they want icepacks are just plain ridiculous. I've already had one instance where a student NEEDED ice for an ankle injury after falling and I had none to give her. I ended up breaking into my "go bag" for an instant icepack so they could have some relief until their ride got here.

Anyone else hoarding their icepacks??

If it happened at home and is not bumped, bruised, swollen, etc. - NOPE!! if it happens at school, even if not needed, I give it just to avoid the drama of not giving it. I do have real ice packs (for real injuries) and flimsy gel ones (for ghost injuries). They remain in my clinic to ice. Had too much trouble with them drinking the real ones, spilling on floor and the gel ones would never come back.

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Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

I also asked the pediatrician where my kiddos go (I used to work there) and they save their ice packs that come with the vaccines for me, otherwise they throw them out.

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Specializes in CICU, Telemetry.

When I was growing up, the camp nurse would buy cheap sponges in bulk. Take a wet sponge, wet it, stick it in a ziploc baggie, and freeze it. They stay cold for about 10 minutes, they're cheap, and they're not a high-value enough thing to steal. This worked well for 'I have a mosquito bite, I need an ice pack' or other such baloney. The kid gets to feel like you heard their concern that they're uncomfortable and did something about it. That could also cut down on the complaining to mom and dad, and therefore the phone calls you get about their poor, untreated snowflake.

She had actual ice packs on hand for real injuries, and you had to stay in the nurse's cabin for 20 minutes to get to use the good ice pack.

How to cut down on unnecessary visits in the first place? I got nothing there, this ain't my wheelhouse. I'm just here to discuss the frozen sponge trick :p

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Specializes in OB.

Not a school nurse, but I'm curious about your references to Facebook complaints---does your school have a Facebook page where parents post such complaints? If so, that's appalling!

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Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
Not a school nurse, but I'm curious about your references to Facebook complaints---does your school have a Facebook page where parents post such complaints? If so, that's appalling!

There is a PTA run page at my school. The moderators try to remove any complaints/staff specific posts and are pretty good about it. People complain on there all the time, though.

I had a parent post on her personal page and complain about me but one of the paras is her FB friend and came to my defense.

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Not a school nurse, but I'm curious about your references to Facebook complaints---does your school have a Facebook page where parents post such complaints? If so, that's appalling!

The surrounding subdivisions/neighborhoods all have their own facebook page. 99% of the time complaints are posted on these pages - parents rarely have the nerve to post complaints on the actual PTA facebook page. Our principal is great about this though - he really can't stand any type of social media and if anything is posted that is not nice, complaints etc he has no problem calling the particular parent and asking/telling them to remove the post.

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Specializes in OB.
The surrounding subdivisions/neighborhoods all have their own facebook page. 99% of the time complaints are posted on these pages - parents rarely have the nerve to post complaints on the actual PTA facebook page. Our principal is great about this though - he really can't stand any type of social media and if anything is posted that is not nice, complaints etc he has no problem calling the particular parent and asking/telling them to remove the post.

Interesting. I'm glad you at least have your principal's support. How immature and petty of the parents to post complaints on their neighborhood page, rather than just communicating their issues directly to you.

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Specializes in Maternal-Child, Women's Health.

Spent over 10 years as a summer camp nurse and ice packs seemed to be a cool thing to get, so we had to watch how we gave them out. One camp used inexpensive small sponges, soaked them in water, and froze them in a plastic bag. The sponges were clearly marked "Return to Health Hut" on both sides. Most of these came back and could be reused. Sometimes, these becausae popular, and we would revert to putting ice in a ziplock bag. It usually melted in the sun, and if they wanted a refill on the ice, we could give it to them.

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I used to give them out like candy in elementary school. Take a paper towel or brown paper towel, wet it, put it in a ziplock bag, freeze, and there you go. It stays frozen for about 15 min. The kids feel like you care, and you don't have to worry about them keeping them.

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I work with kids and we lose ice packs all the time!!! We have resorted to using dish sponges with some water, frozen, in a ziploc bag!

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Also can put ice chips in a glove and tie the end in a knot, when it melts can go in the trash (benefit over baggies - doesn't usually leak.)

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Specializes in ER.
I am firm believer that we have a responsibility to help teach these kids how to become responsible consumers of healthcare. It seems trite but driving home the lesson that you don't need "something" for every little discomfort, be it an ice pack, a band-aid or a Tylenol, will help start that education at a young age. If there is no mark, swelling, redness or bruising I do not give out an ice pack. My reusable ones disappeared around Valentine's day and I have plenty of plastic baggies and an ice machine. But the kids that need ice packs for poking themselves with pencil erasers may grow up to be the adults that go to the ER for a stomachache and I refuse to do that to the nurses of the future!

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I might add, from an ER perspective, there are times when ice is contraindicated. Burns - still seeing ice applied to burns which increases the tissue damage. Cool water to stop the burning, no ice. Cellulitis - any redness that is more than a day or two old and not turning dark is more likely infection than bruising unless the source is clearly known. Abscesses, including dental abscesses - again, any cooling of infection reduces the body's ability to get soldiers to the battlefield, and that includes ice cream and Popsicles for throat infections. This is a bit of a departure from the discussion, but, in response to the opening question, these are times I would definitely withhold ice in any form.

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