Elementary School Tips!

guest83140 · Mar 30, 2015

Before I give you a few tips, will you have an aide or helper? Was there not any middle school opening even though it is early for next year? Anyway, elementary is what I do and I also came from middle school nursing. Elementary is cute and very, very busy. My numbers are double to triple what middle school see, not to scare you but the facts. Question or tips: 1. Find out whether PreK will take care of potty accidents in their area. 2. Give the teachers a first aide on what to send to you and talk that includes c/o tummy-aches (use bathroom before sending to the nurse), headaches (no fever, no vomiting, offer water, rest). Otherwise you will be seeing mainly these complaints: wet accidents, headaches, tummy-aches, boo boo's (needing band aids). I have a letter I send home to inform of visits that are not referrals but it doesn't warrant a quick call home. I usually call home for: head injury, first time nosebleed, asthma issues not resolved, rash or allergic reaction, injury, vomiting, high fever, not feeling well (crying,etc.). I see approx. 35-60 a day which half is tummy problems. Hope this helps.

duckieRN · Mar 30, 2015

So I do have an aide but she is only there 3 times a week. I applied for the first job that came open. The district that we are moving to is hard to get in .. So I wanted a foot in the door! LOL

GmaPearl BSN RN · Mar 31, 2015

Hopefully the PreK staff take care of their own kids "potty accidents"! Kinders are also notorious puddlers. Would recommend parents be asked to keep a change of clothing for their kiddo in his/her backpack. Saves time and tears when the inevitable happens.

glolilly is right. Gotta train the teachers!

Have fun :)

tining, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2015

I also notify for first bee/wasp stings - they may not react the first time, but the second time is a doosey. This age they are very much concrete thinkers. I try to explain everything I am checking for and why that matters. Stomach ache - did you eat breakfast - no = eat - mom puts gas in her car - what happens when she does not - same for your body - food is the body's gas. I always have a box of crackers for nausea, did not eat, etc. My best trick is folded paper towels, wet and put in the fridge - they get super cold and when a child requests an icepack and you don't see anything it is perfect. You will love elementary.

AdobeRN · Mar 31, 2015

Be prepared for answering to needy parents - especially those Kinder parents. Some of them want to know EVERY little detail about their kids day - every clinic visit, why the came to see you, what did you do for them etc...sometimes it is exhausting.

tining, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2015

I have a pinterest page for school nurse and camp nurse hacks - Tina Hechler - worth a look.

rbytsdy · Apr 2, 2015

Belly aches, belly aches and more belly aches. :-)

I sent out a list of common problems and how staff needs to address them before kids come to me. I was getting upwards of 50-60 students a day. After I sent the list out, it dwindled to 20-30 and I am now back to 30-40. I have a little over 500 in my pre-k through 3rd grade school.

I have found that I have to get firm with some staff members. They send every little bump to my office. The student isn't even crying and they have to come to me for "assessment." You might even see if you can have some time to speak at a staff meeting and go over your policies, procedures and expectations.

Kids this age don't self administer inhalers typically. One of my colleagues showed me a better system of organizing inhalers into cheap Walmart brand ziplock containers.

One of the best ways to calm a crying kid is bandaids with Frozen/Princesses/Cars/Planes/Monsters Inc/Minions/etc.

For field trips, have lots of plastic bags for vomit. Another good tip is having little baggies of tissues and gloves to function as "nosebleed" bags.