New school nurses need to stand up for themselves!

I keep seeing a recurring theme on here of new school nurses upset by the environment they are in and how they are treated. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

New school nurses need to stand up for themselves!

I had one teacher tell me she was shocked to learn I have to chart on every kid who walks through my door. She learned through another nurse friend and came to ask me about it. I said yes, even every hangnail or minor bump and I have to take time to chart that. (I really don't on hangnails but since she sends me most of her whiny kids on a frequent basis I wanted to make a point.) She said I'll try not to send you so many kids then. I was thinking, Wow I need to get the word out so all the teachers will think twice before sending me stupid stuff! What a difference knowing that little piece of info made for ONE WHOLE DAY!! So no I didn't bother reminding the teachers I chart. It really didn't help.

I've learned most teachers are very wrapped up in themselves and their classes and they just don't worry about me. It doesn't matter if they send half their class because to them it's my job. And it is. I've found most teachers really don't care if I get lunch or a planning period because I don't have a classroom full of kids or duty (even though I'm never off duty and cover the office daily for the secretary when she goes to lunch.) Also, many teachers think they can tell me what to do and I have to do it. I've learned the hard way and after many many years I've learned to take care of myself.

I make sure I get a lunch every single day. After all I don't get paid for it so why shouldn't I? It's in my contract. There were schools I was at that I was informed the nurse never took a lunch (by the secretary). I went to the principal and flat out asked how is my lunch going to be covered because we need a plan now as I take my lunch every single day. I need to eat so I don't get grouchy. I've never had one principal tell me I can't have lunch. Every single one made a plan for a secretary, trained aide or themselves to cover my 30 min lunch. Then you must leave your office. If you stay, they will assume you're working. Take work with you if you must ( I suggest take a real break) but get out of your office. Or if your principal agrees, don't take lunch and leave 30 min early at the end of the day. Either way, make sure that 30 min is YOURS! If your principal isn't on board or moving quickly enough with a plan, mention the words "grievance or superintendent" and they'll know you're serious. You can also call up to the office and tell the secretary you're going to lunch and if there are any problems see the principal. Put it back on them if they aren't coming up with a plan. Like I've said, they will not care if you don't take a lunch. However, if you persist they will accommodate you in some way. Do not believe them when they say there's nothing they can do. If need be go up the ladder and you can even call the labor and wage board and report you aren't being allowed to take a lunch because they're breaking the law. I've never had to go that far. I try to be very friendly about it but they have to give you a lunch if you work a full day.

However, make sure you plan a time where there are as little procedures as possible. I don't go until 12:30pm after all my meds are administered so they only have to deal with first aid. I also made sure they knew an emergency wasn't blood. An emergency is blood they can't stop after, trouble breathing, a seizure, etc. A suspected broken bone I tell them to put ice on it, elevate it and let them rest until I get back. (I'm not heartless, I've just found that every little twisted ankle they will think is broken and if it truly is, getting ice and elevation for a few min will not hurt. ) I tell them to call or text if they truly don't know if a child should be seen right away by me and not to just announce on the intercom "nurse to office now".

Secondly, no we don't get planning periods. However, most teachers I know are in at least once on the weekends catching up. I rarely have to do that. Many stay after school regularly for SAT and IEP meetings and I rarely have to do that. They start coming in to work over the summer a couple weeks before we're required to get things ready and I only take a day or two. Most have several evenings at home where they grade papers and I don't do that either. So no, I don't get a planning period but usually by the last hour of the day things have slowed down enough I can get caught up and I put in way less time than they do.

Also, you do NOT have to do what the teacher wants you to do. I've had teachers who I thought was their sole goal to make me miserable. I told one teacher that "I didn't tell her how to teach so she shouldn't tell me how to be a nurse." It felt good but that was the wrong attitude and it really didn't help calm the situation down. Now, I just say "I appreciate (even though I don't) your opinion and hear what you're saying and I will say either : I'll take into consideration what you suggested OR I must go with what my training has taught me. It works. I had one teacher inform me the flu was going around and this student of hers never complained so he must go home. I wanted to say, "Of course I know the flu is going around better than anyone in this building you imbecile and I will determine if he needs to go home or not so don't tell me what to do". I just smiled and said sweetly," yes I know and thank you for telling me he's not a complainer but I'll check him out and see if he has enough symptoms to warrant going home and then we'll just see how he does." She said, "Well I hate puke you know and get very testy if they puke in my room!" I said, "Even though I'm a nurse I hate puke too and that's the last thing I want but sometimes it happens so if you're afraid just keep a trashcan close to him. " He went back to class, never puked, and was at school the rest of the week. I had one teacher tell me it was my job to inform another teacher (an adult!) they needed to wear deodorant. Imagine my mortification in that conversation esp when the teacher said many people have tried. That was an on-going issue with the staff and truly wasn't my job but I didn't know. (Yes I was that stupid.)

It's all politics. You must stand your ground but be polite. Be kind and respectful but firm. After enough time they will start seeing you as a valued member of their school but it just takes time. It's such a different environment in the hospital. You don't get compensated for missing your lunch or staying late. You don't work with other nurses who understand what you're going through or why you're worried about the kid who hit his head and looks fine or why you get upset when that diabetic is walking to your office along when feeling low even though they look ok. They don't get it because they can't. Just like you can't understand how stressed they are trying to do all their different things.

I wish someone had told me these things when I first started. I was always made to feel I didn't have a say, nurses didn't get lunch, and teachers were my boss. I've been even made to feel my job wasn't as important as everyone else's and my most important job was eradicating lice. I learned I can just say NO! I tell teachers no, parents no, and kids no all the time. I've even told principals no and my reasons why and they either say ok or do it anyway but the point is, most of the time it works well and people realize they just can't walk all over me. I had a teacher try to hand me medication to give her child for her because she had to go back to class. I said no. The old me would've probably done it but I thought no because even though I knew this mom would never sue me over it, it was still against policy and I didn't want it to become a common thing or every teacher to start expecting me to do it. Besides, I was at lunch! LOL! It's so much easier to just follow the policies no matter who it is every single time.

Things (and I) have changed since the early 90's when I began school nursing. Kids are needier than ever, more parents aren't doing their job or unable to because they're on drugs or whatever, and teachers, nurses are staff are more stressed than ever with the ever growing responsibilities we're given. However, it takes everyone in the school to help each child succeed and we're just as important as the teachers. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise!

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RatherBHiking

About RatherBHiking, BSN, RN

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Excellent advice, Blue_Moon. Very wise well written!!!:yes:

Nicely stated!

Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.

I mean, this is all very nicely worded, and you are correct, but when all is said and done, this is a demanding job and we have very little support. We are expected to just do our jobs (which seem to be different in the minds of the teachers than in reality) and not complain because we are nurses, after all, and aren't nurses used to going without breaks or lunches or time to use the bathroom? There is an expectation there because of how nurses are seen by the general public. And literally, no one cares.

Before this job I always had lunch, because co-workers were other nurses and we had each others' backs. We cared if someone in our unit needed take a few minutes to get coffee and breath. In the school, for reasons I cannot understand, no one cares whether I am about to have a breakdown because the 10th parent today called and yelled at me. I'm pretty sure I could be unconscious on the floor and they would come in, step over me, and begin to explain why they sent whatever kid up for his runny nose for the 20th time this week. And ask why I don't send him home.

You are right, we do need to stand up for ourselves. But I have found that when I do, no one up the chain of command cares. Because I am a nurse, not a teacher. And nurses are people who just DO and don't complain.

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

Excellent post! I was told that dealing with teachers is difficult, as they never really worked a conventional career, one that demanded the 2200 hours a FT position requires. They have spent their whole lives in an educational environment and have tunnel vision. I can honestly say that I don't see that here, but we are an unconventional school. Our teachers teach outside the box and I see the magic that produces every day. I only wish I had access to a school full of this type of teachers growing up, Lord only knows where I would have been. The public school teachers I do know, save one, seem to be eternal frat/ sorority adults who are pretty egocentric and hinge everything on the altruistic nature of their career. The latter parallels a lot of nurses I know and maybe that is where the friction lies? I have said it before, but I work in an environment where my wife and I are treated with respect and we are deferred to when it comes to medical matters and we defer to them when it comes to educating our children. It pains me that so many of my coworkers on here experience this. I wish I could send my teachers to talk to your staff and let them know we are all on the same team. At the day's end, we all just want the students to get educated.

Specializes in NCSN.

As a new school nurse, I really enjoyed reading this. I'm lucky to be in an environment where if push comes to shove, I can contact my boss and she will have my back in an instant with any issues here at school.

I think my frustration with teachers come when they send me a child with something I obviously can't do anything for. Example, today's top complaint is runny nose. A lot of my staff here has their own children and I have a hard time not asking them what they do for their own loved ones. Do you call your doctor for a runny nose? And a lot of the kids I see are being sent to me because of avoidance issues, which I can't do anything for either except send them back.

Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
Kids are needier than ever, more parents aren't doing their job or unable to because they're on drugs or whatever

It pains me how true this is.

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Sound advice.

Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I mean, the teachers think I'm always just on facebook and stuff, (Which they are sort of correct), but sometimes I can't even try to be on it because I suddenly get an influx of children in my room because some incident happened or they are all sick. I mean it's a miss or hit work here, because one day it's super slow and I can chill and do some paperwork, but then there are other days where I feel like I'm in an ER or something because I have so many kids in here.

Specializes in Sub-Acute, School Nursing, Dialysis.

Great post!! For the most part, I feel that I am respected by most staff members and parents. I don't get a lunch although I pump (still nursing) two times a day for 20 minutes. I didn't even tell the principal when I returned from maternity leave. She just figured it out one day. I gave the secretary my cell number and told her to call me for emergencies only. No paper cuts, no invisible boo-boos, etc. But, what drives me nuts is I was told by one of my favorite teachers that I was being talked about behind my back by one of the 8th grade teachers because every time she sends a student to me I am never in my office. Complete baloney!!!! And when I am not in my office, I have a sign that says I will be right back, please go to the main office if you need help. Besides pumping, the only other time I am out of the office is to make copies, watch a class so the teacher can use the restroom, or I am attending to a student who got sick in a classroom and couldn't make it to my office. I was bummed when I heard about this because I give everything I have to this job.

But, what drives me nuts is I was told by one of my favorite teachers that I was being talked about behind my back by one of the 8th grade teachers because every time she sends a student to me I am never in my office. Complete baloney!!!!

Is it possible that this teacher has a kid who likes to say they are going to the nurse and then goofs off in the bathroom or wanders the school and then just tells the teacher that you were not in the office?

Specializes in School Nursing.

As a super new school nurse I really appreciate this post. The staff at my school are all kind and helpful but I have on a couple occasions encountered a teacher or someone else who felt they could dictate my decisions (usually regarding sending students home). I am a non-confrontational and somewhat pushovery person at times but since reading your helpful post have committed to standing my ground and communicating my opinions so that things can be even better in the future. Our health office was run by a health aide and not a nurse for a long time so I just need to remind them that I have a license for a reason! :up: We are all doing our best for the success of our kiddos, but unlike the teachers and office staff who have each other, we are a special kind of loner fish in the big school ocean doing a very important job, so you are correct that we need to advocate for ourselves, too.

(Can you tell I work in elementary :lol2: my analogies get wilder every day.)