No, I'm Not a Beauty Shop!

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2013

If I wasn't busy or on my way to lunch I would have put it back in. I've done school nursing and know first hand how annoying some requests can be. However, they are in first grade and elementary school always need a bit extra TLC or non-nursing duties. Seems like you were just in need of a break and you did the right thing.

I should probably preface this post with some facts.......It was 3pm, I had just about EVERY frequent flyer in my office, I hadn't eaten my lunch yet and I just sat down to eat when in walks one of my frequent flyers with an earring in her hand. She is in 1st grade and says ,"yeah I can't get my earring back in". So I reach in my drawer and pul out an envelope for her to put her earring in and she says ,"no! I want it back in my ear". No please, no manners....so I say no, hunny,i'm a nurse not a beauty shop. Put it in the envelope, your mom can put it in when you get home. I had a kindergarten child in my office with the para for that room and the para looked at me like OMG. So I said to her, "I'm sorry but I will take them out for gym because it is a safety issue and the gym teacher doesn't have time to deal with it but putting them back in? That is NOT a nursing reponsibility and shame on the teacher who sent her to me!" Why do I have to put her earrings back in? Isn't the teacher capable? We have a no earrings in PE policy so my feeling is that if the student cant put in their own earrings then they shouldn't wear them on gym days. Now of course I feel bad......

suanniam4 · Jan 24, 2013

You should try home health.

Today I took out a pts dog for her and another I screwed in a new light bulb.

I don't mind, especially if they may hurt themselves doing these things!!

somenurse · Jan 24, 2013

You should try home health.
Today I took out a pts dog for her and another I screwed in a new light bulb.
I don't mind, especially if they may hurt themselves doing these things!!

good on you, Suanniam!!! I bet you felt LESS stressed for doing the little extra things, and kinda good:)

Kinda peaceful and happy inside, i bet. Well, that's how i feel when i do little extra things anyway.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2013

Why would a parent send a child to school with earrings in, when they have to have them out for PE?????

Not to mention, a child too young to replace them herself - why are they wearing earrings at all?

There is a bigger problem here than asking the school nurse or teacher to do this.

retiredlady · Jan 25, 2013

???? what if it was your child. I would just put the earring back in, really.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2013

???? what if it was your child. I would just put the earring back in, really.

I wouldn't send a child too young to handle earrings properly, to school, wearing earrings.

Tina, RN · Jan 25, 2013

I also think you did the right thing. It's not so much the time it takes to put an earring back in as much as it is setting a precedence. I've learned the hard way that doing a little "favor" one time can quickly turn into "the nurse does that". Next thing you knnow, you will see ten kids a day who need their earrings put back in. Hang in there!

This, a million times! I don't insert earrings. Regardless, probably 3 or 4 kids a day still come in and ask me to do it. If I do it for one, I have to do it for them all. Then the numbers will start to grow, once people see that I'll do it. And that will start to eat up a lot of my time. If it's such an easy, quick fix, why can't the teacher do it? It's not a medical procedure, and many of them have their ears pierced, too.

In my school, the staff are constantly "dumping" silly, non-medical things on me to do. Often, I cave in and do it (Untie knotted shoelaces, tape a broken headband together, tie the little belt in the back of a dress). Mainly, because I feel sorry for the child. I mean, the teacher is with the child all day, and has no problem blowing them off. Meanwhile, I don't have just one classroom of children that I am responsible for. I am responsible for the whole school!

OK, vent over... LOL

seanynjboy, BSN · Jan 25, 2013

I should probably preface this post with some facts.......It was 3pm, I had just about EVERY frequent flyer in my office, I hadn't eaten my lunch yet and I just sat down to eat when in walks one of my frequent flyers with an earring in her hand. She is in 1st grade and says ,"yeah I can't get my earring back in". So I reach in my drawer and pul out an envelope for her to put her earring in and she says ,"no! I want it back in my ear". No please, no manners....so I say no, hunny,i'm a nurse not a beauty shop. Put it in the envelope, your mom can put it in when you get home. I had a kindergarten child in my office with the para for that room and the para looked at me like OMG. So I said to her, "I'm sorry but I will take them out for gym because it is a safety issue and the gym teacher doesn't have time to deal with it but putting them back in? That is NOT a nursing reponsibility and shame on the teacher who sent her to me!" Why do I have to put her earrings back in? Isn't the teacher capable? We have a no earrings in PE policy so my feeling is that if the student cant put in their own earrings then they shouldn't wear them on gym days. Now of course I feel bad......

SERIOUSLY?! A teacher sent you a student to put an earring back in...that is just stupid, take then out and leave them out on Gym days, and if she wants them back in, have her mother teach her how to put them back in...

Roseyposey · Jan 25, 2013

Wow. I guess I pick my battles more carefully. I guess I am spineless as I would take the path of least resistance, especially when it comes to a child. Look at all of the energy you have expended on this topic, rather than putting the earring back in. I am sure that six year old child learned a lesson about nurses and boundaries.

CherylRNBSN · Jan 25, 2013

As a mother of two school age children, I truly feel the earring should have been reinserted.

I allowed my 11 yr old daughter to get her ears pierced, and OMG, we had a terrible time.

I also had my ears pierced about that age, and had to have them re-pierced, b/c the hole closed.

This also happened to my daughter.

The issue is, these children are growing, have super great, healthy, fast DNA, and the holes close rapidly. So the earring needs to be in almost ALL the time.

As they should only be wearing small studs at this age, I'm sure what the risk during PE is that would preclude earrings, tho admittedly, my child got hit during PE and it did hurt. But that was b/c it was a fresh piercing. While the ear is healing, that is an issue. But we all know Olympians compete while wearing earrings! So sports is not the issue.

The issue is that the earrings need to be in place for the healing to occur. The longer they are out, the more traumatic the reinsertion.

I do not consider this any different from my duties as a very busy med surg nurse. I put dentures in, remove them, give oral care, etc. Just this week, I provided a pt. with normal saline and specimen cups so she could remove her contacts before surgery. These are personal hygiene issues, and very much , I feel, my responsibility.

Do I have a million other things to do and tons of charting? YES.

But you do what the "patient" needs at that time, and reinsert the earring. Then move on to what's next. The pt. needed the earring reinserted.

DSkelton711 · Jan 25, 2013

I did a year of school nursing. If you don't set boundaries with the students, teachers and parents you will be doing all sorts of crazy stuff EVERYDAY. I don't understand why the teacher didn't do it in the first place. Next time maybe have the student wash their hands and talk them through inserting it themselves, that way they are learning.

wooh, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2013

Why on earth can't they just wear their earrings in gym, as long as they're studs. Then no issue.