Oh please, just let me vent!!!

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OK, teachers. I would like to clarify a few things for you.

#1. I cannot cure hiccups. Why are you sending the student to me? Ditto for a cut that happened a week ago at home, a sunburn from a we

ekend at the beach, or numerous other minor complaints. I know you don't want hear whining, but neither do I. THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO!

#2. I cannot make the children germ-proof, so you won't get sick. Don't work in an elementary school if you're concerned about getting sick. You're in the wrong place. I'm sorry, but it is a hazard of our job!

#3. See #2

#4. I do not sit around on my butt eating bonbons all day. I know you're tired of them. I'm tired too. Everyone is tired and grouchy and school needs to end. All of our jobs are hard. But please don't send them down to me for every-little-bitty-thing. You have 20 kids. I have 60 kids/day. Really.

#5. See #2

#6. No, I can't tell the parents to keep the kids home if they don't have a temperature. If the parent feels the child is fine and they don't have any symptoms, they need to be in school. We get in trouble for that. It's called denying the child their education.

#7. Yes, I know the majority of parents think we are baby-sitters. I cannot change that. I cannot tell parents how to raise their child, or teach them common sense on when to keep them home. Some will never get it, and some don't want to get it. See #2.

#8. I'm thrilled that you're pregnant. But I still can't germ proof the kids - all 900 of them. Kids have germs, and you mostly likely will end up getting sick at some point. See #2 and #6. Just try and wash your hands a lot, and don't let little ones get too close.

#9. Loose teeth hurt. Yes, they do. I cannot pull the tooth our nor make it better. Ice won't help it. I can give TLC, but so can you!

#10. Yes, children can vomit quite easily. Especially after lunch. Sometimes on command to get out of class - really! Please try and trust my judgment, OK? I'm following the school policy; you may not agree with it but I have to abide by it.

#11. I'm not just here to rubber stamp someone you want sent home!

#12. All of the above doesn't apply to the little kids - pre-K and K. If they don't feel good, I automatically call Mom to come pick them up. I'm not heartless. Really..

Thank you for listening! I feel better now...........(sigh)

11 days and counting.............

mc3:nurse:

Specializes in Medical Oncology, Alzheimer/dementia.

I was a school nurse for 3 years. One of the hardest jobs I ever had in terms of dealing with people. LOVED the kids, couldn't take the teachers and the principal. The principal was worse than any DON, NM or supervisor I've ever known. No matter what I did it was never enough.

I was literally crossing the days off the calendar until school was out.

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Don't you all get a week off every few months and the entire summer off? Seems fair compensation for dealing with a few pesky people.

CapeCodMermaid, please don't get it twisted I LOVE what I do, everyday is different for me. I know that I couldn't work at the pre-k -5th grade level so I'll stick with my middle school kids and yes out of 365 days of the year I only work 180 days. :sarcastic:

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Specializes in Acute Care, CM, School Nursing.
I feel your vents. I have worked as a School Nurse in a middle school since January. Today is my last day, thank God!!! I have hated every hour spent at this job, and will NEVER work as a school nurse again. I will dig ditches or work at McDonald's first. I don't know how y'all do it, but I have gone home mentally exhausted every day from this place. Too many whiny, lying kids. Too many parents who don't care when their kid is genuinely sick. Too many teachers who send me kids for stupid reasons: holes in pants, hiccups, sore new earring piercings, 5th graders crying for Mommy, and kids who think they might throw up. Good riddance!!!

LisaLPN7, I know you've been really disappointed with your school nursing experience. :( I was just curious as to whether you have already resigned? If so, what are your plans? Sorry, just being nosey. LOL

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Specializes in Behavioral health.

Stuff they teach us in Ed school:

Pass the buck

CYA

RND Syndrome (RN do something!)

Just graduated now I offer 1 stop shopping. Education and nursing in the same classroom!

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Specializes in School nursing.

I'm pretty lucky in my school, I suppose. The goal is keep the kids in the classroom, so I've had a few teachers call me and done a phone triage on some students to see if they really need to come down to my office. All the teachers know the repeat offenders and try to minimize the time they are away from class.

But, that being said, can this already brutal allergy season in New England just end, please? Most of my complaints are allergies and while I do dispense loratadine and Benadryl in the office with parental permission and very, very sparingly (usually if a kid forgets his/her morning dose at home), most of kids have already taken their daily meds and I can do little but offer hydration. I tell the teachers this, but they see a miserable kid (and some did look pretty miserable) and want to send them my way to fix it.

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OMG you all have SAVED me from my misguided dreams of school nursing!!! I can barely tolerate my own whiny lying teenagers, WHY would I think I would be able to tolerate someone else's?!!! Thanks for your VENT!!!

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.
Don't you all get a week off every few months and the entire summer off? Seems fair compensation for dealing with a few pesky people.

you know, using the same type of logic, we can turn it around on the 3 shift a weekers and say that you guys actually work less shifts (not necessarily hours) than us (3 shifts per week x 4 weeks/month on avg x 12 mo = 144 vs 180) and you can put in for a vacation in any month you want - not have to wait until the summer... just sayin...

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Specializes in family practice and school nursing.
Don't you all get a week off every few months and the entire summer off? Seems fair compensation for dealing with a few pesky people.

Not all of us are so lucky. My school pay is so low I have to work a 6 week summer school program to make ends meet.

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Specializes in Flight/CCU/Ambulatory Care.

I just want to thank all of you school nurses for what you do everyday. As a parent and an RN, I have a great deal of respect for you! It was a school nurse and a smart bus driver who saved my daughter's life just a couple of years ago. A teacher assumed my 6 year old daughter was "acting" and told her to "stop panting like a dog" and put her on the school bus to go home. My daughter was having a severe asthma attack and couldn't speak. On the way home, another student alerted the bus driver that my child was drooling and couldn't speak. The bus driver immediately turned the bus around and took her back to the school where the nurse had already activated 911. When the Albuterol nebs didn't work, she acted quickly to give her a shot of Epi, which began to relieve her symptoms. I couldn't be more grateful!

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Not all of us are so lucky. My school pay is so low I have to work a 6 week summer school program to make ends meet.

My thoughts exactly. Most of us sacrafice a great deal of income to work as a school nurse. I could double my hourly rate and my hours if I worked in a hospital. I could also have better benefits and increased job security.

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I feel your vents. I have worked as a School Nurse in a middle school since January. Today is my last day, thank God!!! I have hated every hour spent at this job, and will NEVER work as a school nurse again. I will dig ditches or work at McDonald's first. I don't know how y'all do it, but I have gone home mentally exhausted every day from this place. Too many whiny, lying kids. Too many parents who don't care when their kid is genuinely sick. Too many teachers who send me kids for stupid reasons: holes in pants, hiccups, sore new earring piercings, 5th graders crying for Mommy, and kids who think they might throw up. Good riddance!!!

So sorry it wasn't for you! Hope you find an area more to your liking. I have all of the exact same complaints as you yet I still love my job as a School Nurse. I guess I'm lucky it's such a good fit for me!

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Specializes in Acute Care, CM, School Nursing.
My thoughts exactly. Most of us sacrafice a great deal of income to work as a school nurse. I could double my hourly rate and my hours if I worked in a hospital. I could also have better benefits and increased job security.

YES! When I was working per diem at the hospital, one 12 hour shift paid around the same as one week at my school job... :( But, when you have school aged children at home, you can't beat the convenience of school nurse hours. And I do love my job, despite my venting. :)

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