Tired of kids coming to the nurse...

[Nurse ABC]

I don't mean the students on meds or the diabetics or anyone that has chronic health issues or the injured, etc. I mean the line of students every day complaining of vague issues of not feeling well or want ice or a band aid for an injury that's not there. The ones that are just trying of get out of class or go home. You know the ones! I'm so tired of dealing with these ones. I'm losing all my empathy. What do you say to these ones to help them understand they do not need to see the nurse unless truly sick or hurt esp when the teachers are no help? To help them understand that just because they are a little tired or not feeling awesome they don't need to go home? It doesn't help when the teachers keep sending them back because they keep complaining. I'm getting really burnt out on this!! The teachers act like I'm trying to get out of doing my job when I complain about this. Of course they also get miffed if I want a half hour to myself to eat lunch. Does anyone else get sick of this? How do you cope? I'm starting to not like this job anymore.

[sharpeimom]

One of our neighbors' sons teaches 4th grade. He stopped the stampede of unnecessary useless trips the nurse

very cleverly, I thought. Most of the needless trips were for papercuts or headaches.

For headaches, before going to the nurse, the teacher would open a window and have the kid breathe deeply.

The windows all had bars on them so falling or jumping out wasn't possible.

For the dreaded papercut, he bought bandaids he discovered in his college alum magazine that also advertised bookstore "stuff." Those decorated bandaids from Mr.___, beat the heck out of the nurse's plain ones!

Anything questionable and you saw the nurse.

[mandm97, RN]

Like all School Nurses we face this issue everyday! I tend to be a "tough love" school nurse. My main goal is to keep students in school as much as possible! I do enjoy working with the Middle School age much better then the younger set. After almost 13 years as a school nurse, I still get upset at times when I hear ..."that nurse is mean", "she doesn't let anybody go home". I will call parents of my FFC's (Frequent Flyer Club) and most of them tend to appreciate the heads up. It is helpful when you have the support of the staff and adminstration. All my staff have a supply of bandaids and gloves and that does tend to help with some of the "little isssues". I'm hoping by dispensing some "tough love", I'm contributing to the students overall health.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i am just appreciating this thread today - noting how busy i am today vs how i saw practically nobody on Weds before the holiday...