Wrap it up?

Specialties School

Published

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

So suppose a kid come in to you holding an ace wrap and asks you to wrap up some sore affected body part. Then gives you a long drawn out sob story about why they need it wrapped - usually some ancient injury that they have reported to a parent but haven't had looked at by a doctor. Do you wrap it up for them?

Specializes in School Nurse, professor, OBGYN.

I will ask why it was not wrapped at home, since it's first thing in the morning.

I would assess, and ask would he like an ice pack instead.

Yeah, I will wrap it. Then usually call a parent to follow up.

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Under those circumstances I probably would wrap it, loosely, tape it in place, and let the magic pain relief begin.

I second the loose wrap. I will properly wrap an known injury, especially when the parent tells me that the kiddo will be in school with an ace wrap.

Depends on the kid, but, yea, I usually wrap it.

I wrapped my own ankle today.

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

see the thing is that i don't usually wrap an ace wrap any more than i will buddy tape a finger or toe. i may in an extreme or certain circumstance and i don't mind "checking it" to see that the job that was done at home was done properly. But for me to initiate the "treatment" so to say is not something i really feel comfortable treading into.

I am fine if they come to school with the wrap already on - i've already rewrapped shoddy workmanship and slipping aces. If they come in with new neoprene supports on that's fine too - it's just something about them handing me that rolled up ace and telling me "wrap my ___" that gives me this uhhhhh no. feeling. Can't explain it. It's like in my mind it's a step further than i want to take it into treatment land.

The students usually tell me that their parents didn't help them at home because they didn't want to wake them from sleep :cautious:

Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..

If my assessment doesn't make bells and whistles go off in my nurse brain, and I haven't heard from a parent. I probably won't wrap. If I have a concern, I would call the parent to get the scoop and wrap if it seemed appropriate. Dang. I sound like a hard butt. But, I must say. My own kids would get the same answer.

Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..

Flare- I know that uhhhh no feeling that you speak of. :specs:

Specializes in School Nurse.

I had a student come to school with his writing hand wrapped, claiming he could not do his work. When asked what happened, he claimed he didn't know, it just started hurting. I called parents they could not tell me either what happened. I removed the wrap, assessed the hand and could not find anything wrong with it. I did not re-apply the wrap, so that he could complete his class work.

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
see the thing is that i don't usually wrap an ace wrap any more than i will buddy tape a finger or toe. i may in an extreme or certain circumstance and i don't mind "checking it" to see that the job that was done at home was done properly. But for me to initiate the "treatment" so to say is not something i really feel comfortable treading into.

I am fine if they come to school with the wrap already on - i've already rewrapped shoddy workmanship and slipping aces. If they come in with new neoprene supports on that's fine too - it's just something about them handing me that rolled up ace and telling me "wrap my ___" that gives me this uhhhhh no. feeling. Can't explain it. It's like in my mind it's a step further than i want to take it into treatment land.

The students usually tell me that their parents didn't help them at home because they didn't want to wake them from sleep :cautious:

Don't worry about it. Wrapping some complaint site (with no sign of injury) simply for comfort is less invasive than cleaning an abrasion and applying a bandaid.

We aren't allowed to wrap! They consider this a step beyond our scope of nursing. So with that being the rule, I wouldn't even rewrap :/

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