Screenings...

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Needing some suggestions. Started half way through the year as a new school nurse without any orientation.

The elementary school I am in is extremely busy and I basically have my own classroom of students half of the time. I have tried to lay down the law a bit but it hasn't seemed to help much.

now I am in a crunch with just a few weeks to finish the remainder of hearing/vision screenings as well as scoliosis. I'm surprised I have gotten as many done as I have thus far. Needless to say, I was unable to get a sub to assist take care of the office visits while I do the Screenings. The per diem/substitute nurses we have do not ever pick up time or barely call back when you call them.

I have several nurses who were previous coworkers of mine who were very interested in subbing but that seems to not have been a priority when I mentioned it to anyone.

However they are looking into getting possible part time help for next year.

I can't wait for the next 4 weeks to be over !

I can do this!

needing positive thoughts and any advice would be greatly appreciated !

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I'm a nursing student. At my school, we work with several local schools to help with the hearing and vision screenings as part of our first semester of nursing school. We're free, eager and available!

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I started towards the end of the year last year, so I understand! Subs had been covering the health office for most of the year, so screening didn't get done. My district used to have floating nurses to help with screening and "extras", but with budget cuts, those were the first to go. The other nurses in my district told me to do the best I can and if not, just get them next year. In NY, kindergarten and new students need near vision and color vision (on top of the far vision and hearing for everyone else), so I highlighted the kindergartners I didn't get done last year, so that I could do their full screening in first grade.

Maybe not the best "solution", but it is what I had to do. Good luck to you!

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Also - I will sometimes try to grab kids during latchkey (the before/after school program) since I am here 8:30-4:00 and the buses come in at 9am and leave around 330pm.

Or I try to do a few during announcements since they aren't many kids in my office during announcements usually. There is the "from the bus" crowd and then the "after the announcements" crowd.

If possible, maybe you can send an e-mail or talk to the teachers and try to plan an hour each day that they only send emergent visits down, just until you get screening done?

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Specializes in ICU, Adventures in school nursing.

Talk to your principal and ask that your clinic be closed for the first 60 to 90 minutes of the day until your screenings are done. Talk to the teachers and find a schedule that works for both of you. Have it announced that you are doing screenings and will see emergencies only during the time your clinic is "closed" for screenings. You will be surprised how quickly you can get them done when you are uninterrupted. Of course, this will only work if you have cooperation from administration and staff. Good luck!

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I don't have any advise for this year except just do the best you can. I start my screenings as soon as school starts back up - I have elementary k-5 & in Texas we screen K, 1st, 3rd, 5th & any new kids to the district (roughly 400+ kids). We have the option of scheduling a screen team to come in but I find that I end up with so many re-screens that I just rather do them myself.

I start the 2nd week of school with the 5th graders and work down to Kinder - usually takes me till the beginning of December to get them done. I go class by class, have the teacher send 2-4 kids at a time & try to get the class done in a day or two. My least busy time is first thing in the morning or the last hour of the day - I will email out to teachers to only send "emergencies" and to utilize their Bandaid boxes I give each of them the beginning of the year during this screening time.

Our district starts Scoliosis screening in middle school - those nurses usually get the vision/hearing done in the fall & do the scoli screening in the spring - not sure if that might help you breaking it up.

Might ask your PTA for volunteers - I did that the first year. A couple of moms came in and helped with weight/heights of the kids while I did the vision/hearing part.

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Talk to your principal and ask that your clinic be closed for the first 60 to 90 minutes of the day until your screenings are done. Talk to the teachers and find a schedule that works for both of you. Have it announced that you are doing screenings and will see emergencies only during the time your clinic is "closed" for screenings. You will be surprised how quickly you can get them done when you are uninterrupted. Of course, this will only work if you have cooperation from administration and staff. Good luck!

I think this is a great idea and I will start it next year.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

There are 7 nurses in our district. One campus will set a date for screening and everyone will try and get a sub for that day; all who were able to get a sub converge on that campus and knock out all the screenings in one day - except rescreens and absences. Then the next campus in line will set a date...repeat...and so on.

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I started in the middle of the year when I first got this job too. I did the best I could and got done as many as possible. Lots of things came up that first year that weren't being done properly in the past. I made the situation better and just kept moving forward until I had a full year to get it done correctly. Good luck!

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Does anyone use the scoliometer app?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Does anyone use the scoliometer app?

No, but it sounds like another step toward my goal of school nursing from home!!

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Thank you for all the helpful comments. Today made me feel a lot better as I finished 1st grade. Just have 3rd and kindergarten plus scoliosis (which I scheduled for next week).

I spoke with the principal last week and she put out an email/announcement for only urgent visits. (Blood or flood) lol.

That definitely has made a science although I still get plenty of my frequent flyers trying to sneak in while "passing by".

I just found out we are relocating so it is very likely we are moving before the 15-16 school year starts.

Good luck to you !

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