Sending kids home

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I sent 4 kids home yesterday. I think 1 was actually sick.

What do you do when they have already called the parents on their cell to come get them before coming to see you?

Or the parents give them the get out of jail free card?

And who are these parents that seem to wait around for their kids' calls and rush up to school?

Do I have less control because my kids are older? And our cell phone policy is not enforced?

Lately, I've been meh, if your parents want to pick you up, go home.

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Specializes in ED, School Nurse.

This happens frequently at my school, too. Or attendance sends them to me, even though the student is already waiting for a parent to come get them.

If it's a student I don't see very often, I don't fight it. I figure ultimately it's the parent's decision whether their child should stay in school or not. I did have one student come into my office and pretty much demand to go home. I told her she has no fever, no cough, no vomit/diarrhea, mild sore throat, I see no reason for you to go home. "But I really don't feel good" Explain again. "But I REALLY don't feel good." I'm getting tired of arguing at this point and call parent. "Suzy is in my office requesting to go home, this is my assessment. I really think she can stay in school." Parent: "I'll be right in to get her." Student: Smirks at me. Me: Bangs head against desk repeatedly.

If it's a frequent-flyer, I might call and mention to the parent "I see Suzy has been absent a lot lately, she's in my office requesting to go home, but according to my assessment, she doesn't meet the criteria for me to dismiss her, what would you like to do?"

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Ah...the old "mom shows up and I never saw the kid" routine. I simply explain to the parent and ultimately the student when they suddenly show up (cause mom sent a text saying she is here). That this is counting as an absence not excused but a full on absence. Then Mom says , "but why, she is sick", I say because I did not deem her "sick enough" to be excused from school, because she never came to see me. She texted you and she can go home with you. Usually the student already has a lot of absences and mom starts to drop the hammer on the pick ups..but not all the time.

But The best part ever..The very next day..I call the student down to the office and request her phone, and I hold onto it ALL DAY LONG. and get to see all the texts that the mom sends during the day. Mom wonders why student is not calling back, calls my office to see if "said student" is in my office..because she cant get in touch with her.... Love it

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Ah...the old "mom shows up and I never saw the kid" routine. I simply explain to the parent and ultimately the student when they suddenly show up (cause mom sent a text saying she is here). That this is counting as an absence not excused but a full on absence. Then Mom says , "but why, she is sick", I say because I did not deem her "sick enough" to be excused from school, because she never came to see me. She texted you and she can go home with you. Usually the student already has a lot of absences and mom starts to drop the hammer on the pick ups..but not all the time.

But The best part ever..The very next day..I call the student down to the office and request her phone, and I hold onto it ALL DAY LONG. and get to see all the texts that the mom sends during the day. Mom wonders why student is not calling back, calls my office to see if "said student" is in my office..because she cant get in touch with her.... Love it

That would never fly here. I'm jealous.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I'll be honest - maybe it's because i'm getting older and a bit cynical in this job - but lately Ye olde barrel of Give a Crap is starting to run a bit dry... if the parents are willing to put up with their kid's shenanigans and no longer care how much school their kids miss, then why should i? Your kid is barely passing math and magically he or she seems to get violently ill and calls you from the bathroom on their clandestine cellphone for a pick-up before that class -sure - come get them - you have every right as a parent to do so - but that doesn't mean that I as the nurse have to excuse the absence. Especially if i didn't see the child before the call was made - by the child.

This isn't to say that I still don't put up a bit of a fight for my lovely malingerers who waltz into my office and think that telling me with a smile that they just vomited up lunch will earn them a golden ticket home - it's more that i've learned to pick my battles

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students are required to sign in when they come in my office, so when a parent says, "but my child said he came in..I simply say....no he has not come to see me"...

or the opposite, "said student" always comes in right before a certain class, signs in and I send back to class....parent said but he was sick...well if he was THAT sick why didn't he come in during the class before, which was lunch and recess....

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I'll be honest - maybe it's because i'm getting older and a bit cynical in this job - but lately Ye olde barrel of Give a Crap is starting to run a bit dry...

This made me chuckle so much!!!

OP, I struggle with this at my school, too---I work in an affluent community with many stay-at-home parents who can pick up their child at a moment's notice, or parents who don't really have to worry about lost jobs or wages if they need to leave early to pick up their child. Drastic difference from my last school where parents were very reluctant to come get their truly sick child because they fear getting fired, or they didn't have reliable transportation and the kid would have to wait in my office for hours for someone to come get them. I always make sure to describe my assessment in detail ("Susie is here with a stomachache and she doesn't have a fever, no vomiting, ate all of her lunch just now. I think she's okay to stay, but she asked to call you, would you like to talk to her?") Sometimes I luck out and get an "old-school" parent who still believes children need to learn to tough things out, but many times they end up rushing in to save the day---ultimately, it's the parent's decision, not mine, and I just go on about my day.

I seriously wonder if we will see segments of our society collapse in the next few decades because the majority of our workforce will leave work early due to "not feeling 100%" since they never learned to tolerate anything less than "normal" as a kid. I'm optimistic that enough life experiences will occur by the time they're in their 20s that they will understand that sometimes you just have to push through it and get 'er done! :up:

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I only know what the Texas Education Code is but, way down here, if a school has a RN the responsibility of health and medical issues for the students fall on the RN. If a campus does not have a RN that responsibility falls onto the campus principal (Texas does not "require" school nurses). So, any "action" arising from the staff or students associated with health or medical issues of the students, that does not involve input or assessment by the school nurse (RN), falls directly onto the campus principal's responsibility. So when parents start showing up without my knowledge to pick up "sick" kids, I remind my principal that he is taking responsibility for these teacher medical assessments and subsequent absenteeism. That usually compels some action.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Telemetry.

This happens to me at the middle school level occasionally. Generally, the parent comes up to the office window and inquires about their child who is ill. We obviously know nothing about this ill child, and then we discover the kiddo has called their parent independently on their cell phone. Usually, I let the parents and the child know that they should come to the office and be assessed before they determine that going home is necessary. I like to tell them that generally, I'm not going to deny a kid the use of the phone to call their parent if they keep complaining that they don't feel well after rest/water/bathroom/etc, but we should at least give some solutions a shot before they are picked up.

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Parent: Hi, Patti, ------ just called me from the bathroom, she is sick and needs to go home.

Me *swallowing lunch* Hi, -----, your daughter ----- hasn't been here.

Parent: No she called me.

Me: Okay, she is supposed to come to me if she is sick, I will look out for her.

*click*

Daughter (walks in): I was sick and called my mom, but I'm going to try to eat.

Me: Okay, that's a great idea. Try to eat, and if you feel sick come back here to me and we will see what's up.

*as daughter leaves phone is ringing*

Parent: She just called me, she can't do it.

Me: She left 30 seconds ago and told me she was going to try to eat.

Parent: She can't do it. I'm stuck in Queens, Do you know of anyone who can pick her up?

Me: .... *thinking dark thoughts*....

Me: Lets see how she does with lunch first, she knows I'm here and to come back to me if she is sick.

I'll keep you posted.

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Parent: She can't do it. I'm stuck in Queens, Do you know of anyone who can pick her up?

LOL. This is where I say..I didn't give birth to this one, you did..

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She just went home. Texted her mom from lunch room. No fever, no pallor, no vomit, no diarrhea. SHE HAS HER PERIOD. I told her mom I would give her a few minutes to lay down and the heating pad, but she had already dragged some other mom out to pick up her kid.

Other Mom: How's my sick girl????

My boys had to be wading through vomit and on fire before I would pick them up from school.

Maybe I'm just too mean.

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