Sent kid home with a fever of 103 yesterday

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · May 16, 2017

Yeah, welcome to the "School as Daycare" syndrome...

Wanna bet they dosed her with an anti-pyretic right before school?

OldDude · May 16, 2017

According to school policy she is not allowed to attend school today so, regardless if she is on the property, she is "absent" today. Get your principal to leave messages on every number you have with that message and instructions to come pick her up. Call the police department to go knock on the door or visit the parents place of employment if you don't have a school resource officer to do that. Turn up the heat; this is outright parental defiance and this kind of stuff burns me up.

OyWithThePoodles, RN · May 16, 2017

In our district it's not actually in the policy to be fever free for 24 hours. I actually had an argument with a teacher who is an EMT. She has been telling parents of kids (who she checks the temp and sends them home from the room) that they have to be fever free for 24 hours. Then parents are mad when the next day absence isn't excused.

I had to inform her that we cannot tell parents that they must keep the child home. I will occasionally tell parents (for the kiddo with 102 or higher) that they need to make sure they don't have a fever the next morning before sending them to school.

Do I think it should be in the policy, yes. But it's not, so stop telling people it is lady! (There is a power struggle there because apparently EMT trumps nurse.

In your situation I would do exactly what OD said, and would keep trying the parents, including their work, grandparents, who ever is permitted to pick kid up.

nursetlm, ADN · May 16, 2017

This is the point that our school liasion (sp) officer would go to their house. This is the part of the job that really irritates me. She should not be at school potentially infecting others.

I'm shocked at the post above that doesn't have a 24 hour rule. Wow.

MHDNURSE · May 16, 2017

UPDATE: Mom finally answered the phone. Says "her father never told me she had to stay home". Whatever, I am glad she finally answered and kid went home.

OyWithThePoodles, RN · May 16, 2017

This is the point that our school liasion (sp) officer would go to their house. This is the part of the job that really irritates me. She should not be at school potentially infecting others.
I'm shocked at the post above that doesn't have a 24 hour rule. Wow.

Yep. Me too. When I first started I was telling everyone that they had to be fever free. My attendance secretary told me that it wasn't in the policy. So I called the boss lady and she said it wasn't. Crazy.

But I will say, we also have to send kids home at 100.0, which doctors offices don't even consider a fever. I feel the higher temps definitely need to stay home. My little brother will hit 100.3-100.4 just long enough to get home and then be better the rest of the night. But these littles with 102 or higher, they are here long enough for the Tylenol to wear off after spreading their germs...

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · May 16, 2017

Yep. Me too. When I first started I was telling everyone that they had to be fever free. My attendance secretary told me that it wasn't in the policy. So I called the boss lady and she said it wasn't. Crazy.
But I will say, we also have to send kids home at 100.0, which doctors offices don't even consider a fever. I feel the higher temps definitely need to stay home. My little brother will hit 100.3-100.4 just long enough to get home and then be better the rest of the night. But these littles with 102 or higher, they are here long enough for the Tylenol to wear off after spreading their germs...

I also send home at 100. To be honest, that kid might be fine to be in school the next day and that isn't a battle I fight. I do tell parents for this type of situation if their child is still running above 100 and/or experiencing same symptoms (i.e. fatigue, body aches, insert symptom here) to keep them home the next day.

But a kid with 102+ usually still feels terrible/off the next day, even if their temp is back in the normal-ish range. They aren't productive at school, infection spread-aside.

WineRN · May 16, 2017

We send home at 100.4 and are also fever free for 24 hours without the use of meds.

Someone mentioned it in another post, but I do feel like we are turning into a daycare. I have had so many little ones who are just too sick to be here but parent's know I can't send them home for really bad coughs or almost fevers.

JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN · May 16, 2017

We send home for anything over 100 and have a fever free for 24 hours without medications rule, as well. I can preach it until I am blue in the face, I still get kids who come back the next day. I also like when a parent calls and says "Little Darling has a fever so I gave Motrin. He/she is fine now."

I don't know how much more I can simplify "The fever is a symptom, not an illness. Bringing the fever down with medication doesn't treat what is causing the fever in the first place. They are still fighting an infection, they are still contagious and they STILL need to be at home."

JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN · May 17, 2017

Not really related to the OP but speaking of fevers...

I had to correct one of the secretaries yesterday afternoon. She took it upon herself to give some medical advice to a parents signing out a little dude with a high fever, including telling him to drink plenty of ginger ale instead of water and "he can come tomorrow if his fever is gone."

I truly don't know why they hired me, it seems everyone can do my job.

Flare, ASN, BSN · May 17, 2017

i just had a little guy that i sent home with a fever yesterday come in - parent sent in a note stating that she couldn't get him into the doctor but that she treated him with a cool bath and medication and he was fine for school today. Uh, no... he's still got a fever today and that's WITH medication.

Also - what's with running these kids straight to the doctor the second that they are a little sick? I can't get you to take them for their required vaccines, but you take them to the doctor if their temp rises above 99.5 or they sneeze more than 4 times in a row.