I don't post too often, but I have to vent today. I am soooo frustrated with the students who are completely unwilling to try to make it through the school day. Typically they are frequent fliers that are not so frequent to arouse too much suspicion; they often come early on in the day. They often have a stomach ache (or any other complaint, really) that is completely asymptomatic- no fever, abd nontender, + bowel sounds, no N/V/D, had breakfast. So, let them rest- not helping. Use the restroom- not helping. Drink some water- not helping. I give them saltines (yes, those saltines)- not helping. I give them Tums (yep, I can give that with parental permission)- not helping. I give them juice- not helping. At this point, it has been an hour!!! Finally, I get so frustrated that I have them call their parents who will pick them up, after I describe to them their (lack of) symptoms.
Really?!
I just had a student who stated he had 'uncontrollable barfing.' I told him to rest for a bit. No barfing. Not even dry heaving. He didn't even run to the bathroom and pretend that he puked. Hey kid, have you ever heard of the Noro Virus?! Now THAT is uncontrollable barfing. Show me that, and you can go home. Actually, please don't show me that.
For the record, I love my job. My worst days as a school nurse and infinitely better than my best days at the hospital.
Along with Jensmom, Leigh, Rosie and for skid marks and giggles, let's throw Davey into the fray as well, m'kay?
Totally agree with that top notch, A1, list...we have to have Davey, black undies and all (that's really not a bad idea). Two things I've learned with age is never pass up a bathroom and never trust a fart.
Totally agree with that top notch, A1, list...we have to have Davey, black undies and all (that's really not a bad idea). Two things I've learned with age is never pass up a bathroom and never trust a fart.
Ok this post describes MY CHILD. She goes to the office for a stomach ache, because she's dizzy, because her eyes were blurry in band (she hates band). As far as I can tell there is no actual school nurse on the premises and the very sweet lady who works in the front office will call and tell me how she doesn't have a fever but "is very pale." Then she puts my daughter on the phone, who is of course weeping and insisting that she really really does feel sick this time. Eventually I give up and go get her. I've been slowly dialing up restrictions in activities when she comes home sick...I think I'm getting close to that magical formula where she deems it not worth it to come home. Last time she asked me to take her back to school .
So glad to know my kid isn't the only one who does it!
I have been known to tell a child with a headache/stomachache/your ailment here that sometimes in life we just have to keep pushing through even if we don't feel great! I have had headaches all week myself..Prob sinus. While I sympathize IF the child has a legit issue, if we sent everyone in the building home because they had a stomach ache or a headache, the building would be half empty.
Often the kids will look at me like ???? when I tell them that they need to stay despite their discomfort.
As others have mentioned, I will often attempt to enlist the parent for backup.
But to get back to the OT, I usually give 1/2 hour max, then back to class you go. This can vary of course, if a child really does appear ill despite the lack of fever or other issues. It's been a tough month for illness! Sometimes they do try to wear me down with multiple visits, but I do have to put some ownership of that on the teachers who just cave and allow all those visits AFTER the student has been fully assessed. I do call a parent after visit 2.
I feel your pain, absolutely! It's frustrating trying to educate some of the kids that sometimes you really do need to power through sometimes. I had a student once try and convince me that I needed to send him home over a cold! He put more effort into trying to get home than it would have taken to just sit in class. And he still went back to class! :)
I think you're right that the worse day here is still better than the best day in a hospital though!
Next time I get called for a headache after a very vigorous Recess in the cold with normal VS I will be much more confident saying my kid needs to suck it up and leave the nurse alone lol
I tell a lot of my FF students and their parents that I think they may just need some practice with sticking it out because many kids are not born with the suck it up gene. They always laugh but I also them know I can't not call them if little Jimmy has been to see me 4 times today for various ailments but that I don't think they are sick and need to leave school. I LOVE when parents back me up and tell the kid to go back to class if they're not really sick!
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OldDude
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I'm sorry I asked.