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.
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!
A wise person on here once said: A cold may be a reason to stay home, but it is not a reason to go home! I love this line!
My little FF cupcake - you will go back to class. I will call mom and tell her I am not finding anything to send you home for, if she wants to pick you up she can and they will call you from the classroom. I never let them malinger in my office for more than 20 minutes after my assessment. If my assessment is negative, but their eyes are hopeful I will "let you lay down for 10 minutes" and then back to class (I have a timer!). If I send them to the bathroom and they immediately pop out, "I cannot do anything with you until you poop" - again drink h2o and back to class. The nausea kids get me, I have basically gone with "yes it feels horrible, but until you throw up there is not much we can do" Truth.
The protocol in my office for stomach aches or headaches with no other symptoms is crackers or water and 10 minutes of rest. Then I say "Ok, it has been 10 minutes with no fever and no vomiting. Let's get back to class"
Inevitably, 70% of kids ask "What if I don't feel good later??" And I tell them that I don't live by "What ifs". We will cross that bridge when we come to it and think positively- I WILL be ok. I WILL make it through today!
I just found out that one of my kinder teachers will tell students to "grab the yuckie bucket and just sit with it awhile in class, then if you do throw up, we'll go see the nurse." I asked if she could announce this at the next staff meeting!
ETA: All of my classroom are equipped with buckets, in hopes of eliminating the vomit in the hallway issue!
ETA: All of my classroom are equipped with buckets, in hopes of eliminating the vomit in the hallway issue!
I have offered buckets, but most teachers decline them, AND we don't have janitorial staff, the teachers have to clean it if it is in their classroom (including trash cans). I tell the kids to leave them in their classrooms when I send them and aren't used.
I have offered buckets, but most teachers decline them, AND we don't have janitorial staff, the teachers have to clean it if it is in their classroom (including trash cans). I tell the kids to leave them in their classrooms when I send them and aren't used.
My teachers would die if they had to clean anything! I cannot believe they would decline buckets. Teachers are strange creatures!
My teachers would die if they had to clean anything! I cannot believe they would decline buckets. Teachers are strange creatures!
These teachers used to be the nurse, social workers, janitors, lunch staff and any other ancillary you can think of. The fact that nurse has been taken off their plates makes them feel liberated.
BeckyESRN
1,263 Posts
A wise person on here once said: A cold may be a reason to stay home, but it is not a reason to go home! I love this line!