Lice checks

Specialties School

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When I started working for our district, we were doing lice checks every other week for K-8 and a firm no nit policy. I provided information and did manage to decrease checks once a month for K-8 and a still firm no nit policy. I'm beginning my 6th year here. We have a new principal this year and I've tried talking to her about lice checks, but she said she's read it and we're still doing checks. She states she has discussed with our superintendent. This is ridiculous especially for 6-8 students. Anyone have an ideas on any other ways I go can with this?

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
ABRN2012 said:
Wow! A lawsuit! Thats crazy. I would love to hear more about how this came about. Did the parents feel that their child was being singled out? I have tried to tell my admin this very thing but they do not get it.

The elementary age child came home from school and told her parents her head was checked for lice. They objected...seriously objected, for the reasons discussed in this thread.

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My school district is also a frequent head check, no not district. My print outs from AAP, CDC, NASN, etc we're actually thrown into the trash in front of me and I was told, "no nits " I'm at the high school so it's not a huge issue but at the elementary level, we have had kids miss 2+ weeks of school. They won't budge.

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On the other side of that, when parents find out that a child was found to have lice and was not sent home, then they complain "Why was he/she not sent home?" Perhaps some of these schools don't want to have the majority complaining that the school is not doing anything and so they continue with the old policy of no nits.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, CCU and School Nurse.

At this point, I'm not even attempting to change our "No Nit" policy. I KNOW that is a losing battle right now. I'm just trying to get rid of our unnecessary checks. The kids come in during their PE time, so admin doesn't really see missing PE as the same as missing classroom time. It' a small town & lice has such a stigma, I think the parents are all scared of their kids getting it. Yet if I send a kid home with it, the whole town will find out because it is a small town. Crazy.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

if it's such a small town then schedule a Head Lice Education Seminar and invite all the parents to attend. Give them facts versus fiction and get them to understand the hysteria, stigma, and general angst would disappear if they would just check their kids head at home and intervene accordingly. You could calculate the time taken from required curriculum for doing head checks at school. You know, plant a few seeds and see if they take root.

If it's gonna change, you're going to have to be the one to shove it in motion.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I had this problem last year by one of the first grade teachers (Thank god she left!) and my old AP was such a parent pleaser, it was ridiculous. So this year we have a new AP and I expressed my concerns, so she basically told me to do me and since I been here for 3 years, I can decide what to do in my clinic. So this year, I explained to teachers and parents, that:

1) if student has lice, I will send them home and send letter home with class.

2) I will only check infected student's class, and if has siblings, will check sibling, but no lice, no check for that sibling's class.

3) I will only accept reports from direct sources, ie teacher, parent and student themselves. (Last year I had a case of bullying by reports and was forced to go along with it.)

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Agreed with OLDDUDE

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I honestly would give them the story about Olddude's legal issue. I had an issue with a parent because they didn't want me to touch their child without their permission, even though I'm just checking their hair. As well give the CDC information on Lice and your state's requirements on Lice.

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