I need ideas

Specialties School

Published

Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..

Here's the deal, I LOVE school nursing - at least the kind of school nursing I'm used to. In the past, I have worked elementary and middle schools with > 800 student population and have always been on my own. It fell on me to do everything - imms, H&V screenings, seeing kids as they come in, etc. Now, I'm at a smaller elementary school 70 schools) and I have a health assistant that does everything I used to do, including seeing kids. Don't get me wrong, it's great! It's also, well, kinda boring.

So far, the biggest job I've had since the start of school on 04 Sept, is to review the new student charts to ensure all the paper work is there and in order. My health aide is great and super organized, so I only see these charts once they are put together and she has sent out the required letters or called home for the missing stuff.

I need a project. Something that makes me feel like I'm doing something. I want to feel meaningful. Does this make sense or do I sound like a whiner?

What have you done at your schools? If you had time, which apparently I do, what would you like to do?

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Does this mean that she is seeing all the kids and you are getting stuck only doing admin stuff? I would hate that :( Are you allowed to teach? If so, maybe you can develop a health curriculum and teach in the classrooms. Or work on a monthly health newsletter to send home. Or come help me get all my screenings done... ;)

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Specializes in School nursing.
Or come help me get all my screenings done... ;)

This. I've had to delay screening AGAIN today because I have to tend to urgent health needs of students in my office (asthma symptoms and neb treatments). I've on the try and grab 5-10 kids each day over the next two weeks until I get them done train of thought right now :).

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You need to share duties. One does screenings while the other sees students, or one does hearing, sends to the other to do vision. Split the immunizations and going through the charts. Teamwork.

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Specializes in School Nurse.

I dream of doing bigger health things for the community... health fairs, National Night out, education to the students and to the families at PTA meetings, stress reduction and healthy habits for teachers... the sky is the limit! Meanwhile I am putting bandaids on sore feet for picture day!

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

My days can be a bit slow as well. I wish I could get classroom time, but I don't' see that happening. I'm thinking of starting a monthly newsletter type thing with information, that aligns with our state health standards, to do my "teaching" that way.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..
You need to share duties. One does screenings while the other sees students, or one does hearing, sends to the other to do vision. Split the immunizations and going through the charts. Teamwork.

We don't even do our own screenings! The Health Department comes in and does them. In the spring. (that is a whole other level of frustration)

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Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..
Does this mean that she is seeing all the kids and you are getting stuck only doing admin stuff? I would hate that :( Are you allowed to teach? If so, maybe you can develop a health curriculum and teach in the classrooms. Or work on a monthly health newsletter to send home. Or come help me get all my screenings done... ;)

I would love to come help you with your screenings! At least I know how to do that and I've actually helped kids in the past with these screenings.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..
My days can be a bit slow as well. I wish I could get classroom time, but I don't' see that happening. I'm thinking of starting a monthly newsletter type thing with information, that aligns with our state health standards, to do my "teaching" that way.

Tell me more...

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.
Tell me more...

I got on the state's DOE website and searched for the health & wellness standards for my grades (K-3). In a perfect world, this would be something parents would read with their kids. So...had I done one for September, I envision it would have looked a bit like this:

September is "Fruits & Veggies More Matters Month" and "Whole Grains Month" so I probably would have talked about serving sizes, amounts per day, how to sneak veggies into meals, stuff like that.

It's also "National Pediculosis Prevention Month" so I would have talked about our favorite topic.

Then probably a reminder about our school's sickness policy and any other pertinent info as to things happening at school. And I'd list the standards addressed in the information.

Then at the bottom I planned to have an activity (kind of like a homework worksheet) to assess their understanding of one of the topics that the kids could complete and bring back to me for some small sort of prize. Basically so I can see how many people were actually reading the info. Activities would be different for the different grades (maybe a word search for 3rd grade, circle the picture type thing for K).

I had started one for August over the summer but I can't find it. It's probably on my home computer. If/when I find it, I'll link it.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
We don't even do our own screenings! The Health Department comes in and does them. In the spring. (that is a whole other level of frustration)

I have no frustrations with that, I pull the folders and bam, I'm done. Might want to check with my wife if she gets lucky enough to deal with that this time.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..
I have no frustrations with that, I pull the folders and bam, I'm done. Might want to check with my wife if she gets lucky enough to deal with that this time.

I'm not frustrated about the HD doing the screenings. I'm frustrated about them not being done until the spring. We are going to let a child go through 7 months of school before we check vision and hearing. What if we could have helped that child succeed by finding out that he needed glasses or a referral to audiology but now, he's failing and frustrated and doesn't understand that the whole world doesn't literally see the way he sees?

I'll get off my soapbox now, but this is something I have personally had a hand in - changing a child's world by helping get glasses.

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