Sometimes I feel not needed..

[mrsfoster601]

Hello my fellow school nurses. Does anybody besides me feel not needed sometimes? The reason I feel this way...Ok the teachers have telephones in the classroom and sometimes I parents come up to the school saying that they got a call stating their child was sick and needed to be picked up. So the secretaries asked me did I call the parents. I'm looking like I haven't had a visit from that child all day. Come to find out, the teachers are calling from the classroom. I just feel like why am I here you don't need a nurse they have it all under control;) And when the teachers send the student up to see me with a note. The teachers would write for example: Bobby is sick check temp and call mom. I'm like ok... nurse teacher forget my assessment or opinion the decision is already made. Ok I'm done I was just wondering how some of you school nurses feel about the above.

[KKEGS, MSN, RN]

This is my first year as a school nurse and I've dealt with this before also. A quick way to nip it in the bud is to send out a school wide email reminding those "nurse teachers" that ALL children who are sent home sick MUST be excused by the health office or the child will have an unexcused absence. I had 3 teachers sending kids home behind my back but not one since I sent this type of email.

[tining, BSN, RN]

I told my teachers they would be liable for sending sick kids home on their own (purposely did not elaborate).

[kidzcare]

You will feel more than needed as soon as there is a major emergency. ie: anaphylaxis, displaced fracture, copious bleeding

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

My teachers respect my position and assessment. Since I do attendance and sign out all students, they know I would see if that happened. To be honest, I am very thankful because the teachers made these decisions before I was here. They have shown awesome professionalism in relinquishing that to me.

[SchoolNurseTXstyle]

You will feel more than needed as soon as there is a major emergency. ie: anaphylaxis, displaced fracture, copious bleeding

OR if pee, poop, or vomit (or threat of vomit) is involved. Then, you are the most needed person in the building.

OR, IF you are trying to eat lunch!!

[RatherBHiking, BSN, RN]

My principal just sent an email to staff for the same reason. A couple of our teachers were doing that. It's not their decision and it makes the office staff look stupid when the parent shows up and we have no clue. The students really did need to go home but how can I excuse a child I haven't seen then what happens when they start sending them home because they're secretly annoyed by them? Slippery slope.

Most of my staff are respectful of my decisions but it took a while to trust me. One teacher said "he never complains so he must have the flu and should go home."I assessed him and decided he could return to class. She informed me the flu was going around (really? Had no idea!) and said if he throws up in my room I'm not going to be happy. I said if he does THEN he can go home. I was praying he didn't throw up (because that has happened in the past-oops) but he didn't and was back the next day just fine.

I sent a note to the beginning of the year that I'd forgive them for sending me kids who weren't really sick if the they forgave me when I sent a kid back who ends up getting sick. It happens .

[RNqueens]

This happened to me. Student comes down as soon as the school starts c/o headache. No fever doesn't not look under the weather let them rest and return to class. I offer the student to come back around lunch time if not feeling better. Student comes down before lunch time stating that the librarian said she has to go home because she has a cold. No runny nose no coughing no sneezing no fever still. Student then proceeds to tell me the teacher text her mother to come and get her smh. I was fuming. The classroom teacher thinks something is wrong with almost all of her students everyday. She used to call my office 3-5x day in the beginning of the school year until she caught on to my annoyance. I really wonder when does she have time to teach since she is constantly playing nurse.

[foggnm]

I'm quite pleased when teachers take it upon themselves to arrange a student to go home. For one thing, a school nurse is not a provider/clinic and so the decision ultimately rest with the parent. If the teacher thinks a student is sick enough to go home, then I trust their judgement and they have done me a favor. Most of the kids that go home aren't sick in my opinion, but it isn't my decision. It is their parent's decision based on the information we provide.

[palli]

I have gone so far to do this... (bad nurse award??) I walked the "sick" child back into the offending teachers class, stating not only is he not sick, I changed his last test grade to an A, meaning he didn't fail it like you suggested he did. When the teacher looks at me cockeyed..I simply say, you are his teacher, I am his nurse...I decide if he is sick and he goes home, you teach and help him learn...are we clear?. Then the teacher needs to explain to the student how he really didn't pass the test he failed, and that is usually enough to stop them from doing my job.

[NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

This does seem to be one of those universal school nurse things. I just make sure to tell the office that they need to double check if a student was sent home by me or not--if not, the parent needs to be made aware that the absence/early dismissal is not excused. I try not to get into power struggles because frankly, I don't care enough about any power I may or may not have. If the teachers want to do all that calling around, fine. In the end it is a parent's choice.

I do agree that it is a way of undermining the nurse but like I said...meh. Any power I may have is unimportant to me.

[Running Cat Lady]

This happens to me often, they apparently know when kids are sick and I don't "Are we just keeping sick kids in school now?" But man was everyone grateful when a student had a first time seizure in class and when another kid had a vasovagal episode and everyone thought he had died (he did go spectacularly pale).

Don't fret, you are needed. They just don't want to admit it.