Staff getting overly involved

[BrisketRN]

OK, weird complaint, some of my staff is getting overly involved in COVID/illness stuff to the point that it's making my job harder.  I've found middle school teachers making their own COVID/illness spreadsheets with data on students, trying to get info from parents on COVID tests/results, and just totally massacring boundaries between teaching and nursing.  Then I have some staff who will get an email from parents that their child will be out sick.  Instead of forwarding the email to me (like I've asked) or referring the parent to me, they start giving out info saying they need to have a COVID test done.  The problem is they send it out in a confusing way or with inaccurate information THEN cc me in that email. Then I have to go back and correct what they've said.  Our policies keep changing and I'm staying on top of that, but our teaching staff is busy...ya know, teaching...so they aren't reading every single change as it happens.

I feel like a broken record sending out emails.  "Please just send well wishes and forward the email on to me."  "I am tracking all of this data centrally and will inform you if a student in your homeroom is not allowed to be in school." "I cannot give out information on a student's COVID test, alternative diagnosis, etc.  I will tell you as soon as they are cleared to return to school." "All medical information should go through me and is only shared with staff on a need-to-know basis."

I know everyone is on high alert.  I respect that everyone is scared and trying to help out, but I'm only asking them to do less.  I stay in contact with my staff.  I spend hours following up with parents.  I'm very closely tracking every illness and have a spreadsheet with all of the data NASN recommended collecting. I'm working with admin on following any trends in illness/absence.  What's the big problem?  In the past they just forwarded illness stuff to me and forgot about it.  Ugh. Vent over.

[amoLucia]

Love this ^^^^^! (Speaking of DeadSea's post.)

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

46 minutes ago, LikeTheDeadSea said:

Sometimes I'm tempted to make the bulletin board something along the lines of "Stay In Your Lane and I'll Stay In Mine."

@Flare I love reminding people that my crystal ball doesn't work in our cinderblock building.  We can only work in our current moment, based on current information.

 

 

YAASS!  Those were my exact words:  "Hey boss, I'm having some issues with the teaching staff staying in their lane."

and I totally agree with @ruby_jane - the norm of keeping kiesters in classes is out the window right now.  

[BeckyESRN]

"Doing precision guess work based on unreliable data provided by those with questionable knowledge." is even more applicable this year!

[CrazySchoolNurse, LPN]

I too work in a private school and the teachers try to get more information than need.  My principle sometime pulls the Loco parentis part of FERPA.  When that happens I just say I still can't tell you since I can't even tell their parents since we are a high school every student is over the age of 13.   HIPAA violation.  

Back to the original rant I totally get it.  My front office secretary has been told multiple times to forward all email with illness, sickness, injury.  The only time she does it is when I say something or she gets yelled at and then I flooded with email that are usually a week behind.? 

[A.A.I.]

Doesn’t it feel like they are ruining ure reputation and using ure credibility! Take this to the board or principal and have a meeting because if it doesn’t get fixed u should get a new job. That’s pretty low what is happening to u because they’re using ure credibility as evidenced by the cc in the email. I don’t know why they are taking advantage of you maybe they are jealous and that is sad. Sorry your in this situation. I don’t think they got the hint that they’re hurting your feelings either that can be scary ?. Well you will get your credit back very soon since u r not the one doing wrong. 

[guest83140]

To add to others. The nurse supervisor and district set the foundation at the beginning before school with much training- leave the contact tracing to health services. It is a HIPAA violation to expose names. These teachers are in trouble with HR rules. We have a nurse hotline, to report and track data. Our teachers don't have time to do all that. But for others, I let them know, it's highly confidential unless it involves you directly. But then the nurse hotline will instruct each person individually on what your next steps should be. I know you have nervous teachers but we have an emotional support counseling hotline for them. Our principal continues to reiterate weekly in newsletters,  that, "any COVID-19 concerns are to be directed to our campus nurses". Period.

[turtlesRcool]

I'm wondering if the root of this is that many people feel the 'official' response to the pandemic has been poorly handled.  So many of us have the feeling that we have to keep ourselves safe because the government isn't going to do it, and the teachers are letting that bleed over onto taking matters into their own hands rather than going through you.  I'm not saying it's right or even conscious on their part.  Just that much of the general public feels like this whole thing has been a big game of "whelp, good luck to ya," so people are used to DIY infection prevention.

[guest464345]

On 10/9/2020 at 12:02 PM, turtlesRcool said:

I'm wondering if the root of this is that many people feel the 'official' response to the pandemic has been poorly handled.  So many of us have the feeling that we have to keep ourselves safe because the government isn't going to do it, and the teachers are letting that bleed over onto taking matters into their own hands rather than going through you.  I'm not saying it's right or even conscious on their part.  Just that much of the general public feels like this whole thing has been a big game of "whelp, good luck to ya," so people are used to DIY infection prevention.

I think this is really insightful.  In fact, I feel that tendency within myself.  I've bought PPE for myself, and I know that teachers have too.  I don't really trust anything about what our governor has done, and I think our district means well but they're not infection control experts. Even with CDC guidance sometimes....do any of us really believe that when 20 kids are in a small classroom talking together for 90 continuous minutes with a COVID case among them, only the people within 6' are exposed?

I could easily imagine myself overstepping some time, because I don't really trust that admin knows what they're doing (and because they don't give me any idea of what they're doing).  Probably teachers feel the same way with us, rightly or wrongly.