Sub

[OhioBPH]

Tomorrow I will have a sub. I have a sub folder, which has my schedule and where the important things are etc. But I always have a rough time when I am out.

What can I do to make this smoother?

[WineRN]

I actually have a sub binder with all the following:

I have a form with all important phone extensions

Poison control #

Identify any daily meds

Anything in particular going on with a kid

Where the diabetic stuff is

The binder with emergency plans

Emergency evacuation info

Where the nebulizer is

Where supplies are and so on

We actually have a paid orientation with our subs in our office so they do not walk in cold. Too late for you for that, but maybe in the future?

I have a similar binder. I also have a page long sheet that outlines the typical day and notes on frequent fliers and a list of my 504s

[jess11RN]

We contract our subs through an agency, so I feel like I have a new person coming to my office every time I'm out.

I have a sub binder that is tabbed off for:

-general information (phone/fax number, bell schedule, names of the office staff/who to go to with questions, locations of AED machines, stock epi, IHPs, med orders, etc)

-high needs medical students with their IHPs/emergency orders

-list of my daily med students (I include their grade, med and dose and at what time they take it) and students with emergency meds (I include their grade, medication, and diagnosis) and where to find the meds/keys/etc

-list of every student with a documented health condition

-emergency plans for the building and map of the building

-bell schedule (I'm in a middle school)

-teacher phone extensions

Hope this helps :)

[RobotechTD]

Make a note for the sub of which students forget to come to the health office for medications and where they usually are when they get their meds (ex. before 1st lunch, or after 2nd grade recess). You can remind these students to remember.

[LilyRN99]

i have been a substitute. i agree with all the previous suggestions. I also had one set a keys with little colored stickers and the keyholes has corresponding stickers. Helpful esp when there are many keys. Info about frequent fliers and the meds is very helpful. The hardest part of the job is not knowing the students and having trouble finding things. Is there is a parent who wants to be called for bandaids and ice packs? Also, list the procedure for sending a child home, who in office to call, do I send the kid to the office or does the parent come to the nursing office. Are they allowed to go back to the classroom to get their belongings. For what circumstances are they allowed to skip gym?

[RobotechTD]

i have been a substitute. i agree with all the previous suggestions. I also had one set a keys with little colored stickers and the keyholes has corresponding stickers. Helpful esp when there are many keys. Info about frequent fliers and the meds is very helpful. The hardest part of the job is not knowing the students and having trouble finding things. Is there is a parent who wants to be called for bandaids and ice packs? Also, list the procedure for sending a child home, who in office to call, do I send the kid to the office or does the parent come to the nursing office. Are they allowed to go back to the classroom to get their belongings. For what circumstances are they allowed to skip gym?

I agree that it is important to have color coded keys. I was a "new" sub in a non-busy school. I had a diabetic student feeling low and tested with a BG of 20 something but all his emergency carbs were locked up. I had trouble finding out which of the zillion keys opened the cabinet. This was my first time having a diabetic with a BG below 60 so I panicked and tried to open up the cabinet with my super strength. Unfortunately, I didn't have super strength. The student casually took glucose tabs from another diabetic's supply.

[Daisy Joyce]

When assembling the sub folder, please write the timed events prominently front and center.

And the contact names and numbers for anyone in the building we can use for a resource if we have questions (usually school secretary).

Where to find the keys (if you have a separate key ring for the med keys apart from the door keys).

Where to find the MAR.

Heads up for anything you know will happen early in the shift.

Like for instance I worked in a MS where about 15 kids trooped in right after opening bell for permissions slips for water/elevator keys/lozenges. The information for the procedure, and where the permission slips were even kept were *12 pages!* into the binder (I had only gotten to page three). So there I am, trying to keep my cool as I'm unlocking cabinets, and fumbling brought many keys--the information about the keys was on page 5--while the kids were clearly having a lot of fun watching my antics, then the complaints of "I'm gonna be late!" "Why don't you try the other key?" "The permission slips are in *that* drawer" complete with sighs and giggles and eye rolling.

I finally broke down and called the regular nurse, who was not happy I called her . Her response? "The information is all there in the binder". Yeah, twelve pages in.

[tining, BSN, RN]

I used different nail polish to color my keys/locks with.