Teachers going behind my back

[dennysbfly]

O.K. so this may not seem like a big deal, but it really gets me. I am the school nurse for two schools with a total of 563 students. We have several teachers (mostly lower grades) who will send kids to my office and when I send them back, because in my professional opinion they dont need to go home, the teachers call home and tell their parents that they are sick and need to go home. The worse part is when the parents show up thinking there kids are in the clinic and I don't know anything about it.

Really though...If you're going to do it your way anyway, than why send them to me? This happens on a daily basis.

Any suggestions????:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

I have been dealing with this all week myself. I just make them do a regular office dismissal, which is unexcused, and let the parents know that my medical opinion is that the student can remain in class. I also let the principal know that this was happening frequently, but so far that has not helped either.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

This happens at my school also ! The worst was when the teacher made the parent pick up the " sick " student 10 minutes before school is let out.

[SchoolNurseBSN]

I have started showing them documentation (district policy, nasn guidelines, department of health guidelines, etc). Sometimes, I feel that teachers think we just pull this stuff out of our ***. One teacher even said "oh, I didn't know there was guidelines or criteria you had to follow."

I often have documentation that I highlight and send back to the teacher! I sort of know which teachers will disagree with my opinion - so I stay prepared!

[Artistyc1]

Our principal has been very helpful in this issue. His take is that "You are the medical professional in our building, and if, in your opinion, it is safe for a child to remain in school, and the district guidelines are followed, it is your decision". There have been a few discussions with teachers that are not happy with my decision, but they are the ones that always want children removed any time they are bothering someone. No one has gone over my head yet in the last 4 years I have been here. I have had to explain to many of the paraprofessionals , though, that "my job is not to send kids home, necessarily, but to determine if it is safe for them to remain!" I get more hassles from the paras in my school than I have ever gotten from the teachers- the paras usually have decided exactly what they expect me to do before they bring the child to me. I get tired of explaining the same rationale over and over. Some behave as if I just make this stuff up as I go along, LOL! :banginghead: