Teachers with Pink Eye?

bergren · Apr 24, 2009

The American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book says any child old enough to wash hands and not touch eyes can stay in school if they feel well enough. So the same would apply to an adult.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Apr 24, 2009

The American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book says any child old enough to wash hands and not touch eyes can stay in school if they feel well enough. So the same would apply to an adult.

Usually kids or adults with pink eye should not return to work/school until after 24 hours ointment anti-biotic have been started. So if Mrs. x has been diagnosed and started treatment for pink eye on Monday at 9am her doc shouldn't clear her to come back until Tue 9am.

Thats the policy we use, and the same should go for adults.

dennysbfly · Apr 24, 2009

In my school the principal leaves it up to my discretion. I feel as though teachers know how to keep it from spreading. I always talk to the teacher and if they want to stay. Great!! If they want to go because it's bothersome then that's great too...

Keepstanding, ASN, RN · Apr 24, 2009

we send 'em home with pink eye. the parent's would blow a gasket if they thought an infected teacher was still in class teaching. get the drops, then you can come back !

praiser :heartbeat

Artistyc1 · Apr 25, 2009

We use the Academy of Pediatrics statement. If the kid, or teacher, can wash carefully, and not rub, why send them home? It seems that the districts in our region that send kids home for pinkeye (most of which is allergic or viral, anyway, so the trip to the doctor is to just shut the school nurse up!) have no -nit policies as well. Who are we hurting most, here?

muffin7 · Apr 25, 2009

we send 'em home with pink eye. the parent's would blow a gasket if they thought an infected teacher was still in class teaching. get the drops, then you can come back !
praiser :heartbeat

my daughter (age 9) had pink eye last week. she started eye drops immediately, and missed the next two days of school. she felt crummy. her eyes looked puffy with the discharge.

pink eye is extremely contagious and the teacher should have gone home. i would have been one of these patents who would have blown a gasket!

Artistyc1 · Apr 25, 2009

It is not airborn, and you have to touch it to get it. Perhaps it was best, if your child felt crummy, to be at home. That is not always the case, and evidence based practice does not support immediately sending the child home no matter what. Some parents blow gaskets because they are going on misinformation and old wive's tales.

muffin7 · Apr 25, 2009

I just figure any time you have any type of infection you are going to not feel like yourself. When you have pink eye your eyes itch and your hands spread the infection.

The pediatrician said for my daughter to stay out of shool for atleast a day if her eyes were even red.

luvschoolnursing, LPN · Apr 25, 2009

I had pink eye last school year. Didn't respond to antibiotics, doctor felt it was viral. He said there was no problem with me going to work as long as I used good handwashing. It ended up in the other eye and my overall vision was so poor, I ended up staying home, but otherwise, I would have been at work.

muffin7 · Apr 25, 2009

I guess in adults we are more aware of not touching our eyes and then touching say a doorknob. Children at school with pink eye, that is another story. In fact I just got off the phone with another mom in my daughter's class and she said that last week there were three other children with pink eye besides my daughter (her son was one of the three).

Go figure.

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Apr 27, 2009

I went with the Academy of Pediatrics opinion on the matter. The teacher went to the doctor right after school. Based on her symptoms, I suspected viral but of course no confirmation of that yet (I have not seen her yet today). I see no reason to send a teacher home, especially since incubation is 1-3 days so he/she may have been spreading it without even knowing it. I did a lot of education on handwashing and not touching the eyes/face, and I am comfortable with that!