Teachers undermining your decision/going behind your back and sending kids home

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Hi all,

I am at the moment very frustrated with the teachers in my school. Just a little background, I am the sole nurse with no help or aid, to a school of 801 elementary school students (Grades 1-6).

I understand that we are in flu season at this moment, but I can not send every kid home! Teachers have gone behind my back to send kids home during my lunch. I have had kids sent up, packed up and ready to go, with a note from the teacher saying "send them home." They have gotten nasty with me.

For example, today a student and his father came in. The student had a toothache with some mild swelling to his face. He said that the student had a dentist appointment today but he would like him to try and stay in school today since he missed so much school this year. The student agreed to try but also that he would come if it was uncomfortable.

Well, the teacher called me, screaming that this was ridiculous. How could a parent possibly send their kid to school with a toothache! And I said listen, if he's in pain and wants to go home send him down. I hear nothing from that teacher for the next 1.5 hours, only to find out that the school psychologist and teacher are calling the parent with her cell phone! She comes down to me saying that the dad is not answering the phone call and asks if I have a different number to call. I call the parent, dad picks up, and I ask him to pick the student up. The school psychologist then takes the phone and proceeds to give him advice about why he can not be in school.

I'm just thinking...what am I? Some joke? Am I just being insecure about this?? These are just one of many instances where some teachers have gone behind my back to get the kid home! Any advice??

I've also gotten requests from teachers to send letters home because the one student won't stop wearing his favorite jeans every day. They thought it was gross and unhygienic so the nurse should get involved. Not for nothing, but we do work in a district where a lot of these students get reduced or free lunches... what if the parents just can't afford nice new pants?! The pants looked perfectly fine to me and did not smell!

Having a really tough first year......

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Specializes in kids.

Wow!! That is way over the line! You need back up from admin and using the "impact on learning" approach should hopefully get their attention.

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i tried to get admin involved and basically the only advice i got was that i need to address the teachers one by one myself.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I have dealt with this same issue. You could do a couple of things. 1) I remind the teachers that if a child is sent home sick but is not cleared specifically by the health office the absence is considered unexcused. 2) I remind the teachers that we need appropriate documentation of ALL illnesses or injuries for liability reasons. If an illness or injury turns into a big deal that teacher is liable because the student was not assessed by the nurse. 3) You could get a little bit nasty right back and offer to come teach their classes for them or change a student's grade because, after all, if they think they are qualified to do your job then you'd like to give back and do their job.

I myself have taken options 1 and 2. I haven't had to resort to option 3 yet.

I will also add that I did have a teacher tell me she thought she was helping me out by sending home a kid who was obviously sick because she didn't want to waste my time by sending them to me. She knows I have a lot of other work to do. I thanked her for the thought but nicely reminded her that dealing with sick kids, obvious or not, is my job after all and I WANT to actually be the one who does it. I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I've said on other similar posts that, if you, the school nurse, are not involved in any incident associated with student health, your principal and associated staff are professionally and personally responsible for any negative outcomes. My principal is aware of this and doesn't want to have anything to do with it. This problem does not exist on my campus. If, after you inform your principal of this liability, he/she is ok with it, then you can't do anything about it; not your problem or concern after that.

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Sounds as if you came upon one of the reasons there was a job opening here for you to fill. What a shame to have to work under such circumstances.

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Do you have a list of conditions that are excludable for your district? If so, I sure would make a copy for them. Then, I would explain that anyone sent home by them outside those parameters should be documented really well to hold up when parent wants them to stand up for them in truancy court!!

As Old Dude stated, your principal is ultimately the driver of their building. If he/she allows this from the staff, then they are also taking the responsibility for any negative outcomes.

This happens sometimes at my school. I do my education to staff and admin. At the end of the day, I cannot control what other adults in the building decide to do. At some point, it will bite them in the butt and I will just smile to myself!

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The kids that are being sent home behind my back are the students that have already been checked out and cleared to stay in school. They take upon themselves to find a different way to get the kid home. At the beginning of the school year, teachers were urging me to send kids with mild stomachaches home. No vomiting, no diarrhea..playing! with the occasional 'my tummy hurts.' They will persistently send the kids up.. at first i'd send them home, only to hear parents say that their child went home ate, played, and was perfectly fine! I sent a school wide email asking them to trust my professional judgement. Needless to say, I don't have any friends here.

I have also had teachers tell parents at pick up to keep their kid home the next day. When the student is out, then returns, the teacher sends them right back into my office saying they were sick yesterday so they can't be in school today. But in fact, they stayed home because the teacher told the parents to keep them home!! They make stuff up saying that the student went home with a fever..which my response is, "NO I checked their temperature yesterday, they did not have a fever. I sent them home because you were so adamant that the student was not acting like himself."

I guess I will have to start taking the being nasty route.

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The kids that are being sent home behind my back are the students that have already been checked out and cleared to stay in school. They take upon themselves to find a different way to get the kid home. At the beginning of the school year, teachers were urging me to send kids with mild stomachaches home. No vomiting, no diarrhea..playing! with the occasional 'my tummy hurts.' They will persistently send the kids up.. at first i'd send them home, only to hear parents say that their child went home ate, played, and was perfectly fine! I sent a school wide email asking them to trust my professional judgement. Needless to say, I don't have any friends here.

I have also had teachers tell parents at pick up to keep their kid home the next day. When the student is out, then returns, the teacher sends them right back into my office saying they were sick yesterday so they can't be in school today. But in fact, they stayed home because the teacher told the parents to keep them home!! They make stuff up saying that the student went home with a fever..which my response is, "NO I checked their temperature yesterday, they did not have a fever. I sent them home because you were so adamant that the student was not acting like himself."

I guess I will have to start taking the being nasty route.

Why is your principal even wasting money on a nurse if he /she allowing his teachers to make all of the medical decisions?? Do you have a Nursing Director?

Maybe they need a few years of no nurse at all to teach them a lesson!!

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schoolnursetxstyle, THANK YOU. That's what I would like to say too! And sadly no, we have no nursing director. It's just us three school nurses in this tiny district.

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schoolnursetxstyle, THANK YOU. That's what I would like to say too! And sadly no, we have no nursing director. It's just us three school nurses in this tiny district.

Sounds like you are in a toxic situation and there is no winning there. Sorry it has to be that way!!!!

Obviously attendance and learning are NOT a priority at your school. Just sad!!! In the long run, they are doing these kids a big disservice.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I hear ya...all you can do is inform your principal of what is going on; but do it by email. If your principal condones it your principal gets to hold the bag but the documentation is there. Really, don't get caught up in it. It took me a couple years to get this to stop on my campus; even after the the staff was instructed to stop, they would find ways to contact a friend to contact a friend to insulate them from direct involvement.

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