Temps at the door?

scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN · May 21, 2020

I do not think it is possible at all! and really not a great use of time and resources for all the reasons already mentioned in other posts. Crazy!

**CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN** · May 25, 2020

My FQHC is taking temps at the door. Here is my experience. We have two people, two thermometers. Maybe... 5-10 people coming in at a time, just a slow trickle all day long. In spite of that, there is ALWAYS a line outside. Because only one at a time can come in the foyer to get their temp checked. “Oh the thermometer didn’t read, let me do it again.” “It’s chilly outside so it’s reading Lo on everyone.” “Yours says 99.4 I need to do it again.” It is a MESS. I can not NOT even imagine 100 kids, or 50 kids, or even 20 kids, arriving at the same time. Spacing them 6’ apart while they wait their turn (so now you have a waiting area the length of a football field?). And if it’s raining hard? Snowing?

If anyone’s administrators are suggesting this, I really suggest they go visit sites and see the reality of the process. I’m not saying it’s impossible to do, but I AM saying that you can’t buy a thermometer from Walgreens, hand it to a nurse, and think the process is going to work.

Flare, ASN, BSN · May 25, 2020

Oh, no that's not what they're planning at my place at all... they're having non medicl personnel scan people with some sort of camera (flir, I suppose) where it appears you have to aim with in the inner eye. I gave them my feedback, none of it mattered... now all that's left for me to do is watch it crash and burn.

beachynurse, ASN, BSN · May 28, 2020

I don't know how we could do it. We have almost 2,000 students, and only myself and my assistant. The students come in through about 8 entrances... I see a logistical nightmare...

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · May 28, 2020

Fact (from the large children's hospital n the NTX): Most children are asymptomatic. The majority of the tiny amount of pediatric cases were incidental finds when an adult actually had COVID-19 and the kiddos (even the asthmatic ones) were remarkably well, or had allergy-like symptoms that I would find easy to discount. This is borne out in the terrible information about secondary infection coming out of NY State.

Opinion: I trust the contactless thermometers less than I trust the back of my hand because;

Fact: We did this with Ebola and got limited, if any, results.

And Fact based on long time observations: A lot of parents send kids to school during cold and flu season with a little dose of Tylenol because they've "done something" for sweet baby or they need to be called away from work as opposed to calling in - and there is absolutely ZERO judgement on my part about that. It is what it is.

What will this net you?

Now grownups - that might be worth it for me to take 65 temps instead of 650....

These are the days when I miss Old Dude. Check what your state education agency is saying about this.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2020

On 5/28/2020 at 5:53 PM, ruby_jane said:
Fact (from the large children's hospital n the NTX): Most children are asymptomatic. The majority of the tiny amount of pediatric cases were incidental finds when an adult actually had COVID-19 and the kiddos (even the asthmatic ones) were remarkably well, or had allergy-like symptoms that I would find easy to discount. This is borne out in the terrible information about secondary infection coming out of NY State.
Opinion: I trust the contactless thermometers less than I trust the back of my hand because;
Fact: We did this with Ebola and got limited, if any, results.
And Fact based on long time observations: A lot of parents send kids to school during cold and flu season with a little dose of Tylenol because they've "done something" for sweet baby or they need to be called away from work as opposed to calling in - and there is absolutely ZERO judgement on my part about that. It is what it is.
What will this net you?
Now grownups - that might be worth it for me to take 65 temps instead of 650....
These are the days when I miss Old Dude. Check what your state education agency is saying about this.

This x1000, @ruby_jane

I'm just about to dive into this at my school in prep for the fall. We aren't letting most people into the building right now until August, including staff. Just facilities and an admin every once in a while if something needs to be accessed. (May change, but is that way for now)

I have contactless thermometers. I got them for MacGill if folks are looking. I tested them against my temporal and they stood up pretty well (key is turning them on and letting them sit for 10-15 minutes to adjust to temp of the room itself).

That being said, though - I'm NOT worried about temps and kids. I've also been contact tracing and that has taught me a lot, including that many kids with confirmed COVID-19 do NOT have temps. Also acetaminophen dosing will happen.

But I suspect my state's department of education will require them this fall and I'll have to do them. So figuring out how to do that know, combined with hand washing prior to entering the building. (We are investing some portable sinks).

Next question - symptom checklist. They are doing this for daycares now and just adds to time lost at entry. Right now I'm doing the math and this will take FOREVER.

But I may have to figure it out. I'm lucky - admin does support this and is willing to step in themselves to do it with my training / handle the traffic flow.

Personally I think multiple entrances won't work and am looking at a single point of entry and how to handle the backed-up queue. Or one entry for students and a separate one specific to staff only.

And don't get me started on isolation space discussions....

Flare, ASN, BSN · Jun 3, 2020

The overall is that the state (at least MY state) is giving no guidance on this. I guess they're planning on being reactive instead of proactive. I regularly use contactless thermometers in my office. But honestly, they have a main purpose of being a little theatrics to get the malingerers who are ditching a few minutes of class to whine about a stuffy nose an "intervention".

The schools want to adopt their use because, let's face it, 85% of what they do, whether it's locked doors and intercoms, security glass, or scanning hundreds of temps per day is just a form of security theater.

I agree with all of the points raised here. I am hoping that the points raised by school nurses don't get lost in the politics of the administration and nixed with budget cuts.

shark_nurse14, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2020

At this time, my school is not considering taking temperatures upon arrival.

With the evidence that supports school aged children rarely have symptoms, including fever, we see it as a waste of time/resources.

We also have concerns about the gathering/lines of students waiting to get temps checked...we'd much rather be able to continue social distancing than make kids wait in a line and manipulate masks out of boredom and breath on each other.

Also...we all know how many students don't have a fever at drop off but miraculously have one by lunch...thank you Tylenol and Motrin.

We are working on a symptom checklist that more accurately represents students we would consider symptomatic.

As for adults in the building, we are asking them to go through the checklist for themselves (relying on a lot of integrity and accountability of our educators) prior to coming into school.

I'm sure this will all change but it's what we have for now.