Thankless job

[Purple_Scrubs]

OK, I am having a bad day, so bear with me here. I realize that I have been in school nursing most of my nursing career, so I have little to compare it to, but this just seems to be the most thankless job ever! I feel so unappreciated for all that I do and try to do for these kids. I am nowhere near perfect, but I KNOW I do a good job and that I do right by these kids. Is it asking too much to hear it every now and then??? I don't need a parade or anything, but a simple "thank you" would sure be nice to hear, at least once in a blue moon.

I guess I should say that I do get frequent pats on the back from my supervisors in the health dept., but as far as from teachers, campus administration, parents, etc....they just do not seem to appreciate anything that I try to do. Parents are the worst! The kids don't even say thanks most of the time, but they are kids so I can forgive that. Where is the gratitude from the ADULTS who should know better?

I think I am just having a bad week (month?) and sort of missing the more traditional fields of nursing. When I worked on an adult cardiac step down unit, my patients were generally grateful for my care. Some not so much, but some were so appreciative that I remember them to this day, and that was years ago. I am also a little bored, which does not help matters. It has been pretty slow around here since the last wave of H1N1 died down, and I know I should be thankful for that, but when you see 8 kids a day for a few days in a row it starts to get dull around here! Sure, there is paperwork to catch up on and other things I can do, but I want PATIENT CARE!!! I need to feel like I am doing something. I am just really frustrated right now and maybe a little burned out. Need a vacation, change of scenery, PRN job....something!!!

Just had to vent to people who understand. For those of you who have worked in many areas of nursing, do you feel that we as school nurses are especially unappreciated? Maybe part of it is that we are in the world of education and not the medical world, I dunno. Thoughts?

[bergren]

It is early in the year to be this burned out. Please take care of yourself.

Look into alternative sources for funding the radio:

- PTA mini grant

- Local Hospital auxilary grant

- Rotary, Lions, Kiwanas, Junior League, America Association of University Women

- Your local American Academy of Pediatrics chapter

- March of Dimes

- Find the radio you want and ask the retailer to donate it - if not donate, discount it

Search the foundation center: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/

Search Center for Health and Health Care for Schools healthy schools Grant Alert:

http://www.healthinschools.org/News-Room/Grant-Alerts.aspx

[NurseCard, ADN]

How far do you drive to work, Purple? I have decided to pursue school nursing, but the nearest job currently available is probably about an hour or more away from me.

Where do you live? I'll take your job. =)

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Thank you, Purple Scrubs!

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

I am in North Texas, and it is a 50 minute drive for me (barring any accidents), and it is pretty much all Interstate, which sounds great but I hate driving on the highways.

I am feeling better about things so far this week. I bought some nursing review books to break up the boredom, and even a GRE prep book. As far as appreciation, who needs that...I KNOW I do a good job, even if I am the only one who knows it!

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

i am in north texas, and it is a 50 minute drive for me (barring any accidents), and it is pretty much all interstate, which sounds great but i hate driving on the highways.

i am feeling better about things so far this week. i bought some nursing review books to break up the boredom, and even a gre prep book. as far as appreciation, who needs that...i know i do a good job, even if i am the only one who knows it!

i sooooo agree with you !

praiser

[Artistyc1]

Part of it is the pace. I hate to sit still for too long, and I really don't like being chained to the desk (I left the corporate world for just that reason). I do not have a radio, so I have to stay pretty close to my office, and I have been asking for that radio for years. I try and get out and into the classrooms as much as possible, and I do make it a point to walk to go get kids for screening, meds, etc. Things are just really slow right now and I am downright bored! I know that is a blessing in school nursing, and I know that there are special projects and that sort of thing I could be working on, but it is hard to get motivated to do those "extra" things when the day to day stuff is not really appreciated. Besides all that mess, the long commute is still getting to me, like I posted about a while back.

I am currently looking at PRN jobs, and I am going to do some shadowing in the ER over Thanksgiving break, so maybe that little change of scenery will do me some good. I don't think I ever want to get my feet completely out of school nursing, but maybe subbing for a year and doing something else might do me some good.

As far as surveying the parents, I had not considered that. I think I am afraid of what they would say, LOL! As most of us know, the majority of parents and teachers have no clue what we actually do on a daily basis. It is something I will consider, though!

I don't mean to belittle what I think are legitimate complaints you have about your job, but if you are looking for "thank you's" and "kudos", you are NOT likely to get them in the hospital, either. Hospitals have become VERY "customer oriented" these days, and the customer is ALWAYS right, no matter what the issue. They are competing for the dwindling health care dollar, and the customer is becoming VERY savvy and DEMANDING. I worked for 26 years in various hospital settings, and not only worked harder than I ever imagined I would have to, got pretty sick of being called on the carpet because I didn't bring the apple juice quickly enough-never mind the death that occurred at the same time down the hall! I often felt myself to be in "no win" situations. I felt as though I had won the lottery when I got this job almost 7 years ago. Think long and hard about your decision, because I would rather be not "appreciated and thanked" as a school nurse, than "not appreciated and thanked" in a hospital job. Be VERY careful with your decision, as school nurse jobs are not easy to land.

[Artistyc1]

PS; Even on my worst days in my office at school, I always remind myself that it was still better than being on the night shift, in charge of labor and delivery, the on call doc has not called me back, a baby is tolerating labor poorly, there have been several call in's, and it is a full moon and all the beds are full. Also, did I mention that it is NY Eve?

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

ps; even on my worst days in my office at school, i always remind myself that it was still better than being on the night shift, in charge of labor and delivery, the on call doc has not called me back, a baby is tolerating labor poorly, there have been several call in's, and it is a full moon and all the beds are full. also, did i mention that it is ny eve? [/quot[/size][/size]

good food for thought !

praiser :heartbeat

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

Yes, I think anything is better than night shift (which is a major reason I left the hospital setting). I am an early bird, my internal clock wants me asleep by 9pm and up by 5am, so I was a zombie on nights. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it!

I know that nursing in general is a pretty thankless job. I don't know if it was just my particular hospital or what, but I remember that for the most part my patients were grateful for the care (cardiac step-down unit). Many were ambivalent, but I do recall getting a heartfelt "thank you" almost every shift, especially after I had the same pt for a few nights in a row and I was going to be off for a few days.

It really is the lack of appreciation by the adults around me that wears me down. Teachers think all I do is pass out bandaids, and want me to call home for every runny nose and deal with every non-medical complaint (sleepy is not a medical issue, unless other symptoms present!) Parents either ream me for sending their kid home for "no reason" (100 fever and flu like s/s) or ream me for not calling them for Little Darling's headache (no fever and playing in my office the whole time). I know, these are things we all deal with every day!

On the other hand, today I got hugs, one when the kiddo came in to say hi, and another when he left :) That does make it all seem pretty worthwhile!

[Artistyc1]

Oh, DO I EVER hear you! The adults that have NO idea that we have as much (often more) education than they have, and yet, they can't "relate". No matter how many times I reiterate "my job is to keep the child in school, providing it is safe to do so". They want everyone to just go home with the first sign of a cough! I got to where I ask staff "a cold takes 7-10 days to go away. Can YOU stay home for 7-10 days? I thought not. So why should he and his mother stay home for 7-10 days? " It doesn't always stick, some of the less educated staff always has some reason that THEY would have certainly stayed home with their child if they were sick. However, I have never been all that impressed with the staff work ethic I witness in my building.....

[schoolnurse09]

PS; Even on my worst days in my office at school, I always remind myself that it was still better than being on the night shift, in charge of labor and delivery, the on call doc has not called me back, a baby is tolerating labor poorly, there have been several call in's, and it is a full moon and all the beds are full. Also, did I mention that it is NY Eve?

BOY, YOU ARE NOT KIDDING !!!! I remind myself of that L&D stress and how much I DO NOT miss it almost daily !

[NO1_2NV]

love the cold issue. i generally smile at the teacher and say "3 days coming, 3 days here, and 3 days going". it is a bit of a way of saying "the child doesn't have a fever, but a little runny nose and it is okay for them to be in school and oh, by the way, they are going to be this way for a week or so." it also helps explain to a child why after gargling with a bit of warm salt water and blowing their nose they are not miraculously cured.

anyway, hang in there. when i get into these kinds of moods i generally visit the special ed. class rooms. we have a number of special needs children and i generally visit the room to find out if their needs are being met. while i am there i get many smiles and hugs. when i leave the room i am reminded that the reason i do school nursing is to help children stay in the classroom so that they too can succeed and the special needs kids remind me of this.

thank you so much for what you do purple_scrubs and thank you school nurses.

hugs,

no1_2nv