Today is not a good day for me.

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Nov 17, 2016

So sorry you are dealing with anxiety. Hopefully you have some effective coping mechanisms you can use. I always tell my students to go to their favorite vacation place in their mind (I work private, everyone here vacations). Hope it is short lived.

Amethya · Nov 17, 2016

I'm just feeling pretty overwhelmed with the screenings and I'm all by myself doing them. I already went to talk with one of the admin and told her my concerns and she said she'll let the admins know at the meeting so we can figure out a way to get this done together.

Cattz, ADN · Nov 17, 2016

It sounds like you have some really good support from your admins. I am so glad you were able to have that conversation with her. Hopefully, she will help come up with a solution pretty quickly. Until then, I hope the rest of your week is at least a little less stressful. Hang in there. Check back to let us know how you are doing and if you have gotten some help with your screenings. Hugggs to you.

OldDude · Nov 17, 2016

You're holding on too tight! Student health and safety is top priority. Everything else comes 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. If no one suffers a serious injury or gets taken to the ER for some medical condition...it's a good day. To quote a line from one of my favorite movies - Stripes...Sargent Hulka, "Lighten up Frances."

You can...

RatherBHiking, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2016

I have in the past. Listen to Old Dude. School nursing should not cause you that much stress. You know what happens when the screenings are not done on time? Nothing. We've had nursing students and the Lion's Club help with our screenings before so maybe something like that can be arranged. Remember your feelings aren't facts. Also know sometimes medical reasons can cause anxiety so get a good check up if you haven't had one in a while. Give yourself some fun or relaxing down time to unwind too!

Flare, ASN, BSN · Nov 18, 2016

Do you have an early deadline to get your screenings done? I always start thinking about them around now, then realistically get them done more like March. Granted, I get a sub in to help me those days and have trained the rest of the school that on those screening days, unless it's a med or 9-1-1 worthy, i don't want to know about it. But we but through and get the whole school done in about 4 days. I've learned to wait later as the littles know more of their letters by then - but i do individual screenings for cst and referrals as needed whenever asked.

Take it all in little bites. Rome wasn't built in a day and it will all get done. Take a breath, sip your coffee and tackle it - one student at a time

Amethya · Nov 18, 2016

In Texas, if the screenings aren't done on time, isn't there a penalty?

And as an update: I feel a bit better. I just needed a good night sleep. I turn them in to the main person in charge of the medical aides, which she told us is due on Feb 1, so I got 2 months.

I'm planning to ask if we can get this company that does vision screenings for schools and get them down here to help me, while I get a sub to mind the clinic and I do hearing. Hopefully that makes things go faster and smoother, but I got to see if they like the idea. Most of the time they tell me the last nurse did it like this last time, but for me it's harder to do it like that.

OyWithThePoodles, RN · Nov 18, 2016

Here is what our district does with screenings:

Each school had ONE day where they do the whole school. We do vision, scoliosis, height, and weight.

The nurse from that school is there, and any other nurses from other schools come in their "down time", meaning time that tasks can be delegated to their front office staff.

We also have nursing students from a nearby technical school come and help and our FRC person.

Doing it this way doesn't even take the whole day, we are usually done by lunch.

By law our kids have to have a vision EXAM, not screening, and dental screening by January 1st. I am trained to do dental so I will pull in those kids in my "down time". The vision exam has to be done by an ophthalmologist.

If you are simply talking about screenings I would suggest -if you have the staff- our method. I am truly sorry for your anxiety, as someone who has an anxiety disorder I feel for you. --Side note-- I recently bought a tangle toy as when my anxiety starts my hands become uncontrollable and it has really helped.

Tangle Creations

KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN · Nov 18, 2016

I'm just feeling pretty overwhelmed with the screenings and I'm all by myself doing them. I already went to talk with one of the admin and told her my concerns and she said she'll let the admins know at the meeting so we can figure out a way to get this done together.

I'm sorry you're feeling so overwhelmed. I can relate to the stress of doing the H/V screenings by yourself. I have help on my two smaller campuses but my biggest one is just me. I keep repeating a little saying that my mom always said to me when I was freaking out about assignments in school..."It's a big task. But, you can't eat an elephant all in one bite. You have to take it one bite at a time and before you know it, it will be finished." Chin up! You can do this!

Amethya · Nov 18, 2016

Our school consists of 500+ students, K-8. I only need to do KInder, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th grade. I already did Kinder and 1st, so I'm done with them, but I'm trying to do 3rd. The problem I have is that I was suppose to do Hearing along with Vision, but because my machine wasn't calibrated until a few days ago, I wasn't able to start it altogether. So I'm worried because now I have to do twice the work and it's hard to do it by myself. I tried doing it like "the last nurse" which one of the admin told me to do it, but it's not working. She basically got like 5 kids at once, bring them to her office and did them and got them all by herself. I would try that but my room is tiny and the kids do not listen to me and then because I'm the only medical aide there, I get constant interruptions from other students knocking on my door. So I have to stop my screenings because of the student. The two people in charge of me keep telling me to do it like the last nurse, but I'm not as experienced as her, so I can't do it like her. That's what's making me worried that I won't be able to finish in time because of the two admin that won't let me do some changes in the way we do the screenings.

tamarae1 · Nov 18, 2016

Kindly remind your admins that you are not "the last nurse." I am still in my first year at this school. I have had to say that as well. I am still working on 3rd grade as well. I still have my 5th graders to do. It will happen after our Turkey Day break. Everyone else in the district is probably done with their rescreens by now, but I am not. Oh well. Next year will be better, I've learned some ways to streamline it. 4-5 third graders at one time is painful, why do you think the teacher sent them to you? She didn't want them in class either! Ha! Take a deep breath, do it the way YOU want to do it, and above all, keep work at work - don't take that stress home with you! Big hugs.