Two different kinds of parents...

[momto5RN]

Please tell me I am not alone on this!! I'm ready to pound my head on the desk!!

So I seem to have two kinds of parents that I deal with. One is the kind of parent that is overbearing, over paranoid, wants to be called for every cut, bump, runny nose, fart, etc. The next parent is the lackadaisical kind, easily annoyed, forgetful parents. And it seems that a lot of those second kind of parents are nurses themselves or are in the medical field!!

I had a kindergarten student all last week bring medication to me after lunch saying that he was supposed to take his allergy med after lunch. He had very swollen, watery, red eyes. I spoke with mom who is also a nurse (dad is a nurse too) stating that he cannot have medication in his backpack, we need a doctor's order, etc, etc. She argued with me about it. I said it is the exact same as her giving a medication to a patient without an order. She was clearly annoyed by this. But how is this my fault?! I sent home a letter with instructions about needing the med order and to supply the medication because we don't stock meds. at my school. I made a copy for the principal so she is aware and I sent home two copies of the med form that is also on the school website. The student still came in that entire week with the medication and no order form!!! Here is the best part, today he came in with the medication form but no medicine!!

And here is an example of the overbearing parent. Yesterday, third grader was hit in the head with a ball on a field trip. I was not on the trip but upon arriving back to the school, the teacher sent him to me to check out his face. He had swelling near his eye. Notified mom who was alerted already by text from a parent on the trip (which drives me nuts when parents do that!) and she says to me, should I get him an x-ray. The kid was fine, alert, oriented, recalled what happened, no c/o nausea, dizziness, etc. This is also the same parent who told me to not hesitate to call 911 if his temperature went to 101 when I called to tell her one day his temp was 100.

Who is ready for summer break?!?! I definitely am!!

[KKEGS, MSN, RN]

I was JUST having this conversation today with my health aide! You are not alone!

[schoolnurse61]

So ready for break! Today i had a father come to me very irate! Child was sent home yesterday w suspected pink eye which has been running rampant in my school. The child had a well child visit today to complete immunizations so it was not an unnecessary extra visit w added co-payment etc. Dad threw the doctors note in my face and accused me of being incompetent to diagnose pink eye. Told him i don't diagnose just report symptoms which was a red eye w exudate. Dad threatened to call the superintendent if i call him one more time this school year. Told him i couldn't guarantee that i wouldn't call him if his children were ill or injured and that he may call the super if he feels so inclined to do so. could tell the minute he showed up at my door that things weren't going to go good. As a result i sent an email to my principal that i will never meet with that parent alone again as i felt very threatened by his actions. His whole point was to show me that i was wrong and that his child didn't have pink eye. Most parents would be happy about this. Some days you just can't win!

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

I saw this thread title and immediately read it is as "A Tale of Two Parents."

But momto5RN, I feel you. I think we have been there. I've been yelled at by a parent in a meeting I asked the principal to join us for. Luckily, the principal and I are on the same page.

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

I am fortunate to only have a handful of parents that are adversarial. I have one father who literally scowls every time he sees me. His son, the one with a toothache for 3 months that was not dealt with, came to me after being hit in the mouth, but, of course he only tells me his mouth hurts. Ends up a student hit him. I had 6 deep students at the time and I gave him an ice cube to suck on which he did for a minute then left. He is the reason I MUST email every visit. If anyone should be doing the scowling, it is me.

[NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Anyone seen the hybrid, "call me every time but I have a disconnected number" parents? What even? Or "call me every time but get annoyed with every call as I realize my kid is a FF"?

Some days I just sit at my desk and laugh at the ridiculous people I encounter.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

I am fortunate to only have a handful of parents that are adversarial. I have one father who literally scowls every time he sees me. His son, the one with a toothache for 3 months that was not dealt with, came to me after being hit in the mouth, but, of course he only tells me his mouth hurts. Ends up a student hit him. I had 6 deep students at the time and I gave him an ice cube to suck on which he did for a minute then left. He is the reason I MUST email every visit. If anyone should be doing the scowling, it is me.

Ugh. I'm sure someone saw that incident, did they think to follow-up/though on it besides just sending the student to you without any background?

Or course, that is rhetorical, because I have been sent students like that more than a few times. The second I hear "someone hit me or I hit someone else" or any variation, I make that kid sit and not leave until I can loop in our Dean of Students. But if they don't share. Ugh.

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

YES!! I had to call on one head injury who was c/o h/a and neck pain yesterday and dad interrupted me and said "Is he bleeding? (No) Is he conscious?" (Yes) "Good, tell him to shake it off."

Sir, while I appreciate you not overreacting, I still have to do my job and let you know my assessment.

Then another head bump parent the same day, not a mark to be seen and mom was FREAKING out. Ugh.

[WineRN]

Anyone seen the hybrid, "call me every time but I have a disconnected number" parents? What even? Or "call me every time but get annoyed with every call as I realize my kid is a FF"?

Some days I just sit at my desk and laugh at the ridiculous people I encounter.

That is what I was thinking when I first read this thread!

When I first was hired, I had a mother come in and scream at me for not calling her about her daughter (who was suffering from Status dramatacus). So I started to call every time, and after 2 weeks she came in and told me she had a long talk with her daughter about only seeing me for life threatening things. lol

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

You are not alone!

I have two parents with whom I will never have a conversation without a third party present. One's kid is here right now and I had to call her. Perfectly pleasant. It's like she didn't yell at me and call me incompetent and complain to the superintendent two months ago! But then I keep reminding myself that 1) I do my job every day not to please parents but to be the best nurse I can be; and 2) every day is a new day.

Hang in there. Summer is coming. (Said in my best George RR Martin/Sean Bean voice.)

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

That is what I was thinking when I first read this thread!

When I first was hired, I had a mother come in and scream at me for not calling her about her daughter (who was suffering from Status dramatacus). So I started to call every time, and after 2 weeks she came in and told me she had a long talk with her daughter about only seeing me for life threatening things. lol

BWHAHAHAHA!!!

[SaltineQueen]

I'm fortunate to have pretty great parents, for the most part. Sure there's some I want to throat punch every now & then...and there's some that I'm sure I've irritated on occasion. I've not (yet) had one chew me out. I really don't know what I would do. I need to work on my diplomacy, because my first instinct would probably be to tell the person off.

I hate when there are split custody arrangements & parents are telling the kid different things. One says they can't come to me unless they're dying. The other says they'll come get the kid if they sneeze. I can't keep track of whose "day" it is.