This vent is pretty common but I am wondering if anyone else has had this experience with the teachers or other staff at their school.
I am a new school nurse this year and I am also relatively young-- in my late 20's. I'm not married and I don't have any children. I noticed pretty quickly that a lot of the teachers who ARE parents tend to undermine my judgment when it comes to the calls I make and the care I provide. A few examples:
1) A third grade student came to my office c/o nausea. No fever, ate breakfast. I let her rest for a few minutes and she said she was feeling better. Off she went, through the main office to the cafeteria because it was faster that way. Well, one of the secretaries comes in and says "you can't just let sick kids parade through the office. I don't want to get sick." or something to that effect. I explained to her that the student wasn't sick, afebrile, etc and her response was "I'm a mom. I can tell when a kid is sick and that kid had no business walking around the office."
I had NO idea having a child automatically made you an RN! I could have saved a lot of money by skipping college and just getting pregnant!
2) A second grader with a previously sustained broken arm was c/o pain. I administered Tylenol as per our standing medicine orders and gave her an ice pack. I also called mom and she was satisfied with my treatment. About an hour later, her teacher came bursting into my office like the Kool-Aid man demanding to know "what else could be done" about the pain the student was complaining about because "whatever I did earlier wasn't helping." I explained to the teacher that I gave the student a PRN dose of Tylenol and an ice pack. I called mom and other than that, there really wasn't much else to be done. The teacher then asked if she could have a second dose of Tylenol and I said no. She said "Well, if it was my child I would just give her another dose. The first one didn't work."
I fear for her child's liver.
I don't get it! I understand that having a child is great experience with all the illness and booboos that come with childhood. What I don't understand is why these teachers are acting like their parenting skills somehow overpower my 4 years of college, bachelor's degree, national licensure and almost 4 years of experience. Maybe it's because I am a little younger than the previous nurse at my school (like 35 years younger...) or maybe they just assume I am inexperienced with ALL nursing because I am new to the school. Whatever. All I do know is if I busted into their classroom (OH YEAH) and started telling them how to teach multiplication or run the front office, I would be escorted off the premises faster than you can say "Acute hepatic failure r/t acetaminophen overdose"
I'm done now. The school day is over and I have my childless house to get to...
Had a teacher come to me this week to ask about what to do with the knot in her deltoid after a Tetorifice shot she received in the ER a few days before . . . yes, I palpated her arm and yes there was a large knot. I suggested ice and if she was really concerned, to call her physician's office and ask. I also said it is a fairly common occurrence.
Then a day a later another teacher came up to me to tell me he told a teacher to ask me about a knot in her arm after a Tetorifice shot. I told him I already talked with her.
Yes, we are the medical expert in many cases. In my own family, I get texts and calls from nieces and cousins and siblings and in-laws.
Had a teacher come to me this week to ask about what to do with the knot in her deltoid after a Tetorifice shot she received in the ER a few days before . . . yes, I palpated her arm and yes there was a large knot. I suggested ice and if she was really concerned, to call her physician's office and ask. I also said it is a fairly common occurrence.
Then a day a later another teacher came up to me to tell me he told a teacher to ask me about a knot in her arm after a Tetorifice shot. I told him I already talked with her.
Yes, we are the medical expert in many cases. In my own family, I get texts and calls from nieces and cousins and siblings and in-laws.
Part of being in the medical field.
I agree, but this helplessness is just so off putting sometimes.
I agree, but this helplessness is just so off putting sometimes.
I saw her walking down the hallway today and asked about it. She said it went down by half the very next day and was just a small bump this morning. Of course, I had to palpate.
I have a similar statement and it has helped. Also at the end of every other month I send out an e-mail to all teachers with the number of students from their class that has been in the nurse's office for that month. It really gets the teachers talking.
Love to see I am not alone in my frustrations! I love the way the teachers try to use me as their primary care. Elementary ones are the worst. The high schools are much better.
Love to see I am not alone in my frustrations! I love the way the teachers try to use me as their primary care. Elementary ones are the worst. The high schools are much better.
i think the thing that gets me is that even before i was a nurse, I had a basic grasp of first aid and logic when it came to certain matters of healthcare. I mean i already knew what to do for basic cuts and scrapes and bloody noses. these things in particular really taught in any class - it's not like we had nosebleed day in school nursing 1. Common sense, people!!
The other thing is when we get treated like we're supposed to be walking talking medical encyclopedias. Now in the day and age of the interwebs, i know that people can google whatever malady they want - yet at least once a week or so someone will walk in and say "What you you know about (fill in the name of the obscure condition)?" I'll say not too much, have you looked it up? when they say yes, i'll say to them "Well, I guess you know more than me about that one"
i think the thing that gets me is that even before i was a nurse, I had a basic grasp of first aid and logic when it came to certain matters of healthcare. I mean i already knew what to do for basic cuts and scrapes and bloody noses. these things in particular really taught in any class - it's not like we had nosebleed day in school nursing 1. Common sense, people!!
The other thing is when we get treated like we're supposed to be walking talking medical encyclopedias. Now in the day and age of the interwebs, i know that people can google whatever malady they want - yet at least once a week or so someone will walk in and say "What you you know about (fill in the name of the obscure condition)?" I'll say not too much, have you looked it up? when they say yes, i'll say to them "Well, I guess you know more than me about that one"
This really gets to me too! How is it that you think I know everything about any possible medical condition or medication out there?
SchoolNurseTXstyle
566 Posts
What would these adults do if they worked in the real world? There are no nurses available at a regular job. Maybe a help yourself 1st aid kit!