VENT!!!! (you've been warned)

Heidi the nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 22, 2011

Don't bother with talking to your boss. You need to go to your state school nurse organization and have their legislative committee work on getting the law rescinded. We in Washington State just got it rescinded last year, but it took several years of lobbying our state's representatives.

BunnyBunnyBSNRN, ASN, BSN · Apr 25, 2011

What happens if you don't do it?

I've thought alot about this question since you posed it. I've come up with the following answer:

I can't believe that not doing a state mandated screening would be any less than not following a doctor's order. While there are circumstances that I have not given a med when ordered, there were very specific reasons for doing so (not giving a cardiac drug when the patient was bradycardic, etc). The fact is, I am frightened of the Texas State Board of Nursing - the states mandates I do the screening, I do it. I dont' have to agree with it. I can actively fight against - contact the Texas School Nurses Association, etc - but until the mandate is repealed, I will perform the screening.

shellfrmmo, ASN, BSN, MSN, CNA, LPN, LVN, RN · Apr 25, 2011

I agree. I am not gonna lose my license just to save a days work

Heidi the nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2011

Several years ago I was trying to figure out a way to encourage my principals to exclude children for something (don't remember exactly what - I think it was incomplete immunizations). I was hoping there was a financial ding attached to it so they would have some reason to view it as seriously as I did. I asked out district's head nurse - she said there is no penalty for it, and the only time the subject would ever come up would be with an audit of the district. And even in that case there wouldn't be financial penalties.

I am not sure if that is the reason for bergren's question (and I am making a big leap in thinking I am quite familiar with that name from NASN :) ).

shellfrmmo, ASN, BSN, MSN, CNA, LPN, LVN, RN · Apr 26, 2011

Also- who is this US Preventative Services Task Force anyway? Is this someone that mandates School Nursing Process? Are we legally supposed to be following their guidelines? I can't find anywhere that we are???? All I can see is that

" The USPSTF is an independent panel of non-Federal experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine and is composed of primary care providers"

I also found out that it is voluntary in Missouri but our school district has it in their plan that they are going to do it. So until that changes- we will do it.