Vomiting policy

Specialties School

Published

In my school's handbook it says students who have been vomiting need to be kept home for 24 hours from the last bout of vomiting. My nurse supervisor said this is meant as kids who have a stomach virus and cannot stop vomiting. This is not about kids who throw up once (not including kids who throw up food). At my school certain teachers are super strict about this policy. It doesn't matter if it is mucus they must go home and if they come back to school the next day they send them down to my office to be sent home. I always give a parents a call to let them know and ask them if they want them to finish out the day or if they want to pick them up. How do other school policy's work and I am I in the wrong? If a child doesn't have any other symptoms I don't see why we should send them home.

SullyRN said:
I'm mean... I make them puke more than once. If they come to me and say "I threw up in the toilet." I usually have them eat a couple of crackers, drink water, if still no vomit I send them back to class. I always say "If you throw up again, come see me... and make sure someone see's you throw up!" Now if they have a fever with the one time vomit I will send them home. When I was in high school I would vomit at least twice a week in the morning due to sinus drainage. That's what a lot of the kiddos do here as well. Eat a cracker, dry it up, move on.

I do that as well. If I think it was a fly by puke, I have them lie(lay) down for 10 minutes, if no further puking occurs, back to class.

I do this mostly with the smiling pukers, trying to miss math.

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I get a lot of "i threw up in my mouth" - which i tend to equate to "i took a deep breath and cleared out a mouthful of phlegm, can i go home for that?"

Specializes in kids.
Flare said:
I get a lot of "i threw up in my mouth" - which i tend to equate to "i took a deep breath and cleared out a mouthful of phlegm, can i go home for that?"

I will write you a note if you will write me a note, then we can get outta here!

Specializes in ICU, Adventures in school nursing.

Bwahhahaha...(insert evil laugh). The expression on a teacher's face when I've just sent a kid who threw up back to class... Seriously though, the kid just ate a double portion lunch, spent 25 minutes on "that spinny thing" at recess. Most likely not the dreaded stomach bug. But when I am wrong... I always get the snarky "I knew it. He should've gone home."

Been there! Had a student a while back who had a stomach ache. He rested for about 30 mins, had crackers. Used the bathroom and procalaimed "I feel better!" back to class where he proceeded to barf the second he entered the room. Teacher was not happy!

Whoopsie...:geek:

Specializes in Critical Care.
Farawyn said:
Beautiful. Those are some righteous dots.

I love me some dots. Dots good.

Specializes in School nursing.
Farawyn said:
I do that as well. If I think it was a fly by puke, I have them lie(lay) down for 10 minutes, if no further puking occurs, back to class.

I do this mostly with the smiling pukers, trying to miss math.

I read this and then in a Mrs. Doubtfire voice heard: "It was a run-by-vomit!"

NutmeggeRN said:
I will write you a note if you will write me a note, then we can get outta here!

This kind of reminds me of what I told one of my very well known upper middle school frequent flyers yesterday...(Let me preface this with a little background information. I have been sick since the end of last week with a respiratory infection and still didn't feel like being at school. But, my son is having his wisdom teeth out tomorrow and I hated to miss another day of school this week.) Soooo, Mr. FF comes to me for the second time yesterday with lame complaints.

My response: "Well, I'm not feeling very well today either. So, let's just suck it up and survive the day."

Now granted, I do love my students and my job and I wouldn't say this to very many of my little lovelies, but, this is one I can say it to, annnnd wellll... I did :cheeky:

GatezRN said:
Bwahhahaha...(insert evil laugh). The expression on a teacher's face when I've just sent a kid who threw up back to class... Seriously though, the kid just ate a double portion lunch, spent 25 minutes on "that spinny thing" at recess. Most likely not the dreaded stomach bug. But when I am wrong... I always get the snarky "I knew it. He should've gone home."

"SNARKY"... I love that description. :blink:

Farawyn said:
I do that as well. If I think it was a fly by puke, I have them lie(lay) down for 10 minutes, if no further puking occurs, back to class.

I do this mostly with the smiling pukers, trying to miss math.

Great descriptions of puke! Making us all have a little chuckle, and we KNOW EXACTLY what Farawyn is talking about!! ?

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
Farawyn said:
I do that as well. If I think it was a fly by puke, I have them lie(lay) down for 10 minutes, if no further puking occurs, back to class.

I do this mostly with the smiling pukers, trying to miss math.

Why do they all want to miss math? Our math specialist is soooo sensitive to this, she is easily offended.

MrNurse(x2) said:
Why do they all want to miss math? Our math specialist is soooo sensitive to this, she is easily offended.

She'll live.

Math sux. Better she learn that now.

(Kidding. Sorta.)

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