Weirdest Thing About School Nursing...

[guest464345]

I'm finishing up my third year, and now moving on to something else for a while.  I've been thinking about my school nursing experience.  I've loved the independence in this role, plus I really enjoy seeing humans in their normal life, outside of a medical setting. Working with adolescents is a delight. I love having time to do meaningful health education. The schedule has helped me start enjoying the rest of my life again. I've learned a lot. I even enjoy the administrative/organizational stuff, at least some of it.

The part of school nursing that seems weird to me is my relationship with the adults. I've been at two schools now, and it was the same in both places.

I don't mind not being included in social stuff, and I figure that some of the small annoyances (being forgotten for lunch coverage, meeting invites, etc) come with the territory of being in a small minority of non-educator professionals.  I'm independent and industrious, I'm able to advocate for myself when needed, and I already have good friendships outside of work. Mostly I'm happy flying under the radar. 

The weird thing is, I feel like I'm only an archetype to my coworkers, not a real person. If two teachers who don't know each other meet in the copy room, they ask each other about hobbies, family, pets, travel. The art teacher doesn't suddenly start telling the math teacher about her childhood struggles with geometry. Yet no one asks me about my family or hobbies or pets, ever - literally they see me in the copy room and try to show me their blood pressure meds. Even if I don't know their name. Sometimes they barely even say hello, but just launch into a miscarriage story or their kid with diarrhea.  This morning someone showed me a rash while I was getting out of my car. 

Of course people request free medical advice from nurses generally...but this seems different.  At my last (small) school, I worked for two years with some people who never even learned my name. I feel like no one knows one thing about me personally, that another person could show up wearing scrubs and no one would even notice. And I do make an effort to ask faculty and staff about their interests and families, and I know all their names despite the 150:1 ratio of them:me.

Do you have to be in a school for 10 years for this to change? In no other setting have I felt so strangely visible as a job (especially during COVID), but invisible as a person.  If I were less confident, or new to the city or something, I think the combination would make me very melancholy. Or maybe if I were staying I'd revel in the separation between work and personal life, and work on developing some eccentric alter ego outside of work ?

Those are my ponderings as I round this final bend. Wishing us all a happy and safe end to this school year.

[Mavnurse17, BSN, RN]

It's my personal opinion that my experience as a school nurse has been less than positive not because of students, but because of the adults.  

At least at my school, teachers and staff believe they have ready access to medical care because there's a nurse on campus.  Of course I'll respond in an urgent/emergent situation, but I have teachers that come to me on a Monday telling me about a cut they got over the weekend asking me, "do you think I need stitches?" This past Friday, a teacher came to my office asking for Tylenol.  My district doesn't stock Tylenol for staff use.  The teacher storms out of my office saying "This is UNBELIEVABLE!"

[tining, BSN, RN]

Gee, where are you from?  Yes the medical advice is frequent however no social communication is odd.  I have made some really great acquaintances and friends over the years.  Always maintained friendly camaraderie with front office and admin.  A thought: the last year and a half has been unordinary.  Taking in the last year, I have gotten way more respect and "thank you for what you do" from people I would not usually call overly friendly.  Sorry this has been your experience.  When I went to the hospital there was a really tight group that was hard to crack into.  VERY cliquey on the floor IMO.  At school I mix with everyone.

[k1p1ssk, BSN, RN]

I definitely have the staff members who see me as a person who solely exists in the building to provide medical advice, but I also do feel like some have made the effort to get to know me. Some of them have done a bait and switch, where they've acted buddy buddy for quite some time, and then suddenly, I am their own personal concierge nurse and nothing more. Sometimes, but really only when I have a line out the door and they line right up with the kids, do I want to remind them that if they worked anywhere else, they would not have access to medical care at work. I do like to remind them that my first priority is the kids, so if they want motrin for their cramps or need their BP taken, they're gonna have to wait until vomiting Susie gets picked up first. It really gets me worked up when they don't give kids any privacy and interrupt me to ask for something silly like a bandaid. They are in a clearly labeled container right on the counter, please help yourself and GTFO!

 

[Eleven011]

 In no other setting have I felt so strangely visible as a job (especially during COVID), but invisible as a person.

I really feel this sentence.    The only staff I feel very close to, or those that have taken any interest in me as a person, are those that I see outside of work (kids same age, in same sports, ect).  

 

[guest464345]

37 minutes ago, tining said:

Gee, where are you from?  Yes the medical advice is frequent however no social communication is odd.  I have made some really great acquaintances and friends over the years.  Always maintained friendly camaraderie with front office and admin.  A thought: the last year and a half has been unordinary.  Taking in the last year, I have gotten way more respect and "thank you for what you do" from people I would not usually call overly friendly.  Sorry this has been your experience.  When I went to the hospital there was a really tight group that was hard to crack into.  VERY cliquey on the floor IMO.  At school I mix with everyone.

They're friendly for sure! I mean, they say good morning, they say thank you, they smile, no one's demanding or rude at this school (a couple of overly anxious teachers, yes, but mostly that hasn't bothered me).  If I say to the person accosting me with the rash, "Sure, I'll take a look, but give me 45 minutes to unload and get my morning meds done," they'll gladly step back.  It's not that they're disrespectful. 

However, it seems like I'll leave this job without anyone knowing my spouse's name, or where I'm from, or what neighborhood I live in, or anything I ever did during the entire year outside of work.  And I do know those things about many of them.  It's a strange feeling of invisibility.  I'm sure COVID and the fact that we were virtual for much of the year didn't help, but I don't think it's just that.

(And I swear I have social skills!  I'm outgoing and talkative.  I've made friends at every other job)

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I totally feel where you're coming from.  Certain things grate my nerves for no real reason.  Being called "Nurse" or "the nurse".  They don't seem to call the guidance counselor "the counselor".  

I have often likened this job to that of a fire extinguisher - there is that expectation that you will be there and for the most part, people generally don't interact with you unless they need you.  And if there's an emergency and you're not in your expected location, panic ensues.  

But it's not always like this.  I do have co-workers who have formed a relationship with me, and not just to come in and solicit medical advice without guilt.  

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

I'm at a K-12 school, and this is the relationship I have with most of our secondary staff.  The elementary staff know me more personally (maybe it's because I work more closely with them and communicate more often?), but I feel your pain.  The kids are great though.  The little ones always have a laundry list of questions for me ?.  What's my favorite food?  Is that a picture of my dog?  What's his name?  What did I do over Winter break?  What Winter holiday do I celebrate?  Who's my favorite Pokémon?  But maybe they're just trying to get out of class...

[guest464345]

4 hours ago, Flare said:

I totally feel where you're coming from.  Certain things grate my nerves for no real reason.  Being called "Nurse" or "the nurse".  They don't seem to call the guidance counselor "the counselor".  

I have often likened this job to that of a fire extinguisher - there is that expectation that you will be there and for the most part, people generally don't interact with you unless they need you.  And if there's an emergency and you're not in your expected location, panic ensues.  

 

I insisted on not being called "nurse" at this school because it absolutely grates on my nerves (though I'd argue that it's for a good reason: I have a name. As you said, no one else is called just "counselor" or "teacher" or "social worker" by other adults!  One staff member persisted after multiple gentle reminders, and I finally said very nicely, "I'm just going to remind you that I don't like being called "nurse," I prefer to be called by my name, and I'll call you ** as you prefer. If you accidentally forget and call me "nurse" again, no worries, but I'm just letting you know that I won't respond to that."  They finally stopped). 

The fire extinguisher comparison is apt. I'm a pretty independent person, so I guess in the end it's OK. Definitely not the worst complaint I could have about work.

[Mavnurse17, BSN, RN]

18 hours ago, Flare said:

I totally feel where you're coming from.  Certain things grate my nerves for no real reason.  Being called "Nurse" or "the nurse".  They don't seem to call the guidance counselor "the counselor".  

 

One of the counselors on my campus calls me "Nurse."  "Hey, Nurse."  It's taken me everything not to respond "Hey, Counselor." 

Quote

I have often likened this job to that of a fire extinguisher - there is that expectation that you will be there and for the most part, people generally don't interact with you unless they need you.  And if there's an emergency and you're not in your expected location, panic ensues.

I saw you use this analogy a long time ago on this board and I have used it in my real life conversations ever since.  It's so accurate!

[amoLucia]

Fire extinguisher analogy is like the 'big brother' to the 'emergency flashlight' in the kitchen drawer that's always there.  When it's burnt out during a power failure is when it's most missed! 

[EnoughWithTheIce]

OMG, yes to all of the above! I have been at several different schools in several different districts. Though I get along great with my current office staff, counselors and admin - I still feel that staff is the hardest part of the job. The teachers that rarely greet me, but oh my goodness when they want someone to look in their ear, I should drop everything. DRIVES.ME.NUTS. 

When staff call me just by "nurse", I call them right back by their title also. You get what you give!