What is your BIGGEST pet peve about school nursing ?

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Okay, I'll go first. If I had to narrow it down, it would have to be parents who send their sick, feverish child to school with the orders to "go see the nurse right away". And then I cannot reach them by phone when I call them. Happens all the time and I am extremely tired of this. Border's on child neglect.

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Praiser

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That ranks right up with "I had a fever last night or this morning but my mommy gave me tylenol". Now 3-4 hours later the temp is over 101! Duh!

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I had a kid come in yesterday c/o itchy eye that started last night. I said, "What did your mom say?" "Oh, she told me to go to the clinic and have you look at it to see if it was pink eye..." Great...

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Specializes in School, Camp, Hospice, Critical Care.

Ditto to the above.

I also love it when teachers send a kid to me at 2:05 (school ends at 2:10) with a minor complaint--bleeding or vomiting,that's fine, but "my elbow hurts a little"? (no trauma, no bruise, no nothing) and the kid is a walker, meaning he's climbing into mommy's car in five minutes.

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Add to that, a frequent flyer by the same teacher over and over who states, I know he's probably faking but I feel I still must send him. You know something might be going on with him. And the students gets to the clinic and says, I really didn't want to come for this but she said to come. And you waste time asessing the student, filling out paperwork, etc. And you think, why have him here to waste my time when you know he's just wanting to leave your class. He won't learn anything in the clinic. Why call mom when the teacher needs to find out why he wants to leave her class. My Biggest pet peve. Same as a patient taking Demerol shots who has no pain.:nono:

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery/ Postpartum/ School.

Ditto to ALL the above! I also hate it when parents call the principal to complain I didnt call home if their precious baby skinned their knee or had a similar non-traumatic injury at school. I find that very difficult.

I also am dealing with a teacher similar to the one described above. In fact I JUST saw a kid who said, "My teacher made me come because someones hand accidently hit my nose" Her nose didnt hurt and there were no marks. It was an accident. Why bother! Where she came from is far away and she was on her way to lunch. I am constantly dealing with this teacher all day long and her students "needing assessments". Yes, she is not a nurse (her rationale) but she is a mother and should at least use SOME judgement.

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Specializes in school nursing, Dr. office.

parents that you can not get in touch with or will not bring on supplies for their diabetic children, and students that come in and say that mom told me if I got worse to call and she would pick me up ( this is 815) they just arrived at school, just walked off of the school bus, and into my office! Teachers sending me students that need to wash the ink off of their hands and arms, isn't there a restroom where you can wash your hands? PUUULEEZZZ!

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Specializes in Home Health,MedSurg/ICU/School Nursing.

Oh my gosh... all of the above and more! Had a child this week who had nausea and diarrhea... mom and dad flew out early that morning to go on vacation, handed the child a bottle of Imodium (without a note/written instructions), and told him to "take it to the nurse and have her give you some when you need it"!!!!! Elderly aunt is staying with child while parents are gone... doesn't drive. FINALLY get in touch with another relative who lives 1 hour away (all the while the child is running back and forth to/from the BR) who says he can come get him but rides a bicycle to work and will have to get a ride back home to get his car. All the while, I cannot get in touch with the parents as they are flying off to some tropical paradise. The poor child is feeling crappy (excuse the pun), taking up one of two beds and the BR, while others are coming in and out with any number of injuries/sicknesses (including a piece of a crayon lodged way down in the ear... but that's another story). So is a typical day of a school nurse... and people say all we do is put on bandaids!:) BUT, I do love working with the kids!!!

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Specializes in corrections, MH, geriatrics.

let me see...

teachers who think that the school nurse is present to diagnose illness,

students who walk in with a bottle of newly prescribed meds in their pocket who dont understand why you cannot administer them without a doctor's form, parents who don't return your phone messages, and on and on and on...

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Specializes in School Nurse-ran away from med-surg fast.

I am tired of seeing kids who have tiny boo-boos that they received at home and the parents already know about. What else do you want me to do????

Getting a child into a free vision clinic or working hard to get them a voucher......and yep, they no show for the appointment!!

I could go on and on and on.......bit, I will spare you!!

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I hate when the teacher plays nurse. I had a student who said "the teacher told me to come see you because she thinks I look sick" There was no fever and the student said he felt fine so I sent him back. I found out that the teacher called the student's mom to pick him up. When I questioned the teacher, she replied "I don't want anyone sick in my room because I'm pregnant"

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Specializes in Most all.

I agree that all of the above are frustrating. Again, depending on the time of the month and your personal mood for the day, each frustration is an opportunity to teach someone something.

My biggest pet peve are school nurses who go around with a chip on their shoulder and hate their jobs! :angryfire If you don't like it, do something else. We cannot save the world, but each starfish we throw back is grateful that we were able to save his world.

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