What is your BIGGEST pet peve about school nursing ?

GRAMMYTAB · Jan 10, 2008

My biggest pet peeve is the student who shows up with a papercut and it isn't even bleeding but the teacher sent them anyway...I did slow this down a bit by responding with a box of bandaids sent back with the student for the teacher to apply to the cut.

TXNurseBSN · Jan 11, 2008

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.

I don't think anyone here has a chip on their shoulder. We all just need a place to vent is all. If you notice, almost none of the posts state that the children we care for are our pet peeve. The frusration lies with parents / staff who want us to be there to make their life easier. We are NOT there for their needs, we must advocate for our students.

And, the student needs to be in class as much as possible.....not coming to the nurse for stupid stuff. When I have a kid in the clinic 15 minutes everday for dumb stuff....he misses more than an hour of class time a week that he can never get back. In a month...5 hours. How is that helping him? How is that removing barriers to learning????

joy09 · Jan 11, 2008

Oh, my gosh. I am home sick today and this put a smile on my feverish face! You all covered the hot buttons! My biggest peeve is the "education" requirements to be a school nurse. I have a master's in nursing and had to give up my emergency certification because I didn't have the time or money to go back to school. I don't mind the school nurse certification part, although it would be nice if it wasn't inclusive of educational courses not relevant to the position. My peeve is that I graduated 25 years ago and I have to take three undergraduate courses to get into the certification program (2 of them are math and one is english lit!) I took psych statistics, not math stats so they won't even except that one as a math. I have decided to do it now because I have more time and can muster up the money. In the meantime, I am doing a first aid officer job that includes the same responsibilities but pays 1/2 the salary and less benefits!

joy09 · Jan 11, 2008

ditto

krhknob · Jan 19, 2008

I can identify with everything that is being said. I've nipped alot of this stuff in the bud by being proactive this year. I educated the teachers at the begining of the year by giving them written guidelines for sending students to see the nurse. It covers just about everything mentioned on this thread. It was precipitated by my personal pet peave last year of "I bumped my arm on the desk and the teacher told me to come and get ice". 99% of the time I'd have to ask the student to point to the "injury" because there wasn't even a mark, let alone a bruise or swelling!

What dawned on me was that possibly no parameters have ever been set for them and, because they aren't nurses (and we have a lot of young teachers so alot of them aren't Moms yet either) they really aren't sure what's nurse-worthy and what isn't. So, I made sure I had my principal's support and presented the guidelines this year with a sincere attitude of empathizing with the various reasons they might have for sending some of these kids down but at the same time empowering them to use their good judgement in determining if a complaint or injury, etc. was valid. I assured them I am here if they ever have any doubts whatsoever - that's my job - but really encouraged them to feel confident in their ability to handle alot of this stuff. I briefly explained to them what my limitations are as a school nurse to clear up any misconception that I can diagnose strep throat or the reason someone's back has been hurting for the past 3 days. I also supplied them each with a box of bandaids for minor cuts and scrapes, itch spray for bug bites, a tube of vaseline and Qtips for chapped lips and a bag of cough drops (with very specific criteria for giving one to a student).

The result of all this has been like night and day. I have a real feeling of working as a team with the teachers to ensure that students aren't coming to the clinic and missing classtime for unnecessary things. The daily visits this year are significantly less and much more legitimate. There will always be the gray areas of stomachaches, headaches and a handful of high maintenance teachers who you just have to smile, nod at and move on but I really feel it's our responsibility to establish and reinforce the boundaries. Bottom line is there has to be good communication, mutual respect and some give and take (like saying to yourself, "ok, I won't gripe about a few stuck zippers and fallen out earrings if they use their heads about other things...")to work cooperatively with the teachers in this area. This includes educating them, providing the supplies they need and cheering them on. Once they understand that you're "on their side" and not just trying to get out of work, it'll fall into place.

kymaja · Jan 20, 2008

I've done all of the above.... written guidelines and verbal explanations, bandaids, vaseline, calamine, cough drops, etc., etc. I usually see 40-60 students a day as the lone RN of an elementary school. The teaching staff is of a wide range... seasoned veterans with 35+ years of experience to rookies. I think you also have to look at the socioeconomic student population of your school. Over 70% of the kiddos at my school receive free/reduced lunches, thus a high acuity level. A nurse across town with

There are also alot of other variables to consider regarding teachers sending kids to the clinic. If the school is run by a micromanager/Type A sort of principal vs. a more laid-back type, teachers are under alot more pressure to perform. The result is stress trickling down to the students. I could go on and on with the variables... would make a great research topic for my masters when and if I decide to go for it.... :idea: I've found that most of the general population think school nursing is such a cush job.... HAH:bugeyes: It's alot more demanding than the years I spent in ICU.... but the rewards are worth it. I received a letter from a parent this years regarding her son.... she wrote that the time and dedication I spent with him over the last three years helped to change his and the family's lives, and for that she will always be grateful.... absolutely not bragging... the kids make it all worthwhile!!!!!!:redbeathe

luvschoolnursing, LPN · Jan 24, 2008

Love, love, love my job but my biggest peeve right now is administration who have no idea what you do and whose priorities are education and think nursing is just a necessary evil. I know of course their priorities are education-it is a school, but I don't ask for much. If I have a problem or concern and email you, don't just assume it's not relevant, I have mandates I must meet and sometimes I need your permission to do the things that need done. Whew! Got that off my chest. Feel better now!

rgroyer1RNBSN, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2008

Ok you think this is bad you oughtta go over to er nursing and read ours, glo I have the same problem in the er with the demerol people, I have a pet peeve of school nurses who like to send me kids to my er lol! just kidding here. But yeah I understand some of your problems I generally have the same problems in ER, like the mother who brings her kid into ER because of a 102 fever, but didnt give them tylenol because she wants to prove to me that they actually had a fever well my lord I will believe you and check it if you tell me, geeze, I mean I probabley should'nt believe or trust them but I do, just like sometimes one of us nurses in ER will get gipped out of a narc by a drugee.

AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN · Feb 7, 2008

I actually wrote a book about my experiences as a school nurse. Wrote this over the course of about 3 months while I was working nights with an agency. I finally had to type a page, print it, and pass it around so that everyone would quit leaning over my shoulder! I wonder what you have to do to get published?

AZ hopeful · Feb 9, 2008

My biggest pet peeve of shool nursing here in the UK is that we do not get an our own space in primary schools (elementary) and I have to abort so many school visits cos the room's being used by someone else even when they know I'm coming to school that day!!

GRAMMYTAB · Feb 22, 2008

Ok!

I had one today that I just have to share with you guys. A second grade girl came in and said her teacher sent her to call her mom. I asked her why and she told me it was because her panites were bothering her!!

Well, because of past dealings with this child's mom in the past, I let her call home. Mom sent someone up to take her home.......now....on my daily absentee sheet that I keep, I had to come up with what reason this child left school today. So, since I am not that creative, I just put....... :bugeyes: .......she left to go home because her panites were in a "wad"!!!

bandaider · Apr 4, 2008

My biggest pet peeve are the well-meaning but still inappropiate comments by staff as students must walk through front office to the nurses office. In front of parents, staff, and other students I've heard the secretary blurt out, "Oh, my goodness! Where did you get all those bruises on your arm??" and the like. I'm trying to continually educate office staff on privacy issues, but it really seems quite futile. Principal says he agrees with me, but never addresses the situation. I have to remind myself I'm in this posituion for the students....