What happens when the nurse is sick?

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Hey school nurses, I have a question.

What happens when you are sick? Does the school just not have a nurse that day (but then who gives kids their meds)? Are there substitute school nurses? How does that work? I can't imagine that a substitute school nurse would get called much unless they were in a large school district and subbed for the entire district.

Specializes in School Nursing.

I am a district nurse along with 2 other RNs. I oversee 7 programs in 5 buildings including preschool, elementary, secondary and our transitional program. LPNs staff each of our health offices. When one of them is sick we try to get a sub but if no picks it up I cover the health office for the day. The school secretary covers the health office when the LPNs are on their lunch break.

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Hey school nurses, I have a question.

What happens when you are sick? Does the school just not have a nurse that day (but then who gives kids their meds)? Are there substitute school nurses? How does that work? I can't imagine that a substitute school nurse would get called much unless they were in a large school district and subbed for the entire district.

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!!

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I am a sub nurse.

Direct hire for two districts. One rarely calls me, the other throws me lots of work and I have some good relationships with the full time staff.

Also work for two different agencies that provide subs to districts.

The one agency *always* contracted with various school districts and they send me lots of work.

The other agency primary focus is home care, they started me out doing bus runs and field trips and one to one, but has begun to delve into some school nurse staffing. It's all feast or famine with them.

Yes, my employers know about each other, but it's up to me to avoid conflicts bacaue they all have noncompete clauses.

That said, I could work every day of the school year if I pleased, plus summer. The pay is WILDLY variable among the four, and I don't have benefits.

i do have a permanent part time position outside of the school settings. That is my anchor job. I fit my school days around them.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I am a sub nurse.

Direct hire for two districts. One rarely calls me, the other throws me lots of work and I have some good relationships with the full time staff.

Also work for two different agencies that provide subs to districts.

The one agency *always* contracted with various school districts and they send me lots of work.

The other agency primary focus is home care, they started me out doing bus runs and field trips and one to one, but has begun to delve into some school nurse staffing. It's all feast or famine with them.

Yes, my employers know about each other, but it's up to me to avoid conflicts bacaue they all have noncompete clauses.

That said, I could work every day of the school year if I pleased, plus summer. The pay is WILDLY variable among the four, and I don't have benefits.

i do have a permanent part time position outside of the school settings. That is my anchor job. I fit my school days around them.

Would subbing in south Texas be too far of a commute for you?

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Specializes in School Nursing.

No district nurse here, so No one to sub. The attendance clerk is my only backup. She will hand out meds/ ice packs when im not here.

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Specializes in school nurse.
I think this is in the majority.

No disrespect, but as long as people are martyrs, the situation will remain unchanged...

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Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!!

Ha!

Now that's some truth!

I'm in a district with over 125 schools and the list of subs has 5 names. I quickly realized that the nurse can't be sick 😜

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
No disrespect, but as long as people are martyrs, the situation will remain unchanged...

True that!!

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No disrespect, but as long as people are martyrs, the situation will remain unchanged...

The problem is, the district doesn't really care. I'm not sure if things would change either way. I think the only way things would change is if something bad happened while the nurse wasn't there. I am one of the ones who are guilty of going in sick because I don't want to leave my kids alone.

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Specializes in med/surg, clinic, school.

This nurse goes to work sick! we have a few subs but they are retired nurses who travel, babysit grandkids, do fun retirement things so they are hard to get last minute. I have gone to work already w a 103 temp, laid on the cot all day and only got up to give meds and take care of the kids who came in sick or injured. Thank goodness it was a fairly slow day.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Home Health.

We cover for each other. For example, I am the first coverage for the nurse at XYZ school. When she is absent I do my meds and hers, and then come back to my building and am on call for her school and vice versa.

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Specializes in Peds, Neuro, Orthopedics.
This nurse goes to work sick! we have a few subs but they are retired nurses who travel, babysit grandkids, do fun retirement things so they are hard to get last minute. I have gone to work already w a 103 temp, laid on the cot all day and only got up to give meds and take care of the kids who came in sick or injured. Thank goodness it was a fairly slow day.

We have to practice what we preach. If we expect parents to keep sick kids home, then we need to stay home when sick. My district has subs, but not enough, so usually my absence means my aide works alone that day, and vice-versa.

My experience with office staff is they are petrified of our jobs. If you called in for a day or two, the principal would quickly advocate for the district to hire sub nurses.

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