What NON Nursing jobs are you "expected" to do?

Specialties School

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Determine outdoor recess? Seamstress? Glasses repair?

What else?

I was Caring for a client at a nursing home. We were in the nurses office waiting to get a blood sugar check, when the phone rang. Both of the nurses sighed and said, "Here we go again." The call was someone asking for an extra fork. A fork! I felt bad for them because they were swamped. Apparently no one else in the building is willing to run a fork up to a resident.

EDIT: oops, sorry, just realized this was under the school nurse section.

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Why couldn't the resident run down for a fork?

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I'm not sure. Maybe they were disabled. But why couldn't another staff member besides the very busy nurse bring the fork?

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I'm not sure. Maybe they were disabled. But why couldn't another staff member besides the very busy nurse bring the fork?

OOOOOH, I thought you meant "resident" as in 1st year DOCTOR, not as in a PATIENT!! I was thinking, "Get your own fork, Dr. Lazy!"

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This thread made me laugh! I shared it with one of my school nurse coworkers and she said, "This must have come from the emails that we send back and forth to each other!" I think my favorite "non nurse" story was when I got a frantic call from the playground that said they needed me immediately. Well, you know that gets the adrenaline going! I got there and a student was standing on the playground with a wasp sitting on his jeans (not allergic) and the teacher said, "We didn't know what to do." Well, with all my skilled nursing training, I scraped the wasp off with a note card. Super Hero skills!:yes:

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This thread made me laugh! I shared it with one of my school nurse coworkers and she said, "This must have come from the emails that we send back and forth to each other!" I think my favorite "non nurse" story was when I got a frantic call from the playground that said they needed me immediately. Well, you know that gets the adrenaline going! I got there and a student was standing on the playground with a wasp sitting on his jeans (not allergic) and the teacher said, "We didn't know what to do." Well, with all my skilled nursing training, I scraped the wasp off with a note card. Super Hero skills!:yes:

This reminds me of the time a teacher asked me if she needed a blood test to check for Lyme's disease after I picked a tick off her sweater sleeve. :yes:

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I've said this before but I do so looooove reading you school nurses' threads.

You have my greatest respect and admiration.

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Hello,

I am a "health assistant" at a charter school. I am required to run the front desk in lieu of the receptionist. I answer phones, sign students in and out, answer a plethora of ridiculous questions per minute and whatever else the Big Kahuna asks of me. I am also in charge of dispensing loan uniforms to students that cannot be bothered to dress appropriately.

There are also things I am required to do that are way out of my scope, like cover classrooms for teachers.

How about you?

Sometimes, I cannot believe the similarities between school nursing and my elderly daycare job. I do lurk on this forum, once in awhile, because many of the questions you have, actually apply to me, as well.

I also get stuck running the front desk, answer a plethora of ridiculous questions (mine always come from the staff) and "whatever".

I also get to monitor the halls... and fill in for activities, which I straight-out tell them is a mistake :eek:

And while I do not dispense uniforms, I do have clients coming to me for an extra sweater because Dear Daughter was in a hurry this morning and couldn't be bothered to help Mom dress warmer.

I am also the go-to person when they can't get marker or paint off their hands.

One gentleman was sent to me because his belt broke :cautious:. Yes, it took a nurse to figure out that a length of ribbon will do the job until Mr. Droopypants gets home.

I also clean toilets and mop floors... but that's okay... I'm all about keeping it clean for health :laugh:

I unload the groceries when they are bought and I fold up tables and stack chairs after lunch.

One day, I led BINGO... I did not know how serious this game was... never again...

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, School Nursing, OB.

Yes, I've had to do all the above the other schools nurses have mentioned-can totally relate! I regularly get asked to pull teeth as well or fix braces as if I'm also a dentist. One school I cover for the secretary when she goes to lunch. Oh and any strange bug I'm asked to identify because it just might be a louse or bedbug (like the ants). I'm also expected to diagnose whatever strange illness the staff might just have by a list of vague symptoms. You'd think with our expertise in so many areas we'd get paid better!

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*Dumping ground for children who are misbehaving because counselor is busy

*Place for tired children to sleep, despite the fact we have some legit illness in the health office at the time. (Personally, I wouldn't want my kid sleeping in the Health Office next to someone who has a high fever or is barfing.)

*Shoe/eyeglass/clothes repairer. I suck at pretty much all of them. BUT, one way to temporarily fix a flip flop is with a paper clip! I saw it on Pinterest,

Quick Fix For Broken Flip-flops👣 | Trusper

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I am expected to "police" body odor and stinky breath.

*sigh*

The teachers come to me with this too. :sarcastic:

I do take the Cavi Wipes to the chairs and desks in the entrance to the school where kids in trouble have to sit waiting to see the principal. Or the kids who are sick sit waiting for their parents to pick them up. Seems like I never see janitors do this. But I only do this at one elementary school where I hang out more often. Not the other elementary school or high schools.

I help sometimes, of my own volition, to monitor the kids in the cafeteria. Opening up milk, etc. This is where I get a lot of hugs.

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I had a teacher get mad at me recently for not agreeing to give a student a shower/clean clothes. (We have a shower near the gym. Can you imagine the implications within?) He wasn't even that dirty. He just had stinky feet. (I'm sure you all know that awful smell...Bare/sweaty feet stuffed in pleather shoes or boots=STINK!)

I gave him baby wipes to freshen up with and clean socks/clothes. Best I can do.

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