What to do ?

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Hello Fellow School Nurses, So I've been told that I don't do enough to try to mix with the teachers. That I don't fully understand their role and just what they go through. Okay. So if you all have any tips, please send them along. I truly want to be more friendly with teachers, but Lawd.....they certainly do send me some strange requests for students. I could literally write a book ! Thanks for any input you offer !

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Ok - my question is do they go out of their way to mix with you and understand YOUR role?? I didn't think so...

If you need me I'll be hanging on the wall next to the fire extinguisher

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Ok - my question is do they go out of their way to mix with you and understand YOUR role?? I didn't think so...

So true!!!!

Is there a rule somewhere that one needs to mingle with their coworkers? Is this same expectation in place for every role? ie: custodial staff, lunchroom aides, deans?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

"Hogwash!" You'll never fully understand their role because you're not a teacher and vice versa. You may have an idea of what they do and they may have an idea of what you do but that's as far as it gets. The inference here by wanting you to understand their role actually means for you to agree with everything they do and say. Not gonna happen. Don't worry about it.

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Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

Agree with the above. They have no idea what you do either. We are perceived as just band-aid stickin', temperature takin' loofs. When in reality we do so much more.

I'm not saying their job is easy, my husband is a teacher. But you can bet yer bippy he wouldn't send his school nurse a paper-cut, or a mosquito bite from 3 days ago.

Maybe have a sit down and discuss these things, if they truly want you to mingle, which is crap.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

Did something happen to instigate this? Seems strange ti randomly request this. Fill us in...

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About 2 months into my first year I got this speech too. I wasn't doing enough to get to know the teachers, ugh. I started eating lunch in the faculty room and attend a few field trips instead of sending a sub. It helped and got the principal off my back about fitting in! I'm an introvert with social anxiety and if I talk about my day at lunch, it grosses non-medical people out. They make no effort to understand what happens in my office everyday nor do I expect them to. I did find that saying things like "I know that it must be really frustrating; I understand that it's very distracting; I know that it's an inconvenience" and basically just handling with kid gloves, seems to pacify everyone. I enjoy most of teachers, really, I do, but nursing and teaching are different worlds and when you stick them together in one building, someone is going to be the odd man out-hint-it's always the nurse!

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i do agree with Becky in that regard. I eat my lunch in the faculty rm with the same group of teachers and have for the past few years. They know not to send for senseless little piddly stuff and they see how many times I have to get up and leave lunch for various reasons. If it weren;t for meds i have often thought about eating with different cohorts. But I won't go on fields trips unless i have to - that's just personal preference

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Somebody is really reaching for a reason to criticize you. As long as you are doing your job, you have nothing to be concerned about. But since you are a minority of one, I would say that it is the job of the teachers to reach out to you instead of the other way around. After all, you are in their ball park.

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I had 11 campuses to attend to . . . I didn't have time for that. :rolleyes:

I will say I did try to eat lunch in the faculty lunchroom. At one elementary school where my son attended, I was more included in things. All the stuff that the teachers did behind the scenes (potlucks, etc.) I was included in and I also had a mailbox in the same place as the teachers.

I spent some time with one of the diabetic students every day and so I was in classroom a lot. I also would go outside during recess and walk around with the paraprofessionals (aka teacher's aides) and help supervise the kids.

But I live in a small town and was the nurse for 2 high schools/elementary schools/etc., that encompassed different towns 20 miles apart. And my "real" office was in the District Office away from students.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
i do agree with Becky in that regard...But I won't go on fields trips unless i have to - that's just personal preference

I've said this before, I'd choose water boarding over going on a field trip.

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I've said this before, I'd choose water boarding over going on a field trip.

I should add that I only went on the field trips that included my G-tube kiddo and my silent aspiration CP kiddo and ONLY because a sub really screwed up the previous year. I also hate field trips, unless it's with my own child's grade. That being said, my favorite trip of the year is the partial day at the pool, out of the building for 2.5 hours and all I have to do is take killer slow-mo video of the kids diving-with the school approved camera, of course!-

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