What to do ?

[Keepstanding]

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 !

[iggywench, BSN, RN]

I was a teacher for seven years in the same grade level where I currently work as a nurse. Same district, different school. I don't mingle with the teachers, because our schedules are different, and our focus at work is so different. If I eat lunch in the teacher's lounge, I get asked for medical advice, so I stay out of there. I do my best to communicate with the teachers as much as possible, and try to empower them to do as much in the classroom for the students as they can before sending them to me. My attitude is that the students aren't learning if they are hanging out in the clinic, so I try to get them back to class as quickly as possible.

[Kittery]

My gut response is "Um what." Agree with PPs.

That's a very vague complaint. I would ask "them" to articulate specific "issues" so that you can try to focus your efforts, that is if you really feel the need to.

Good luck! This is hands down the most difficult part of school nursing to me.

[SchoolNurseTXstyle]

I would mix more with teachers and other staff if they would let me leave my clinic for more than 2 minutes without paging me for a non-existent emergency!!

Just saying.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Maybe if you can do some in-class health teaching with the kiddos their teachers would see you more as a person, not just "The Nurse"...

[pixierose, BSN, RN]

Oh HECK NO , this vague request ain't cool.

This is coming from a former teacher.

Yes, teaching ain't all roses and rainbows. School nursing sure doesn't sound like it either. When educators understand that both positions have challenges, but that they have support in the form of co-workers who can commiserate -- whereas the nurse does not and is on their own -- these "requests" won't happen.

But, because common sense isn't all that common ... our nurses tried to eat in the teachers lounge and just smiled smiled smiled all the live long day (even though you just knew they wanted to strangle the next student/teacher/principal who came asking for a cough drop).

(((Hugs)))

[1mrsbs]

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

AMEN!!!!

[djh123]

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 !

Your post is very telling - '... they certainly do send me some strange requests for students' shows that THEY don't understand YOUR role and what YOU go through! :^)

[kummerspeck]

I used to be a teacher before becoming a nurse. I think back to when I taught and wonder what sort of stupid issues I sent to our school nurse and I am hopeful that I wasn't annoying. My classroom was right by the nurse's office my first few years, so I knew how busy she was all the time, so my kids had to practically be dead before I'd send them to her. Knowing what I know now, I have a feeling that she appreciated it.

I would be annoyed if asked to just go mingle more with the teachers. School nurses don't get planning periods, and I've never met a one in my district that has a definite lunch period. When exactly should this mingling occur?

[BeckyESRN]

I would be annoyed if asked to just go mingle more with the teachers. School nurses don't get planning periods, and I've never met a one in my district that has a definite lunch period. When exactly should this mingling occur?

So true! My lunch occurs in between scheduled medications, unless I have to tend to an injury, or I have to find someone a change of clothes, or give an inhaler, or check on this kid that fell outside, or someone throws up, or someone has a fever, or we have to wait for a parent, or I have a call out to a parent, or someone is feigning dizziness, or someone is using my bathroom... And my lunch is almost never uninterrupted.

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

I work in an extremely small environment, 8 full time teachers, 3 administrators and 5 specials teachers. Though I am not as tight as the teachers, they have staff meetings every Wednesday and eat together during all school lunch and recess (my busiest part of the day), I feel included. I function as a counselor, too, by default, and I speak with teachers every day about issues with students, so I have to say, I feel a little more involved in the team than a water boy.

[JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN]

"Hogwash!"

Balderdash!

[SaltineQueen]

I'm curious what prompted this conversation... How odd.