Why so long

[NurseHeatherBSNRN]

How long do you normally have to wait for parents to pick up a sick child? I have several parents who take over an hour to get here every single time I call. I have waited almost 2 hours, and then sent the child home on the bus because we couldn't get mom to answer the phone anymore. Of course, my administration says "just keep calling" ? Any ideas on how I should handle this?

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I am not heavy handed when sending home. I tend to push more towards the child staying and learning when possible. Maybe that's why if i call a parent, I expect them to pick up and to come for the child, or have someone available. I work in my own kid's school and I have a list of no less than 6 people I could call to take her if needed. I am very sympathetic to working parents, but when your child is sick you need to be a parent.

The parents not coming because they need "me time" is something I have no patience for. One parent once told me she'd come for her child - sitting in my office crying with a possible fx wrist (which turned out to be a fx) - AFTER her tennis lesson which was beginning in just a few moments.

Same parent that once called to give me crap because i didn't call after i had seen little one for a minor headcold.

[BeckyESRN]

I had a 5th grader come down at 11:30 and asked that I wait until 11:45 to call mom because that's when her hot yoga class was over. She had given him meds for his temp of 102 in the morning because she didn't want to miss hot yoga.

Mostly, just tell me how long it's going to take! Don't tell me 20 minutes or less and then take 2.5 hours

[tining, BSN, RN]

Parents Behaving Badly thread . . .

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

18 hours ago, nursetlm said:

We've had to send our LO out to homes a few times a year- usually the parent is home- playing video games, etc....

I had one mom tell me - "I was having me time."

It can be frustrating.

This should be reported to child welfare authorities.

Lawmakers need to know that this is happening so that laws can be made and enforced in cases like this.

Ultimately, the answer is mass sterilization. I'm only half kidding.

I seriously hope that parents who don't give a damn about their kids are in the minority.

I know life can be very hard and that we all need "me time". But expecting the school nurse and the schools in general to not only educate but feed, babysit, raise, and care for our children, and who want to just get their kids off their backs for a lion's share of 5 days each week is just a horrible attitude.

[CampyCamp, RN]

I expect that it can take a while because our district is spread out and some of our kids are on the bus for an hour. Our immediate area has few employment opportunities so parents leaving work almost always have an hour drive. (I did too, when I worked at the hospital)

However, some are just ridiculous. I had a kid with a 103 temp and couldn't even medicate her until the parent took her time calling back because the child had "chewy purple pills" in the morning. Mom finally called and said grandma would pick her up. An hour later, grandma shows up... turn out, she had been IN THE BUILDING the whole time for Grand Day. I feel like the child's sibling would have coped if nana had cut her visit short.

[Purple036, LVN]

Call and document. After 45 to an hour a student is in clinic I am to notify my AP and they are to contact a resource officer to drive out to the home. Most of the time the parent is home and then is angry at us. When the parent comes in we ask for updated contact list and phone numbers.

[BunnyBunnyBSNRN, ASN, BSN]

On 10/23/2019 at 3:42 PM, DaisyRN2 said:

I actually had this happen this week. Had a student with a 103 degree fever. I am sure it was strep throat. I called and left messages for 2 hours. Could not reach any of the other contacts listed. So I contacted the resource officer and he stopped by. Turned out mom had her phone turned off....awesome!

at 103 x 1 hour without response, I would have called EMS

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

And these poor kiddos. Could you imagine being sick, feeling horrible, and your mom or dad not wanting to come get you. Having to wait in the office all day... Ugh, breaks my heart for these littles.

[Glitternurse, LVN]

A couple of years ago I had a parent medicate with tylenol, send the student to school, of course. The student hadn't been in school more than about 2 hours, presents to the health office with a fever of 102. Mom was called, but couldn't pick up because she was visiting a friend. When she finally showed up at dismissal I told her if visiting her friend is more important than caring for HER sick child, I would have the child transported to the hospital via ambulance, that it is completely unacceptable to bring her medicated child to school and then just leave her there for 4 hours after the medication has worn off. The principal was right there and didn't say anything, and the child has not been left since. I was a new school nurse, and was just learning that this is the rule and not the exception unfortunately.

I am not so mean when it's a work situation or doctor's appointment, or something where the parent is really trying, I do have some compassion.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

21 hours ago, tining said:

Parents Behaving Badly thread . . .

Nope cause someone will post it to FB or Nurses Rock a d we are glued, screwed and tattooed for being mean

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

My husband and I both work in another city from my son’s school. We do not have grandma, aunties, neighbors, who are in the area. If the school calls with a fever, you can bet it is going to take at least an hour, and probably more, for one of us to wrap up what we are doing at work and commute over to where he is. (Obviously if he were sent to the hospital or something it would be a different matter and we’d drop everything.). For my husband particularly, and me less so, he will not even hear the voicemail from the school nurse until he is out of whatever meeting he happens to be in. Neither of us spends our days at home, a block from the school, sitting with our phone in our hands awaiting a call. I’ve only been called for a sick child once, but I did explain to the nurse that it would take some time before we arrived to get him (and she was lovely because she understands that this is how life works).

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

On 10/24/2019 at 3:18 PM, BeckyESRN said:

Mostly, just tell me how long it's going to take! Don't tell me 20 minutes or less and then take 2.5 hours

This I can certainly respect. People need to be up front about what is going on rather than saying “Oh yeah I’ll come right over now” and then ghosting.