Why do parents think schools are daycares?

Flare, ASN, BSN · Nov 29, 2016

My complaint was not in completing forms, but the number of forms and the inconsistency of the forms. It should be the same form for the entire state, public and private for each condition, available and fillable on-line. It takes a lot of time. I have never heard of someone charging $35 for vaccine forms. All vaccines should be placed in the state system to be retrieved by other physicians or schools as needed.

I would love nothing more than this. My life is so much easier to just look everyone up in the state system and print it off there. BUT the state system is only as good as the info in there and certainly does not account for the new students coming in from out of state or country that are not part of the system yet. Also, if I am waiting for info on a vaccine if's not readily available in the system until someone from the physician's office inputs that vaccine. Granted this all really only works for things like new entries and kindergarten registration. If I've excluded a student because they are missing a specific vaccine then I need vaccine paperwork to be returned to me immediately. Lord knows that I don't have the time to continually check to see that the database has been updated for the sake for a Tdap when an office can just as easily check a box and stamp a paper at the time of visit.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2016

I would love nothing more than this. My life is so much easier to just look everyone up in the state system and print it off there. BUT the state system is only as good as the info in there and certainly does not account for the new students coming in from out of state or country that are not part of the system yet. Also, if I am waiting for info on a vaccine if's not readily available in the system until someone from the physician's office inputs that vaccine. Granted this all really only works for things like new entries and kindergarten registration. If I've excluded a student because they are missing a specific vaccine then I need vaccine paperwork to be returned to me immediately. Lord knows that I don't have the time to continually check to see that the database has been updated for the sake for a Tdap when an office can just as easily check a box and stamp a paper at the time of visit.

I check our state database a lot, and many students are not in it. Doctor's offices are supposed to comply and upload the information and/or have info linked to the database, but it isn't happening. If I am calling/telling a parent I need paperwork for missing immunizations, it is already after I checked and the database and the info isn't there. Or it is, but it is blocked because at the last physical, the office needed to inform the parent the database existed to "opt in." I actually sent home letters to parents about our state database so I could opt them in and make everyone's job easier.

Skippingtowork · Nov 29, 2016

My point is, that filling out forms is a part of the job. Just like charting and ordering supplies is a part of my daily work. Is writing a prescription for a patient considered above and beyond a dr or np's duties? This is no different.
I don't want an argument here. The fact remains that we need these forms on file in order to properly treat our patient population in the event of an emergency. If a parent cannot bring one in to us because the dr office would not fill one out without charging, then we could feasibly delay necessary treatment which could lead to worse outcomes.

No argument here. I don't know what else to say. The forms were always completed same day for the convenience of the patient and the school. My ONLY point was sometimes we do things without pay and with inconvenience to ourselves because it is the right thing to do. It relates not to your profession, but to the school system only. No further discussion about what the school nurses need, because I get it. The asthma form you posted can be used throughout the U.S. very easily. Why does the powers that be insist on MD offices completing the school's form. We can even alter the form to put the school district name if everyone agrees. Easy fix. Same with seizure action plans and permission forms for tylenol and ibuprofen for chronic conditions. I made many forms and letters for patients that automatically printed with the click of a button, that they were able to take with them. I could not do that with school forms. I can go on and on, but I don't think it will help, so I won't. I appreciate the hard work, dedication and challenges that everyone on the front lines of education face. I just want us to all stream line things a bit to make it easier for everyone. I hope I now make sense.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Nov 30, 2016

Actually the only form that i really care about being filled out on a specific form is the sports physical - that's a form from the state that is very specific that needs to be filled out a certain way for the children to play in interscholastic sports. Beyond that, the offices can use whatever they want as long as it has the same basic info as the forms that i use - the only divergence i usually find is that the doctors office filling out "their" emergency action plan for allergies often does not address self administation and the parents have to contact the office to get an addendum for older student that should be able to do so.

Amethya · Nov 30, 2016

I always explain to parents on the phone before even putting some neosporin for wounds and explain that I can't give them this unless I get their consent or I know they are not allergic to this. Some parents are very happy I ask for permission and some get a bit mad I can't give Tylenol, but I always say, "I know it sounds ridiculous, but sadly, I'm under the school's thumb and it's the rules. Unless you come yourself to give them the medication or you get a form from us and get it signed by you and a physician, I can't give them anything."

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2016

Actually the only form that i really care about being filled out on a specific form is the sports physical - that's a form from the state that is very specific that needs to be filled out a certain way for the children to play in interscholastic sports. Beyond that, the offices can use whatever they want as long as it has the same basic info as the forms that i use - the only divergence i usually find is that the doctors office filling out "their" emergency action plan for allergies often does not address self administation and the parents have to contact the office to get an addendum for older student that should be able to do so.

I added my own self-administration form to my health forms for Asthma/Epi-pen since I deal with the older kids. (Also because parents were telling my student had asthma and no other info. My asthma form asks if student has inhaler, self carries it and a sign off for self-administration once I have seen student demonstrate proper use.)

Amethya · Dec 2, 2016

I wish we had something like this, but we are not allowed to let the kids carry their inhalers or Epi-Pens. We had to confiscate an inhaler on a kid last time, and mom was upset but we had to tell her it's not our policy but the school.

kidzcare · Dec 2, 2016

I wish we had something like this, but we are not allowed to let the kids carry their inhalers or Epi-Pens. We had to confiscate an inhaler on a kid last time, and mom was upset but we had to tell her it's not our policy but the school.

What age group are you with? It is safe practice to allow some students to carry emergency meds. A student who is anaphylactic in the lunchroom does not have time to wait for someone to call you and you to get there. Someone who has a very severe allergy should be allowed to carry.

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Dec 2, 2016

What age group are you with? It is safe practice to allow some students to carry emergency meds. A student who is anaphylactic in the lunchroom does not have time to wait for someone to call you and you to get there. Someone who has a very severe allergy should be allowed to carry.

We have a cart (no lunch room and lunch outside when available) that I have an epi locker with pens. I have instructed the lunch monitors and the kids themselves to use stock if necessary and not worry about getting "their" epi-pen from me.

FloridaBeagle · Dec 11, 2016

]Educational triaining can be completed during the summer.

No, actually it can't. First of all, teachers aren't paid to work in the summer, so districts would have to come up with thousands more dollars to pay them. Second, a lot of those PD days are used for record keeping, like entering grades at the end of the semester (and teachers already take enough work home, they don't need their PD days taken away!). Also, as a former teacher, I can tell you that teachers need initial training when a new program is implemented, then follow-ups on how that training is working, to reflect and work out the kinks. It's not a one-and-done type of thing. Therefore, several PD days are needed throughout the year. Believe me, stingy, lousy administrators wouldn't allow them if they weren't needed!

Sooooo glad I'm not a teacher anymore!

Julius Seizure · Dec 11, 2016

The two viewpoints (guy in article, and nurses here) are coming from such different starting logic, no wonder there is a disagreement.

I think both would agree that a primary function of the school system is to educate children, but....

Guy in article seems to feel that another primary function of the school system is to provide supervision for kids during the parent's workday.

Seems like most commenters here wouldn't agree on that being one of the designated functions of the school day.

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Dec 13, 2016

The two viewpoints (guy in article, and nurses here) are coming from such different starting logic, no wonder there is a disagreement.
I think both would agree that a primary function of the school system is to educate children, but....
Guy in article seems to feel that another primary function of the school system is to provide supervision for kids during the parent's workday.
Seems like most commenters here wouldn't agree on that being one of the designated functions of the school day.

Going to go into a sociology viewpoint with some opinion for entertainment, but I think we, as a society, have lost our value of REARING children. I am talking about molding and educating them in the family setting. The '80's were the pivotal point where dual incomes become the epitome of the American Dream, and cost of living soon followed those higher per capita incomes. Stay at home moms are a luxury few could afford by the mid 90's, thus increasing the pressure on education to not only educate, but be custodians of the children. Before/after care programs became a thing to accommodate the working parents. As I pointed out earlier, this writer is probably in the top 5% of income earners in the country, the need for a dual income family is a choice more than necessity. Society has come to value the $ more than the child, and abdicated the responsibility of rearing children to the state. I personally have given up tens of thousands so my children will have as close to a stay at home experience because we value that. Maybe the biggest blessing of the crash of '09 was the realization that happiness isn't what we have. Many families realized what SAH parents can bring to family harmony and have readjusted their lifestyles.