Working from Home During COVID-19 Shut Down

[SchoolNurse91]

If you’re working from home during the shut down, what are you doing? I don’t have access to e-school (our charting and information program). We have to be “doing our jobs” from home.

[devi, ADN, BSN]

My schools have been closed since Friday, but school nurses are employed through the health department here, so we're being utilized as public health nurses while this is ongoing. We've done everything from phone triage to covid-19 swabbing to active monitoring of suspected/confirmed cases. It's new for all of us, but we make a good team.

[caliotter3]

15 minutes ago, devi said:

My schools have been closed since Friday, but school nurses are employed through the health department here, so we're being utilized as public health nurses while this is ongoing. We've done everything from phone triage to covid-19 swabbing to active monitoring of suspected/confirmed cases. It's new for all of us, but we make a good team.

Now this sounds exciting. Cross training with a paycheck. Works for many.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I've been off since last Monday. Not too much for me to do other than check my emails. I updated my webpage before I left to include my email all over it ad a page for covid info - not that it's hard to find. There was a call for school nurses and recently retired rns to volunteer with the medical reserve corp. We're not totally set for a drive through test site here and Mr. Flare IS required to work now so it's up to me to hold down the fort and make sure baby flare get her home school work done and keep her fed

[SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN]

I am "on-call" for the admin team at school. I've also reached out to our Guidance Dept to let them know that I am available if they identify any student needs. Our newsletter is still going out next week, so I am going to get something together for that. Other than that, I am attending some webinars and checking my email. Wish our state had the option for us to do Public Health Nursing while we are off. I feel a little useless as far as Nursing goes...at home though, I am playing Mrs. Mom as their school teacher. ?

[tining, BSN, RN]

From Texas - I am working on year end reports, am "available" from 8-4 daily. We have daily admin meetings on Microsoft Teams scheduled. I don't see how I could work a second job and be "available" for my school district.

[Nurse Trini]

Normally, I do not work (nor am I paid) on days students aren't in the building but we were told we could come in and retrieve stuff to take home. I've asked and have been given dispensation to take paperwork home (student files normally can't leave the office). I'm having my doubts that we're going back this year and I don't know yet what they intend to do about the seniors, but I can start reviewing the IEP/IDP and related stuff for the underclassmen to get a jump on next year.

[magnoliablush, BSN, RN]

I'm salary, and we are shut down in VA for good. So, I was worried about this as well. I don't do IEP's, or have SNAP, and I've already done the screenings and reports related to vision, hearing, and scoliosis. Our small school is rural, and we just don't have anything to do from home. Our superintendent just said to stay home with our kids, and do the homeschooling gig. Said that the money was already in the budget, and it wasn't our fault (all employees) that we couldn't come in. So, that was a blessing. I let them know I am doing CEU's, and working on the School Health and Wellness plan for next year, which I already have finished at this point. ? It is a strange time.

[Nurse Trini]

We're being paid, but I don't know what happens if we go back and they extend the school year. I'm happy to have some paid "prep" time. Normally, I'm not in the building until the first day of classes.

[NYLongIsland RN]

I'm in NY. We have been asked by our superintendent to do student health chart data entry from home. We have been asked to go into the building to get the charts and bring them home. This has been okayed with the legal counsel because" HIPAA is not applicable to school districts....as long as safeguards are in place to preserve confidentiality of such records pursuant to FERPA", it would be permissible to take them home to work on. What are your thoughts about this?

[nursmimi, BSN, RN]

We use eschool at my school also. I emailed my tech team and they send detailed instructions on connecting with a VPN to access it at home. I got all my BMI data entered and will be running vaccine reports next week. It is great having home access.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

On 4/16/2020 at 2:41 PM, NYLongIsland RN said:

I'm in NY. We have been asked by our superintendent to do student health chart data entry from home. We have been asked to go into the building to get the charts and bring them home. This has been okayed with the legal counsel because" HIPAA is not applicable to school districts....as long as safeguards are in place to preserve confidentiality of such records pursuant to FERPA", it would be permissible to take them home to work on. What are your thoughts about this?

They gave me a safe but it only holds 20 files? It will survive anything, weighs a ton and without access to other files, pretty useless. I'm gonna ask again for the ability to get more files.

[tining, BSN, RN]

We have been asked to contact the students with chronic health conditions and see if they need any resources we can direct them to. I am also looking at my incoming 6th graders immunizations, alerts and conditions. Will also check our state immunization registry for those that have their Tdap & MCV4 already and then input data. Pretty busy sitting in living room while binging all of the RuPaul's Drag Race seasons!