Would you call an ambulance?

halohg, RN · Apr 12, 2017

oops, this ups the ante...if you have professional insurance, it's time to call the cavalry. If you don't, you need to hire an attorney out of your own pocket. To have someone who doesn't have the authority to make such a determination regarding "poor medical judgement" make a statement like that is slander and a defamation of your professional integrity. For that same person to write that statement down is libel and a defamation of your professional integrity; both of which are a civil wrongdoing.
This is way out of line.

Thank you for your statement. I have also touched on those facts and will have my union delegate read that portion to have the entire statement thrown out and then ask for my immediate transfer out of this building.

djh123 · Apr 12, 2017

I cannot believe you were written up. This whole things is absurd.

I feel the same way about MANY things these days. 'Everything' is over-done, over-investigated, over-documented. Yeah, sometimes things need to be done, but this didn't seem to be one of those times at all.

Another way to put it is, not only would I not have called an ambulance (unless Dr. Evil demanded it), I would've said to the principal, 'For WHAT?'.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2017

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Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2017

But...how can a person with no medical or nursing background declare "poor medical judgement"? You are the only one with medical judgement in the building, that's the whole point of you. No one can really speak to your medical judgement except other school nurses. I just can't...it does not compute.

Custody personnel in jails do this sometimes. They think a matter is 911 worthy, go around the nurse. Very frustrating. Complain and Custody folks might put the word out not to help you if an inmate goes off on you. Very dangerous to have them mad at you.

OP, you really didn't give enough information in your OP, like did the child take any of the pills. Thanks for updates as you went along. I wish you the best. What does your Supervisor say?

The safest thing to do is always just call 911 when you are working with someone like this Principal. I know the student wasn't showing any signs of distress, but the fact that you didn't really know if he'd taken any pills tends to support the Principal's decision - although a call to the parent first would have been a reasonable approach, since the child was in no apparent distress.

Anyway, it's done now and I hope it ends well for you.

Timbal · Apr 13, 2017

No. As others have stated, there was no indication that it was needed. A call to the parent/s would be the first step, to see if they had sent the medication with the child. An ambulance is called only for a medical emergency, which this was NOT.

Devil's advocate: Does the school have a written policy for calling an ambulance if a student has medication in their possession?

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Apr 13, 2017

OP, you really didn't give enough information in your OP, like did the child take any of the pills. Thanks for updates as you went along. I wish you the best. What does your Supervisor say?

Hey Kooky. just to clarify, for school nurses, she did give enough info. Autistic students aren't reliable all the time in their reporting and no one saw the student ingest any. There was a possibility, though slight. She was waiting to clarify with a parent when the Principal escalated the situation without real evidence.

allnurses Guide · Apr 13, 2017

Scenario:
First grader lower function ASD student found during snack time by his one on one with two over the counter pain meds in his snack bag. No acute distress. Would you call an ambulance immediately?
yes or no

Pardon my ignorance here but why are two OTC analgesics any cause for concern? So what if he did take them?

SaltineQueen · Apr 13, 2017

Pardon my ignorance here but why are two OTC analgesics any cause for concern? So what if he did take them?

I'm sure the concern was, that since they were in his bag of snack, that he was munching on many ibuprofen at snack time.

allnurses Guide · Apr 13, 2017

I'm sure the concern was, that since they were in his bag of snack, that he was munching on many ibuprofen at snack time.

I guess I can kinda maybe see that

OldDude · Apr 13, 2017

Pardon my ignorance here but why are two OTC analgesics any cause for concern? So what if he did take them?

Against school rules but hardly a medical concern.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2017

Sounds like an overreaction on top of an overreaction on top of an overreaction.

If principals are just going to override professional decisions, why bother having a school nurse?

halohg, RN · Apr 13, 2017

No. As others have stated, there was no indication that it was needed. A call to the parent/s would be the first step, to see if they had sent the medication with the child. An ambulance is called only for a medical emergency, which this was NOT.
Devil's advocate: Does the school have a written policy for calling an ambulance if a student has medication in their possession?

No such policy, even a history of another like student whom was found to have a pill cut in half shoved into each side of a Twinkie. That occasion teacher found and brought to the attention of the school psychologist and my understanding the child was never evaluated at the clinic, only outcome was Mom was called.