Wrap it up?

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So suppose a kid come in to you holding an ace wrap and asks you to wrap up some sore affected body part. Then gives you a long drawn out sob story about why they need it wrapped - usually some ancient injury that they have reported to a parent but haven't had looked at by a doctor. Do you wrap it up for them?

Specializes in kids.
We aren't allowed to wrap! They consider this a step beyond our scope of nursing. So with that being the rule, I wouldn't even rewrap :/

But isn't the standard treatment for a sprain RICE? Rest Ice Compression and Elevation? Not sure that is out of scope. How do you compress a (sometimes rapidly swelling) ankle injury? I wrap and have them picked up for further assessment. I follow up on them to ensure, they still need it (or not) or to check that it isn't too tight.

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Specializes in School Nurse, professor, OBGYN.
But isn't the standard treatment for a sprain RICE? Rest Ice Compression and Elevation? Not sure that is out of scope. How do you compress a (sometimes rapidly swelling) ankle injury? I wrap and have them picked up for further assessment. I follow up on them to ensure, they still need it (or not) or to check that it isn't too tight.

I agree

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I also agree in those circumstances. In those cases of acute injury, yes it would be appropriate to wrap and call a parent for further treatment and an x-ray.

I am referring to a different scenario, though. I am referring to the scenario where a student comes in with an ancient injury and an even older ace wrap and expecting you to wrap it up for them. When asked what is being done by the parents at home you usually get an answer something along the lines of "my parent have been too busy to call and make an appointment."

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I will wrap if they bring it from home. I dont' have ACE wraps here that I can hand out.

I had a student come to school with his writing hand wrapped, claiming he could not do his work. When asked what happened, he claimed he didn't know, it just started hurting. I called parents they could not tell me either what happened. I removed the wrap, assessed the hand and could not find anything wrong with it. I did not re-apply the wrap, so that he could complete his class work.

I pretty much tell them "Too bad, so sad" You gotta figure out a way to do your work if the injury is non-life threatening.

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I also agree in those circumstances. In those cases of acute injury, yes it would be appropriate to wrap and call a parent for further treatment and an x-ray.

I am referring to a different scenario, though. I am referring to the scenario where a student comes in with an ancient injury and an even older ace wrap and expecting you to wrap it up for them. When asked what is being done by the parents at home you usually get an answer something along the lines of "my parent have been too busy to call and make an appointment."

Yea, that's why I said it depends on the kid. I have refused and done the "enough is enough" call to the parent, take them to the doc already!

Sometimes the parent is not even aware of the injury. The kid hides it from them so he/she can continue to play sports.

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Specializes in kids.
I also agree in those circumstances. In those cases of acute injury, yes it would be appropriate to wrap and call a parent for further treatment and an x-ray.

I am referring to a different scenario, though. I am referring to the scenario where a student comes in with an ancient injury and an even older ace wrap and expecting you to wrap it up for them. When asked what is being done by the parents at home you usually get an answer something along the lines of "my parent have been too busy to call and make an appointment."

ah gotcha! Ya, not so much most times!!

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Specializes in school nurse.

I have to confess, when I saw the title of this thread, my first thought was of a high school sex ed class during which they discussed "wrapping it up."

Imagine my surprise when I read beyond the title...

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I have to confess, when I saw the title of this thread, my first thought was of a high school sex ed class during which they discussed "wrapping it up."

Imagine my surprise when I read beyond the title...

Ditto. Imagine my disappointment.

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I will rewrap something if it is a previous injury that I know about. My favorite was when I was subbing at the middle school and I had a kid with an obvious broken knuckle. Called up mom and told her to take him to the doctor. She sent him back to school and had him just ice it. The kid came to the clinic right off the bus because it hurt so much. Apparently the parents made him write with that hand to see if it was broken and if the swelling was still bad then they would take him to the doctor!

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.
I have to confess, when I saw the title of this thread, my first thought was of a high school sex ed class during which they discussed "wrapping it up."

Imagine my surprise when I read beyond the title...

i thought about that afterward! ha ha!!

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Flare,

To me - this is a darn if you do and darn if you don't scenario. Go beyond your scope vs assist a student. As someone else stated, it is silly not to when RICE is the standard of treatment.

I have done it a few times, not many. After speaking with parent, getting additional info and if I actually see some swelling.

On a side note, I calculated that it would cost me $3000 / yearly if I provided and wrapped the MS injuries that I see in a school year. My budget for 1300+ students is $1200 so that would not work...

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I have to confess, when I saw the title of this thread, my first thought was of a high school sex ed class during which they discussed "wrapping it up."

Imagine my surprise when I read beyond the title...

I was going to say that as well, but then I figured you all knew that I was thinking that...

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