You can't fix stupid!

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However, as nurses I think we want to!

It was one of those days I wanted to pull my hair out.

1. Student came in wheezing. Health history states, "no known health issues." Took 2 hours to track down dad who is a pediatric neurosurgeon! Oh yes, she has asthma. I guess I should call in RX for new inhaler. You think?

2. I stayed late to do some CPR check-offs. Came back to get my purse to leave. Student sitting there, said she had been there 20 minutes. Was sent 15 minutes after my quitting time from drama rehearsal. Clinic was dark with door closed. Hello!!!!

3. Parent came rushing up, pulled her precious out of class because he texted saying his wound (he got stitches 2 days ago) was severely infected. Mom practically pushed another student out of the way to show me his nicely healing area. Ughhhh, ever heard of the phone???? Or getting out of your big denial and admitting your kid will text you anything to get out of class???

4. No, your kid sitting in the clinic giggling and playing with my scale is not a sign of distress and that is why I sent her back to class. Please have coffee with the mom from number 3 and stop hovering over your middle schooler.

5. Throw in a couple of " my mom told me to come to school and if I wasn't better, blah, blah.." And " a piece of paper hit my arm 2 days ago, my teacher says I need ice."

When is Thanksgiving Break?????

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Specializes in School nursing.

::hugs:: Tough day, indeed!

Ah, I inwardly sigh when a student enters my office and says "I wasn't feeling well and mom/dad sent me to school and told me to call if I wasn't feeling better."

I also love that "I threw up this morning and mom sent me to school." Then the child proceeds to throw up in nurse's office trashcan. Why did you send your child to school??

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lol! I've had a few of those days recently!

My favorite this week has been: My teacher told me to come down because I was sneezing.

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Specializes in Acute Care, CM, School Nursing.
lol! I've had a few of those days recently!

My favorite this week has been: My teacher told me to come down because I was sneezing.

LOL I get this all the time! What do teachers have against sneezing?!

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Ah, the joys of school nursing. When they come in saying my parents say "blah blah blah" I have them call mom or dad for pick up. Whats the point of checking a temp if they already plan to go home.

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Specializes in Community Health/School Nursing.
Ah, the joys of school nursing. When they come in saying my parents say "blah blah blah" I have them call mom or dad for pick up. Whats the point of checking a temp if they already plan to go home.

I will do the same thing! I don't even waste my time. In fact....I send them up to the front office to use the phone since using the phone does not require them to stand in the nursing clinic. The student and parent can hash it out together. Also, parents telling their child if they don't feel better they will come and pick them up early. Well, go ahead and sit in your car out front because I can guarantee you will be getting a call before the bell rings. I don't have time for that.

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I will do the same thing! I don't even waste my time. In fact....I send them up to the front office to use the phone since using the phone does not require them to stand in the nursing clinic. The student and parent can hash it out together. Also, parents telling their child if they don't feel better they will come and pick them up early. Well, go ahead and sit in your car out front because I can guarantee you will be getting a call before the bell rings. I don't have time for that.

Parents don't seem to get it that if you give your child that out they are going to take it EVERY TIME!

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Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

If I had a dollar every time a student said, "My parents said to call if I'm still not feeling better..." or "I threw up this morning and my mom sent me to school". I'm still trying to get the office staff to stop sending kids home just because they don't feel well. No vomit and no fever: back to class. It also kills me when parents think I have a pharmacy and can medicate their kids so they send them to school knowing they're sick or don't want to pick them up. I had a student yesterday go home because he was legitimately sick. 5 minutes later his girlfriend comes in to the office "sick". No temp, but the office already called home to pick her up. Then a parent came in angry to pick up his sick son because the nurse said he needs to go home. I told the parent I didn't speak to your child and staff calls home not the student. Kid comes in and is like a deer in the headlights when he saw me in my scrubs talking to dad. He was trying hard to convince ME that I saw him in my office, but he couldn't even tell me where my office is even located. Dad brings him home anyway. If that was my kid I would have took his phone and sent him back to class. Actually, it wouldn't have even gotten that far because I would have called the school to confirm that the nurse is sending him home. :facepalm:

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
I inwardly sigh when a student enters my office and says "I wasn't feeling well and mom/dad sent me to school and told me to call if I wasn't feeling better.

My mom used to pull this one because she knew that I wouldn't go to the nurse unless I truly felt like death. It was sort of a litmus test. I am painfully shy and wouldn't even get the courage to ask my teachers if I could do go, much less go to the nurse to talk to her!

One time, in 8th grade, I felt so ill. I was sent to school because my mom thought I was faking it because I had a presentation that day (like I said, painfully shy). When I went to the nurse, I had a fever and the nurse wanted me to go home but my mom refused to pick me up, believing still I was faking it! This time the nurse told me to come back if I didn't feel better by third period.

Eventually my mom gave in and allowed my grandmother to pick me up. My grandmother proceeded to yell at my mom and my mom felt awful that she didn't believe me.

Sorry for the personal tangent. I know this doesn't fit into y'all's examples but I had to share it.

*skips away*

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

My mom tried to send me to school with 101F fever reduced by Tylenol on board after being stuck home with my siblings for weeks. My brother started with chicken pox, two weeks later sibling #2, then #3 then #4.

She was hoping it was a random temp elevation and was looking forward to everyone back in school. Hoping I dodged the pox....

She wasn't even out of driveway because the time I walked out the front door the first chicken pox blisters appeared and she reluctantly kept me home. (She had serious cabin fever at that point...to make it worse I had the most severe case out if my siblings and nearly required inpatient treatment for complications. She felt bad at least

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My days are mostly the same. I work with children 6wks-4years of age. Parents bring their infant in stating he/she was breathing funny the caregivers state we'll get the nurse to check when she gets in. Ummm hello if the parent left them and you could wait an hour or so until I got there, it's not as serious as you may think. I have parents who bring their kid in as soon as they get in the building stating oh he said he wasn't feeling well this morning. Also, some parents will give the child Tylenol right as they come in the center tell the caregiver they gave it to them. Soon as the parent leaves they call for a temp check.

I love my job it def keeps me on my toes with these requests.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

You know - I don't mind the "mom said come to the nurse if you're still not feeling well" bit so much if I get the heads up call (or even email) from Mom. The 10 seconds that I spend on the phone saves me a lot of time when that student comes in later on.

The ones that get me are the kids that HAVE to be seen for minor mundane complaints in the last 20 minutes of the day... i am pretty sure that chapped lips can wait the last 5 minutes of the day or that minor headache that the child has walked around with all day does not need to be assessed at 14:50 on a Friday afternoon. Or the teacher that calls for a temp check at the same time - 14:50 on a friday afternoon... WHY???

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