Would you report the school nurse about this?

[desamnik]

My dd is 8, in 2nd grade. She has seasonal allergies which easily exacerbate into asthma. She has an inhaler in the nurses office. I have been called a few times over the years (my son has asthma also and is 11) for each of them letting me know that they had come down to use their inhalers.

On Fridays, my daughter is in a carpool for dance, it wasn't my turn to drive either way. She went to dance and got dropped off at 6pm. When she got out of the car, the driving mom said ....is sick. I took one look at her and realized she was having a hard time breathing. Long story short, we were at the ER at 8:30 and she was admitted to the hospital and got released at 8pm last night.

I am so MAD that the school nurse didn't inform me that she had used her inhaler at 1pm. I would have gone to the school at 3 to make sure she was ok before she left for dance. I have since found out that the afternoon car pool mom knew that dd was sick. She has apologized for not letting me know. Apparently her dance teachers never noticed either

I called the nurse this morning and asked if she had given dd her inhaler last week and she said yes, Friday at 1. I asked why she didn't call me and she said "well, she's in third grade" I said no, 2nd grade, well, she replies she said she would tell you herself. I then went on and explained how my dd's day/night progressed and finally she admitted she should have called me.

I can't help but think that her phone call may have minimized my daughter's hospital stay.

Would you let others at the school know? Like the principal? Or should I just drop it? I'm sure she won't ever not call again, but why would you leave that up to a second grader to tell????

Sorry this is so long!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

My dd is 8, in 2nd grade. She has seasonal allergies which easily exacerbate into asthma. She has an inhaler in the nurses office. I have been called a few times over the years (my son has asthma also and is 11) for each of them letting me know that they had come down to use their inhalers.

On Fridays, my daughter is in a carpool for dance, it wasn't my turn to drive either way. She went to dance and got dropped off at 6pm. When she got out of the car, the driving mom said ....is sick. I took one look at her and realized she was having a hard time breathing. Long story short, we were at the ER at 8:30 and she was admitted to the hospital and got released at 8pm last night.

I am so MAD that the school nurse didn't inform me that she had used her inhaler at 1pm. I would have gone to the school at 3 to make sure she was ok before she left for dance. I have since found out that the afternoon car pool mom knew that dd was sick. She has apologized for not letting me know. Apparently her dance teachers never noticed either

I called the nurse this morning and asked if she had given dd her inhaler last week and she said yes, Friday at 1. I asked why she didn't call me and she said "well, she's in third grade" I said no, 2nd grade, well, she replies she said she would tell you herself. I then went on and explained how my dd's day/night progressed and finally she admitted she should have called me.

I can't help but think that her phone call may have minimized my daughter's hospital stay.

Would you let others at the school know? Like the principal? Or should I just drop it? I'm sure she won't ever not call again, but why would you leave that up to a second grader to tell????

Sorry this is so long!

I think your talk settled it but if it will make you feel better talk to the principal. I doubt if anything will happen to the nurse or anything will become of it. I can't imagine your dd was having trouble breathing when she arrived at dance class and she was allowed to take the entire class, if anything I would question the dance teacher.

 

[golfgal]

No, I wouldn't report the nurse for doing her job and by that age your child should know when she can't breath. Why doesn't she have an inhaler in her dance bag? Why didn't she ask to call you if she wasn't feeling well at dance? If she needs her inhaler that much, she needs better meds to control her asthma.

I have kids with asthma and by 2nd grade they were able to take care of things themselves and if they couldn't they knew enough to call me or another adult.

I would NOT expect a call from they nurse every time my child went to the nurse, even to use an inhaler.

 

[desamnik]

I guess I should have mentioned that dance that day was an end of year pizza party and they were not required to dance, it was more of a party. There were three levels of dancers in the room as opposed to just the 12 girls in her group. So I think that the teachers didn't notice for that reason, although I am surprised they didn't.

DD didn't report her failing health because she didn't want to miss the party.

Thanks for your thoughts, I agree my daughter failed herself, and I think she'll think twice before she puts a party ahead of her health.

DD has only had her asthma attacks between April and May for the past 4 years, we go 11 1/2 months without having to deal with them, so that is why she doesn't have an inhaler with in her bag. This is her first year going anywhere without me or her dad and I never even thought to put an inhaler in her bag.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

She's a little girl, I would never say she failed herself. The adults around her that evening should have noticed and I would tell her in the future to be sure to let an adult know if she is feeling that way again.

 

[waltsgirl]

My daughter has an inhaler at school and they do not call me when she uses it. I have given permission for her to use it at school and she does. If she is that bad that the inhaler does not do the job then she has them call me.

 

[hegsag]

DD didn't report her failing health because she didn't want to miss the party.

Thanks for your thoughts, I agree my daughter failed herself, and I think she'll think twice before she puts a party ahead of her health.
QUOTE]

No, I would not report the nurse especially after reading what you wrote. I would be questioning the dance teachers though....

 

[OceanAnnie]

I guess I should have mentioned that dance that day was an end of year pizza party and they were not required to dance, it was more of a party. There were three levels of dancers in the room as opposed to just the 12 girls in her group. So I think that the teachers didn't notice for that reason, although I am surprised they didn't.

DD didn't report her failing health because she didn't want to miss the party.

Thanks for your thoughts, I agree my daughter failed herself, and I think she'll think twice before she puts a party ahead of her health.

DD has only had her asthma attacks between April and May for the past 4 years, we go 11 1/2 months without having to deal with them, so that is why she doesn't have an inhaler with in her bag. This is her first year going anywhere without me or her dad and I never even thought to put an inhaler in her bag.

I'm glad your DD is out of the hospital and feeling better. I don't think it's an unreasonable expectation for the nurse to call to let you know your child used the inhaler. Your child is young and is learning her way. That's the thing about being a kid, especially a young kid. They don't have many experiences to draw upon and that is key. The nurse even stated she should have called you.

I wouldn't report the nurse. It's as you stated, she most likely will call you should your DD need the inhaler again. I'm sure it was a scary situation. I'm glad it wasn't any worse than it was!

 

[KristaTX]

No.

 

[ZeitgeistDuck]

I think your talk with the nurse settled it. She had no way to know your daughter was going to dance that night, that you'd have wanted to check on her at 3, etc. I would have thought that using the inhaler would be routine enough that she wouldn't necessarily call home, but might has your daughter to let you know at the end of the day.

Anyway, at least now is a good time to evaluate opportunities to improve your daughter's ability to react. Maybe you can talk with her about when to let an adult know she needs help, and make sure she has the inhaler with her all the time, just in case. I know this must have been scary for you and for her, hopefully you can concentrate on ways for your daughter to make sure she's better equipped to handle it next time

 

[ajk912]

I don't think it's anyone's fault. I think it's just a series of breakdowns and one thing just led to another. She wasn't feeling well, used the inhaler, the nurse didn't call you, it wasn't your day to pick up so you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, the carpool parent wasn't familiar with asthma so may not have seen the telltale signs as first, more dancer than usual so lax supervision....really no one is to blame, IMO.

I am sorry it happened!!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Does your school have an action plan for each student?

My ds school has an action plan, like what they will do if something happens (this is for chronically ill children, asthma etc.)

They give the med, call you at home etc.

I wouldnt report the nurse, but I would inquire as to what is the standard action plan, like not to call parents etc. and maybe you could get something in writing that they MUST call you if your dd uses her inhaler at school.

Hope your dd is feeling better.

 

[minkydog]

No, I wouldn't report the nurse for doing her job and by that age your child should know when she can't breath. Why doesn't she have an inhaler in her dance bag? Why didn't she ask to call you if she wasn't feeling well at dance? If she needs her inhaler that much, she needs better meds to control her asthma.

I have kids with asthma and by 2nd grade they were able to take care of things themselves and if they couldn't they knew enough to call me or another adult.

I would NOT expect a call from they nurse every time my child went to the nurse, even to use an inhaler.

And I thank you! I'm a school nurse in elementary school with 25yrs pediatric nursing experience (NICU, PICU, triage). I have several students with asthma, some of whom use their inhalers every day or before strenuous activities and some who only use them when they're having difficulty breathing. If they come to be with difficulty breathing I assess their lungs first. Then they use the inhaler with me watching--you would be amazed at how many kids don't know how to use an inhaler properly, even up to 7th grade! They wait 5-10 minutes and I assess again. Most of the time, their breathing is restored and they are ready to be on their way. I always send a note home in their notebook to let the parent know I saw them, but I don't call every time. Now, if I see the child more than once in a day or if this is a child that I KNOW has lots of hospitalizations or if they don't respond well to the inhaler I always call the parent!

OP, I think you've made your point with the nurse. You can take it up with the principal if you want to, but I can pretty much guarantee you the principal has no idea what a school nurse does--totally different professions. Personally, I don't think she did anything wrong. You've said your piece and now she will red flag your daughter's record so she will remember to ALWAYS call you about everything. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. I have a few parents like you, who want to know everything. I am happy to oblige them each and every time.

I think if you want to take it up with someone, it should be the person who picked up your daughter, knew she had to use the inhaler at school, and dropped her off at dance without calling you.

 

[golfgal]

And I thank you! I'm a school nurse in elementary school with 25yrs pediatric nursing experience (NICU, PICU, triage). I have several students with asthma, some of whom use their inhalers every day or before strenuous activities and some who only use them when they're having difficulty breathing. If they come to be with difficulty breathing I assess their lungs first. Then they use the inhaler with me watching--you would be amazed at how many kids don't know how to use an inhaler properly, even up to 7th grade! They wait 5-10 minutes and I assess again. Most of the time, their breathing is restored and they are ready to be on their way. I always send a note home in their notebook to let the parent know I saw them, but I don't call every time. Now, if I see the child more than once in a day or if this is a child that I KNOW has lots of hospitalizations or if they don't respond well to the inhaler I always call the parent!

OP, I think you've made your point with the nurse. You can take it up with the principal if you want to, but I can pretty much guarantee you the principal has no idea what a school nurse does--totally different professions. Personally, I don't think she did anything wrong. You've said your piece and now she will red flag your daughter's record so she will remember to ALWAYS call you about everything. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. I have a few parents like you, who want to know everything. I am happy to oblige them each and every time.

I think if you want to take it up with someone, it should be the person who picked up your daughter, knew she had to use the inhaler at school, and dropped her off at dance without calling you.

When our kids were in elementary school the school nurse would call me when my DD went to see her but the nurse was a friend of mine and her DD and my DD were buddies and DD would stop by to tell the nurse a story quite often so the nurse would call me cracking up at the latest installment.

The few times we DID get a call from the school nurse it was usually for a sick kid that needed to come home (usually puking) and she was REALLY good about having plastic bags to send home with the kids.

I always laughed at her "magic" sponges too. She bought a bunch of sponges at the dollar store one year and would keep them frozen in the freezer for all the kids that "didn't feel well". It was AMAZING how much better they suddenly felt if they could take a cold sponge back to class (and if they didn't return them they were much easier to replace than real ice packs).

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I have two students that use inhalers, and we do not call the parents when they use them. I suppose if it were a serious attack, the nurse would. But this has never been a problem for us. You'd be surprised how many kids ask to use them when they do not actually need them. The nurse always does a pulse ox, but will give it t othem if they say they need it (even if the pulse ox is fine).

 

[EllenFrasier]

My dd11 has asthma and she is on Advair, which she uses at home twice a day. She carries an inhaler in her softball bag and has an inhaler in the nurses office at school. Since she rarely needs the inhaler, I would think that if she went to the nurse to use it, the nurse would call me - but I do not know the policy. I would guess if the inhaler did not work, they would definitely call me because further action might be necessary, such as a Dr. visit.

My only words of advice to you get a second inhaler and store it in her dance bag, and check with the school on it's policy for informing parents of visits to the nurses office. I'm sure the nurse gets tons of visits each day and cannot call the parents for every headache, stomach ache and bandaid - but if it's for breathing, I would think she would make it a point to call.

 

[sparklynails23]

The nurse had no way of knowing that your child's asthma would kick in again by 6 pm. She is only responsible for her health while at school. If you know your daughter has asthma problems in the Spring, you should probably have more frequent contact with her, like a check-in call after school and before dance. Did she not have an inhaler with her?

If her asthma is at all related to a respiratory virus, it will typically be worse at night, anyway. So, the nurse may not have witnessed the level of wheezing which you saw at 6.

Hope she feels better.

 

[golfgal]

Another thing to consider is petitioning your school so the kids can keep their inhalers with them. When our kids were in elementary school the school had the policy that all inhalers had to be kept in the nurses office. Then, one day the gym teacher decided to have the kids run the mile for their presidential fitness tests, with no forewarning for the kids so none of the kids with asthma used their inhalers before the run. Needless to say there were a LOT of issues that day. The gym teacher didn't think the kids "really" had asthma (which is a different story all together). There were a LOT of upset parents and the school policy was changed the next day. Kids still kept one in the nurses office but they also had one in their desk or carried it with them.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

My DD9 also has allergy-induced asthma. Her new asthma action plan lets her carry her inhaler on her (like yours, she only extremely rarely needs it.) So I'd have no way of knowing, other than DD telling me.

I don't think it's unreasonable for you to ask the nurse to call you if she goes in, esp given her most recent history, but I don't think there is anything to "report".

I agree there was a series of little things that unfortunately resulted in the ER visit. Not that your daughter is "responsible" either, but I'd have a good talk to her- or have her pedi talk to her, sometimes that authority figure speaking works wonders, lol. Explain that others around her may not understand that she is having a hard time breathing, she needs to let people know (and in this case, it wouldln't have kept her home from the party). While she is young to be completely responsible, I think she very much needs to be involved in her own needs and care.

(Of course, I say that and my own daughter locked herself in the bathroom when we had to call the ambulance for her last year when she had an attack. I can't even remember the logic in that one, other than she was 8. We did have a big "responsiblity" talk after that!)

 

[luvmy3]

Unless it is the school's policy for her to inform you everytime your child goes down to use their inhaler then no I wouldn't go to the principal, she didn't do anything to warrant that.
Both my dses have asthma, they go down occasionally for their inhaler (youngest gets a nebulizer) and the only time the nurse calls me is when I send in a note asking her to because that is something we had discussed. (I dont do it for my oldest but my youngest is newly diagnosed). I think if you would like her to inform you, you need to let her know, she isn't a mind reader and probably has to deal with a ton of students coming in this time of year to take their puffs and can't call every parent when they do. I understand you are upset but if you look at the situation you will see that she really didn't do anything wrong.

ETA OP I agree with the others about seeing if she can carry her inhaler. Check the laws of your State, the school may say no but the State may say she can.