Monday, November 28, 2011

Who Am I? RASHES

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A few years ago I was asked to give a common childhood
communicable disease overview to a group of early childhood case managers....
I thought it might be fun to share the slides I went over.
The setting was pretty informal with a sort of a round table atmosphere.
It was a comfortable setting & very informational.
The participants (about 15) were able to
listen to the information I was sharing
and ask any questions they had!
I used the slide shows as my attention getter and
followed up with verbal information,
handouts I found on the CDC website & my state department website,
and time for questions and answers!

The one prerequisite for this disease
is having had the chickenpox disease!


Who Am I?
Shingles

CDC About Shingles



Thursday, November 17, 2011

Who Am I? Childhood Rashes



+this post contains affiliate links+ 

A few years ago I was asked to give a common childhood
communicable disease overview to a group of early childhood case managers....
I thought it might be fun to share the slides I went over.
 The setting was pretty informal with a sort of a round table atmosphere. 
 It was a comfortable setting & very informational. 
The participants (about 15) were able to
listen to the information I was sharing
and ask any questions they had!
I used the slide shows as my attention getter and
 followed up with verbal information,
handouts I found on the CDC website & my state department website,
and time for questions and answers!

At one time, if you had this disease you
would be exposed (on purpose!)
to other neighborhood children
so they too would be lucky enough to get this disease!

Who Am I?
Chicken Pox



          

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Teens- Prescription Drug Abuse

There might be a misconception among teens...
Some might feel that if is "safer" to get high
taking prescription drugs because prescription drugs are not illegal drugs.

However, taking a prescription drug (even once) that isn't prescribed for you
is VERY dangerous and can be deadly! 

"Taking a pill that is prescribed for someone other than you
is inappropriate and considered prescription drug abuse -
and is illegal - even if you only do it once." - according to Dr. Drew Pinksy.

Even so, 19% of teens have taken a prescription pill
that was not prescribed to them!
What if those teens are mixing prescription pills
with other drugs- alcohol, marijuana, etc?
The dangers continue to escalate!

As a school nurse I have seen teens who 
abuse prescription drugs
(among other drugs & maybe in addition to other drugs).
The school I work at is privileged enough to have
access to a certified drug & alcohol counselor-
this counselor provides services for our students in need.
I help monitor progress with random urine drug tests.

I'm always trying to educate myself on ways to
identify students in need & ways to educate students, parents, and staff.
This FREE resource Smart Moves Smart Choices is a perfect tool!

I ordered a hard copy tool kit today-
hard copy because I'm still a little old school
and like papers to flip through!


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Embrace the Frequent Flyer

Published 11/01/2011 Updated 08/07/2021

FFP
Frequent Flyer Program

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Helpful School Nurse Tip:  Yes, even in the school setting you will encounter frequent flyers. Learn to embrace them early on- you'll thank yourself later!


Embracing the Frequent Flyer

Embracing the frequent flyer is a conscience goal of mine every school year.  I'm frequently reminded of an article I read written by (most likely) the original and my blog inspiration school nurse Gerri Harvey! 

Gerri had a a very detailed website/blog for other school nurses titled: School Nurse Perspectives; it was one-of-a-kind and full of useful, everyday tips and tricks. I read her posts over and over again. Gerri has since retired as a school nurse and retired her blog, but I keep in touch with her through the gift of social media and am still inspired by her both professionally and personally. 

What Gerri Said

Gerri discussed "frequent flyers" on her blog and she reminded school nurses that there is always something more to those student's visits. Do you think that is true?  I do; over the years I've learned that that is very true. 

Frequent Flyer Goal

Keeping Gerri's knowledge in mind, try taking another look at your frequent flyers. Instead of getting annoyed when you notice Student Idee walking through your door again, try to focus more on the why the are coming to see you again.


Does your frequent flyer student have an unmet need that is being filled by visiting the school nurse on such a regular basis?  As you build trust and a relationships with your students then you'll learn more about what they need from each visit. 

Learn to embrace their visits! You might surprise yourself and miss them when the visits stop!