Write With Me- The School Nurse Anthology

 Have you noticed the new tab on the 
Diary Of The School Nurse blog?

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: Writing is an excellent way to share our personal school nurse stories and to help spread awareness about school nurse as a profession. I hope you consider sharing a meaningful story today! Click one of the above pictures to submit your heartfelt story and/or poem.

I have this elementary love for I AM poems and thought many of you might too.

I AM poems are easy enough to write, yet strong enough to be full of emotion.

Please accept this invitation to share your I AM poem with me. 

2020 has been quite the year and writing about your challenges, achievements, guilt, happiness, and/or sadness might be just the outlet you need 

(and didn't even know you needed!).

WRITE WITH ME

Bullying & Physical Complaints of Students

BULLYING in SHOOLS

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip:  Do you think some of  your student's complaints can be related to a bullying issue? Sometimes students have psychosomatic issues and they don't realize why. Pay attention- this might be happening to one of your students too.

As a school nurse, you might be one of the first school employees to suspect or learn about an act of bullying.

Bullying which results in physical injuries can be some of the most obvious attacks.  

However, many forms of bullying cause emotional  and other health related complaints. The health related symptoms (psychosomatic symptoms) can go unrecognized for a long period of time until they are related to a bullying situation.

Health related complaints caused from bullying include, but are not limited to:

• stomach aches
• fatigue
• nausea
• sore muscles
• headaches
• depression
• anxiety
• shortness of breath
• dizziness
• tiredness
• drug/alcohol use/abuse
• back pain
• abdominal pain
• loss of appetite

Many times it is easier for students to ask to see the school nurse for these or similar complaints. If  you are the school nurse who realizes one of your students is being bullied then read on to see how you can help.

As a school nurse YOU CAN HELP!

1. Gather Information or Get School Admin to Gather Info:  Collaborate with other school employees (administration) to determine if the situation qualifies as a form of bullying (physical, verbal, cyber, social).

2. Be Supportive: Support the student being bullied and support all bystanders while the school administrators properly address the student bully according to school policy.

3. Educate: Help educate students and staff on bullying, prevention, and responding.

These steps are outlined in greater detail on the Stop Bullying website!.

List of online (anti)bullying resources:

PBS

Education

Stop Bullying

Stop Bullying Now DVD

Bullying

Kids Health

CDC

STRYVE

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i am a parent in denial... poem

Do you know a parent in denial?

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: You've probably met a parent in denial. A parent that states "not my kid". There are many who struggle with denial related to a variety of issues.  Author, Linda Durnell, states "We should strive to help, support and understand that which threatens any and all of our families."  This is something school nurses can do too...

I talk to a lot of parents everyday. Probably between 10-25 depending on the day.  There are times when I even get to talk to a parent in denial and I bet you have to.

Parents can be in denial over a variety of issues their child is dealing with.  A few examples include but are not limited to:

1. grades
2. attendance
3. friend choices
4. clothing choices
5. overall choices
6. child health complaints

The list could go on and on and I bet you're thinking of a few things right now.

It can be frustrating when someone so close to a potentially dangerous situation can't seem to see accept what is actually happening. 

     Does being emotionally close to a situation make reality blurred?

I recently read an article related to parents in denial and you can read the article too:  "Not My Kid: when parents are in denial". I related to the article because of a situation I was recently involved with at the high school I work at. It was very frustrated for all of the staff members involved and I bet for the child and parent too.

denial is not helping your child

i am a parent in denial poem by the school nurse

Helpful School Nurse Resources

A Parent in Denial article: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/addiction_b_1465306

Denial of Reality https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6686798/

Parents In Denial https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-do-life/202010/parents-in-denial

I NEED A QUOTE
by The School Nurse

i am a student with drug addiction... I Am Poem

Student Drug Addiction

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: Even young children / young adults can struggle with very grown up issues. School nurses in the middle school / high school setting will see this first hand at some point in their career. When it happens, it is usually shocking, saddening, and makes you feel helpless.

It's Complicated

People of all ages struggle everyday with addiction.

As a school nurse, one part of my job is to explain the school district's drug / alcohol counseling program and to gather urine samples for drug/alcohol urinalysis.

This part of the job can be very emotionally draining.

I see a lot of kids who look like every day teenagers on the outside,

but on the inside they struggle deeply with some very "grown up" problems.

To help keep myself focused on what needed to be done &

instead of "worrying" about things I have absolutely zero control over-

I wrote a poem...

I know you're not surprised! 

I've written other poems before; it seems to be therapeutic for me!

It might be therapeutic for you too- give it a try with this guided form.

student with drug addiction poem by the school nurse

  

  

Lunch Ladies Free Printable

Original Post 10/1/2012

Update Post 5/22/2023

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Celebrate The Cafeteria Crew

Remember my original Lunch Lady post?

This poem was written by a  former student during his senior year of high school.

We were so inspired that we convinced him to recite the poem to the entire group of lunch ladies; no lunch gentleman at the time.

I'm 99.9% certain he was rewarded with a cookie!

School Lunch Hero Day is The first Friday in May 

Celebrate your cafeteria crew!

Click HERE to download your own 5x7 copy.

I'm certain receiving this would make any Lunch Lady smile!

 

The Lunch Lady

Original Post 9/8/2011

Update Post 5/22/2023

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Lunch Lady Appreciation Poem

Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: The school year is full of recognition days. It is nice to feel remembered and appreciated. Use this poem to help celebrate School Lunch Hero Day!

The following poem was written many years ago by a former student who promises

 (or threatens, I'm not sure... ha ha) he'll return one day to be the boss!

This poem shows how much our lunch ladies (and gentleman) are appreciated!

School Lunch Hero Day is each year on the first Friday in May.

Celebrate your cafeteria crew the first Friday in May. 

With them, millions of American students have warm meals and yummy snacks to eat throughout the school year.

lunch lady appreciation poem 5x7

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