McMeen Elementary

As the weather gets nicer and nicer, students play harder and harder and, of course, kids are still occasionally getting sick. Sometimes students have injuries or illness symptoms that a non-health provider staff member can support and manage without sending them to see me, the school nurse. These can be superficial scrapes from typical playground accidental injuries to stomachaches without any other concerns. 

Typically, most school injuries and some illness symptoms do not need to be assessed by a school nurse. A general guidance for school staff is to be aware of the "7 B's." If a student does not meet the criteria for the "7 B's" they may not be seen by the nurse.

Here are the "7 B's"

       Bleeding 

     Breathing Bad

      🦴    Broken Bone 

    🤮  Barfing

    🥵  Burning Up (fever)

     🐝   Bee sting

      🤕  Big Bump

Please be aware, depending on my nursing assessment, I may or may not make a telephone call home regarding your student's injury/illness. Sometimes the bleeding may be a simple scrape to a knee from accidentally falling a recess or the "burning up" may actually not be a fever (100.4 degrees F or higher), visits like these do not typically warrant a call home. There are almost 700 students here at McMeen and a typical day for me is having about 40 student health office visits a day. Some days can be as high as 70 student health office visits! 

Please also know that my assessments are one single moment in time. A student may have an assessment for an ache, illness symptom or pain and my nursing assessment results in no concerns or mild concern with simple school health supports such as ice or lying down. That same student may go home and begin to feel worse or present with a new symptom. 

I, too, am a DPS parent and rely on my children's teachers and school nurses/health staff to make the appropriate decisions regarding their health needs at school. I understand questions may arise about the care for your student. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns or comments.