Freakin' School Rant... Grrr!

[tiredmommy]

I'm so angry I could just spit.

I'm frustrated today because I just found out that, despite my doing everything correctly, there's been some kind of a screw-up (don't know who made it) and the monitor has not had Duckie's Epipen on the bus since the beginning of the school year. So... I get to be late to work tomorrow because I have to drive her in and straighten the mess (that I didn't make) out. Can you image the consequences if Duckie had gone into anaphalaxsis without the pen available? This is especially bad because she recently had a bad reaction to something in some surgical tape and has been hive-y ever since. Apparently, the monitor went into the school twice the first week to get the pen and was finally told that Duckie carries her own pen. The woman doesn't normally work in that building so she doesn't know who it was. Our doctor does NOT sign off on self-carry until the child is in middle school and her paperwork reflects that.

Grr... Incompetence really pisses off.

 

[muttmeister]

I understand your being mad but since I'm a glass half full kind of person, just thank your lucky stars that she is safe and did not need it during this time. That doesn't mean I wouldn't raise he!! about it though. LOL

 

[Shari]

Ya. That **** irks me, too. I try to remember that I make mistakes, too, but...

 

[flutterby]

No excuse for that. Let 'em have it.

 

[DammitJanet]

Oh wow...just wow. I would be livid too.

 

[KTMom91]

I'd be furious too.

 

[tiredmommy]

MM~ I am very thankful she's okay. I think it's easy for the adults we entrust our kids with that it often takes an act of faith to give that trust, especially if our kids have special needs. It's easy for others to claim no harm/no foul, but I think I'm going to push the issue because the ball was seriously dropped allowing for potential catstrophic harm to a child. I'd like to see an offical training process/protocol put in place to guard against this sort of slip up from happening again (or enforced if it already exists).

I am livid and frustrated and relieved that I found out so the situation can be rectified.

 

[HaoZi]

I'll take for granted you double checked any other epipens they're responsible for and where those are or will be at any given time and that field trips are covered. I'd be worried senseless they'd screw it up again.

 

[tiredmommy]

They are locked in the health clinic (nurse's office). The nurse packs a class' medications for the teacher or classroom aide to carry on field trips. Duckie's teacher had three epipens, 4 pkgs of Benadryl and six inhalers to carry last year... she appreciated my offer to be in charge of the class lunches. This is what is supposed to happen for the bus: the epipen is brought to the office at the end of the day where the monitor collects it at dismissal and heads to the bus where she meets Duckie. The monitor then returns the epipen to the office where it is locked in the safe overnight. The monitor retrieves it from the office in the morning before the bus run and returns it to the nurse when the students arrive at school. The process repeats everyday.

 

[susiestar]

O. M. G. I would be chewing tushies out right, left and center at school, the bus barn AND the school board.

There is NO excuse for that. There is NO WAY a ten yo should carry an epipen or could administer it to herself if she did. Who are these idiots and will they still be employed next week? I would expect someone to get into MAJOR trouble if this was my kid.

Our schools expect the principal, the school secretary (who usually handles medications), the teacher, the aide if there is one in the classroom - even if it is a 1:1 for another child, and the bus driver to be trained in how to use an epipen and when to use it. It has to be updated every year. If ANY student in the class or the bus has an epipen then ALL of the adults in the class must know how to use it (because what if the teacher was in the bathroom?) and if a child on the bus has one then NO driver who is not trained can take the child anywhere. It isn't long or expensive to train someone.

in my opinion this is NOT excuseable. NOT a "mistake" that is allowable. I would stress that had Duckie needed it on the bus, it is probable that she would be DEAD before they could get an ambulance to her.

Why not call Duckie's allergist and ask him to send a letter expressing how much danger they put her in by letting this fall through the cracks? I know ours would be furious, because when we were getting tested he was told about a problem like this and he was FURIOUS. He warned me that make sure that school trained enough people and told me if we had problem to contact him. Heck, at our schools the cafeteria ladies VOLUNTEERED to take the training for free so that if something happened the would know how to handle it.

I am so sorry. This should not have happened. At. All. How did they figure that she carried it? Here we have three forms to fill out and the doctor MUST sign them for a child to carry an inhaler. It is even more for an epipen. Plus they must be in 6th grade or higher, and if they have other problems like asperger's or even adhd they must be in 8th grade AND have the psychiatrist approve that they are capable to carry it. Plus the other paperwork with the allergist or primary care doctor. How do I know? We had to do it with Wiz. And thank you.

 

[tiredmommy]

Duckie's doctor will not sign off on self-carry before middle school. It's non-negotiable and, as I told the building secetqary that handles the busses, it isn't my issue if it's not convenient for the school to get this right. My issue is that Duckie is safe while she is in their care with her medications available if needed, which includes the bus.

 

[AnnieO]

In our district, there is NO self-carry. Period. Even inhalers must be kept in the clinic (though having seen some pretty nasty asthma attacks, I'd like to know how the kid is going to make it across the school to the clinic...) Even with a note on file from the doctor, if they are caught with medications it's an automatic 5-day suspension. medications have to go to the clinic with the parents. Even in the high school.

I understand and appreciate their reasoning, but it's gone too far.

If my child needed an epipen available, and one wasn't - heads would be rolling. Sounds like the bus aide did her job, going after it. But someone at that school needs their eyes opened. How about a video? I'm sure we can find one on youtube...

 

[tiredmommy]

I have a theory about who told the monitor that Duckie is self-carry: there's a woman that knows our family from the community that also occasionally subs at the school. She was working in the office the first few days of school. I think she assumed since I will allow Duckie to carry when she goes off with another family that she is also self-carry at school. If this is the case, then she seriously overstepped her bounds by:
1. Assuming she knew Duckie's health plan protocol
2. Communicating health-related info that's she's not privy to
3. Not following school guidelines by having the aide verify with the nurse or nurse's proxy (some of the office staff have access to info for just such an instance if the nurse is unavailable)

In addition, Duckie's monitor told me that Duckie was NOT flagged on the pick-up/drop-off paperwork for the bus run (she gets a list), but last year's monitor told her about the epipen. That's why she went looking for it. Now, I called the district sped ed dept over the summer to ensure Duckie is on a bus with a monitor, spoke with the district head and she called me back to confirm Duckie's status and that a monitor was in place. I don't know why the monitor was not notified.

So... it looks like there are potentially several issues to be addressed.

 

[busywend]

OMG! I am furious for you!

 

[tiredmommy]

So... the school nurse has taken full responsibility as, basically, the buck stops with her on issues of medications. To her defense, she was not notified that there was a change in monitors this year and will be contacting the Special Education dept to follow-up. She said there are no hard and fast guidelines since so few students are set-up like Duckie (most are self-carry, even if they are not self-administer) but she will be speaking to the district physician, transportation office and Special Education dept to ensure that this doesn't happen again. She will also review her students to ensure the same hasn't happened with another student. The office manager will be looking into just who told the monitor that Duckie is self-carry so some re-training can occur. And, even though I am not required to do so, I'm bringing in another Epipen twinpack today so that the monitor doesn't need to access Duckie's medications before the office staff have arrived.