Nurse refuses student inhaler during asthma attack

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Nurse-refuses-student-inhaler-during-asthma-attack/-/1637132/13560430/-/wm13uaz/-/index.html ^ | May 21 2012 | Shaun Chaiyabhat

[Daffynition]

Volusia County School officials stand by a Deltona High School nurse's decision to refuse a student his inhaler during an asthma attack, citing a lack of a parent's signature on a medical release form.

"It's like something out of a horror film. The person just sits there and watches you die," said Michael Rudi, 17. "She sat there, looked at me and she did nothing."

He said the school dean found his inhaler during a search of his locker last Friday. The inhaler was still in its original packaging -- complete with his name and directions for its use; however, the school took it away because his mother hadn't signed the proper form for him to have it.

[Daffynition]

Something worth reading and remembrance of our old friend, Common Sense, who has become not-so-common in the last 10-15 years.....I personally feel it is because of all the Boomers who came out of the Hippie Era. They didn't share their parents view of the world (based on Common Sense) and as they became the same establishment they railed against in their youth, they implemented their own warped & shallow values on society...bringing on the demise of common sense.

My parents came through the Great Depression and World War 2. They instilled in me and my siblings, a greater sense of dedication to country, community and helping others than the self centered hippies ever had....The Hippies were given the same lesson by their parents too but they decided it was better to reject their parents values.

They told their children nonsense like, " It's all about you", "Do what feels good", " Everyone is special" and other drivel that created a generation of self centered fools who are the hallmark of the idiots we see who are on TV babbling to Oprah and Dr. Phil that they can't handle their lives. The very same fools who would elect the empty suit in the White House or Pelosi in California.

I mourn the loss of "Common Sense" and would like to see his values returned to our American way of life. It is sorely needed now more than ever.


THE DEATH OF COMMON SENSE
By Lori Borgman

Common Sense lived a long life but died in the United States from heart failure on the brink of the new millennium. No one really knows how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, homes and factories, and helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws, and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, and that life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple credos: sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and winning isn't everything (it's okay to come in second).

A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived trends including body piercing, whole language, and "new math." But his health declined when he became infected with the "If-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus. In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of well intentioned but overbearing regulations. He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero-tolerance policies.

Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from the Boy Scouts to professional sports. Finally, when a woman, too stupid to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, was awarded a huge settlement, Common Sense threw in the towel.

As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments regarding questionable regulations such as those for low flow toilets, rocking chairs, and stepladders. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers and a stepsister: My Rights, Only Me and Ima Whiner.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Note: This piece was first published March 15, 1998 in the Indianpolis Star.
http://www.loriborgman.com/

[lonestar]

You poor thing! What if you were the teacher and had to keep up with yours and every other kid’s papers!

[netmilsmom]

I like this one too...

[Daffynition]

That one is great too!

Maybe this nurse didn't have the *form* to fill out from *Information Retrieval* to call 911. :(

[netmilsmom]

LOL!
That must be it.

[timlilje]

Well there are many things going on here that impact the delivery of health care to the population at large. First it’s called the State Board of Nursing. Yes, another government organization built out of good intention but run amok due to our legal system. Unfortunately The state board of Nursing is not there to promote advocacy of nursing but rather to “protect” the general public from unsafe nursing practices. A nurse may not prescribe medications or administer medications without a physicians order and consent of the patient. The fact that the boy had an inhaler in his locker with his name on it is only part of the equation. The other part is consent. The parents must consent in this instance because the child is a minor. Yes, the legal system has caused this. One would not want a school nurse giving out medications that the parent does not consent to. (But wait we can give minors abortions without parental consent) The fact that there is a prescription is only part of the equation. If this nurse gave the inhaler to this child her licence would be immediately pulled and she would be out of work. It unfortunately does not matter that common sense indicates use of the inhaler immediately. Should the nurse administer an epinepherine injection to a patient who is having a reaction to a bee sting? (Same thing, patient has an epi pen with prescription but is a minor) Unfortunately this too is outside the practice guidelines of a registered nurse, which I assume she is even though the article does not say this.
As bad as this may seem it protects the public from overzealous nursing practice. There is no common sense clause in this law at all. Do I agree with it? No. Should 911 have been called? Absolutely! But don’t start a lynch mob on the school nurse when she/he has had his/her hands bound by the law with repercussion of licence forfiture. This is a health care delivery problem that has unfortunately been placed on the law books by good intentions run amok. Parents need to ensure that all medical records are up to date at their childs school and that the emergency number actually works for parental notification. If this had happened the nurse could have recieved telephonic consent to administer the inhaler to the child immediately.
Another case of big government run amok I say.

[RoadGumby]

Yes, please ensure all your forms are signed. /s

Buy into the idea of school control. Allow the idea that your child could die because the school withholds, WITHHOLDS, a legally prescribed drug carried by your child to be used.

You are an enabler of the very system that kills children through their ‘control’.

[zeugma]

It sure does on the radio. No matter what sort of radio license you have (or don't), when you are in a real emergency, the FCC and everybody else will tell you, use whatever equipment is at hand and transmit on whatever frequency it will work on to get help. If anybody gets a citation in that situation, it will be the one who interferes with the emergency communications, not the one who is in trouble.

Yup. Rules written back before we became a socialist state run by sociopaths. 

IIRC, there were a couple of questions on the HAM exam about that very issue. OTOH, falsely declaring an emergency to get priority will prompt folks to lower the boom on you.

[Truth29]

"As bad as this may seem it protects the public from overzealous nursing practice. There is no common sense clause in this law at all. Do I agree with it? No. Should 911 have been called? Absolutely! But don’t start a lynch mob on the school nurse when she/he has had his/her hands bound by the law with repercussion of licence forfiture. This is a health care delivery problem that has unfortunately been placed on the law books by good intentions run amok. Parents need to ensure that all medical records are up to date at their childs school and that the emergency number actually works for parental notification. If this had happened the nurse could have recieved telephonic consent to administer the inhaler to the child immediately. Another case of big government run amok I say."

Well, if the article is accurate, and I do say IF, the nurse not only didn't give him the inhaler, she also did not call 911, locked him in the office as he had the asthma attack and watched him through a window in the locked door. This is depraved indifference and she should be accordingly charged.

[Daffynition]

In this video Mom says, she was on her way to the school, AND to call 911...nurse said she was leaving at 2:00...and claims the nurse didn’t want to help her son.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/school-nurse-denies-teen-inhaler-mother-says/1d0yaja6q

Apparently the mother has filed charges against the nurse..

[JoeProBono]

[James C. Bennett]

"It’s like the Good Samaritan story in the Bible. Who was good? Was it those who would have let the traveler die rather than render aid on the Sabbath (obeying the law), or the Samaritan? The Samaritan violated the letter of the law, but he obeyed the spirit of the law."

What was the "spirit of the law" in not working / rendering aid on the Sabbath?

[rmlew]

I kept excedrine in my backpack, because tylenol was worthless for migraines. I also kept an inhaler. However, my father wrote a letter to the nurse. Didn’t hurt that he’s a doctor.

[CitizenUSA]

“What was the “spirit of the law” in not working / rendering aid on the Sabbath?”

The letter of the law was do no work on the Sabbath. The spirit of the law was keeping the Sabbath holy by loving and serving a neighbor in need. The Good Samaritan kept the spirit of the Sabbath.

[Pearls Before Swine]

You poor thing! What if you were the teacher and had to keep up with yours and every other kid’s papers!

Haha, but with all due respect, this is a different issue.

To expect that parents will get every form, that they will sign every form, that the kids will faultlessly return every form, and that the school will properly file and not misplace every form, is a bit naive. It is also short-sightedly authoritarian and legalistic to put the presence of absence of a particular form in the legally superior position of gating potentially lifesaving medical help to a student in need.

[Osage Orange]

"It's like something out of a horror film. The person just sits there and watches you die," said Michael Rudi, 17. "She sat there, looked at me and she did nothing."

Apparently...Rudi, did not die.

[James C. Bennett]

The ‘spirit’ you mention and the letter of that Sabbath law are totally unlinked, which is why I asked you the question.

How can the disobedience of a supposedly divine law be ‘holy’?

[Osage Orange]

I beg to differ.........

I've known plenty of nurses..that are educators.

[CitizenUSA]

I’m not sure I understand your point. The Good Samaritan performed labor on the Sabbath. The priest and Levite who walked past the wounded traveler did no work on the Sabbath. They obeyed the letter of the law. The Samaritan, on the other hand, kept the spirit of the law. He kept the Sabbath holy by showing love and compassion for his neighbor, the wounded traveler. Do you think the Good Samaritan behaved improperly, i.e. against God’s will?

[Shimmer1]

I really think that I’d attack a person who did that, let that happen, to my young and helpless child!