"It gets more ridiculous every day"

It's hard to complain about a school when I just had such a positive meeting with several of its staff members. I'm looking forward to positive results in the weeks to come. BUT...

"I sense a blog coming on!" was my friends comment when I told her the following story:

My child needed a physical - as all kids do to participate in athletics - or, in his case, to participate in the lottery to take part in one (a school with over 1500 kids, there are about 45 slots for skiing).

My son handed the physician-completed physical form to the school nurse. She handed it back to him because it was incomplete. "Have your mom bring it back to the doctor," she told him. What was so vital?

His basic vitals... his pulse was missing from the form.

Now, I am quite sure that the first thing they teach in any nursing class is how to take a pulse. Even *I* can manage to take a semi-accurate pulse.

But our nurse, who apparently needs to be very careful about this sort of thing (oh, by the way, every single item in the physical was marked "NORMAL" and he was cleared for all sports) told me over the phone that the pulse needs to be from the time of the physical. Our tones were both frosty - my frustration countered by her cold, "of course I know how long it takes to take his pules..."

I need to either have Somerset pediatrics fax it to her (which they can't do since I have the form, they don't) or have them write it in, and bring it back to the school.

I understand that there are very few nurses per kid in our crowded schools. I understand that it is important to have accurate medical records on children who do sports - not only as a District CYA but as a matter of safety. BUT what I don't understand is why the nurse - presumably an RN - couldn't just call the pediatrician's office and ask for the information. Yes, I think it is reasonable that I expect a school nurse can and will take my son's pulse if it is missing, or make a 30 second phone call, rather than making me run back and forth to the physicians office again (I've already been there twice to drop off and pick up the form)! Why doesn't logic seem to have a place here????

The other question is: Why am I getting worked up about this (enough to spend 30 minutes writing this blog)? Is it loss of my time, the price of gas or the principle of the matter that bugs me most? Maybe it is something else?

My friend and I couldn't help mention that the raise also covers the nursing staff. She said, "2.9% and she won't take 15 seconds to take his pulse so you don't have to drive back and forth to Bedminster? It gets more ridiculous every day."

And thus a blog title was born.

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