Back to School
Every September, I love the way the air is cooler, the sky is bluer and yellow school buses are on the roads. No, it's not because I have kids in school; I think it just evokes memories of childhood.
In my practice, I see kids with ADHD, migraines, seizures, motor tic disorders and developmental or learning differences. These kids typically do not have happy school experiences because of the medical conditions with which they struggle. I write letters to teachers describing the conditions, write detailed instructions for medical problems that may occur in the classroom, and talk with the kids and their parents to form action plans.
Despite all this, I still deal with these children being treated in a negative manner by their school or their peers. One child that I saw recently has a motor tic disorder, and he was disciplined by his teacher for the jerking movements of his head.
Despite my letter of explanation about the tics and that stressful situations and fatigue could increase the frequency and severity of the tics, she remained unconvinced. She felt that he was deliberately making the movements and that if he was separated from his peers and denied access to activities that he enjoyed, that he would stop the behavior. As expected, her attempt at correction only resulted in increased stress for the child and therefore increased motor tics. After talking with his parents, I resubmitted the letter but with a physician's signature. The teacher then made changes in her approach to the child, simply because the letter was from an MD.
I know this sort of thing happens frequently, because of the public's perception of NPs being "just a nurse." The recent campaign to change language in the media to "healthcare provider" and not always "physician" has helped a little, but not enough. I think we as a profession need to focus more attention on educating the public about the role of the advanced practice nurse.
I had a patient ask me recently why I didn't go to medical school and not be "just a nurse." I am sure you can imagine my response....