From simple aches to heartaches, the school nurse starter pack is here to save the day!
A few days ago, a friend shared this meme with me.
Trust me, my morning Chai almost shot out my nose because of how (at some point) accurate this meme is. I worked as a school nurse for half a decade and handled grade school, high school, and college students. Hence I believe I have enough experience and authority to reveal the wisdom behind the so-called School Nurse Starter Pack.
Now let’s get unpacking…
Essentials 1: Vicks Vaporub
Have a headache or a toothache? Itchy insect bites or stuffy nose? Fret not, Vick’s Vaporub to the rescue! This decades-old remedy has been a staple in every family home. And if schools are supposedly the second home of these students, then there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be there in the school clinic! Logic, please!
Besides, since childhood, we have been fully acquainted with its use and indications — from coughing spells to fever to sleeplessness. Even Filipino comedian Jo Koy swears to have been saved by the power of Vick’s when he was semi-dying from pneumonia! So do we still need to argue on its necessity?
Essentials 2: Efficascent oil
Fainting spells, abdominal pains, muscle pains, and more can be remedied by the potency of Efficascent oil. This liniment made of camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus oil is again another family heirloom of sorts for everyone.
Rheumatism and joint pain felt by grandpa? Dad’s back pain or Mom’s stiff neck? Big sister’s menstrual cramps and gas pains plaguing bunso (youngest)? Efficascent oil is the all-time family go-to treatment. Therefore like Vick’s, this is a proven and tested remedy that is safe to be given to children at school.
Essential 3: Ice packs
At school, physical activities abound and accidents do happen once in a while. Hence this is indispensable in our starter pack. Sprains due to sports and games, bruises from falls, or a punch from a classmate, are some injuries we encounter most of the time and the ice pack is our best friend.
A cold compress can also calm the itch in insect bites or help slow down nose bleeds due to the hot weather. Headaches are also relieved with ice packs and I can go on and on about how versatile this remedy is.
But don’t get me wrong though, we do have other medications in the cabinet if deemed necessary. And this is not the school being stingy or negligent. But the real reason we are using this starter pack is that it is our way of breaking the ice with patients. The familiarity of these items is helping these kids relax to be more open to conversation and reason.
Because for the entire time I have worked in the school clinic, majority of the cases were just malingering and not exactly a physical ailment. Most of these kids are just looking for someone to talk to because their parents are too busy to spend time with them, or are working abroad. Some are struggling with maths, and their anxiety transforms into physical symptoms. While others are too exhausted to deal with subject requirements or their first heartbreak.
And this is where our true interventions come in — collaborating with the counselors, teachers, and the family. You see, as a school nurse, I’m more than just a medicine dispenser or first aider. I care about everyone placed under my care — even if they are by the hundreds or the thousands.
So the next time you see this starter pack being used at the school clinic, do not panic because this is our standard first line of treatment. Unless of course indicated otherwise.
