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In my current assignment, I go to a public school with my patient. Another student in her class recently had a swallow evaluation. His parents haven’t had the prescription for Thick-It filled yet, and the teacher continues to give him liquids with breakfast and lunch. The student shows obvious signs of difficulty swallowing.

What am I to do if anything?

— Anonymous, RN

Read the best responses from your peers.

One of our readers thinks you should stay out of this situation. As Lois Kilburn, LVN, says, “Do nothing. You’re there for only one student who should get 100 percent of your attention. Remember HIPAA.”

However, most of your peers suggest you take immediate action. They differ only in their approach:

• Talk to the teacher.
• Start with the teacher and go higher if necessary.

Talk to the teacher

Two readers believe a one-to-one with the teacher should suffice.

An LPN writes:

“Speak up. Remember patient safety always comes first. What if the child chokes?”

An RN points out that the discussion may be necessary because of the teacher’s
lack of knowledge, not incompetence.

“If it’s obvious the student has difficulty swallowing, intervene for the child. Speak to the teacher and point out what you’ve observed. He or she may not know what to do or that Thick-It exists.”

Start with the teacher and go higher if necessary

Other readers caution that merely speaking with the teacher may just be your first step in helping this child.

An RN says:

“Attempt to educate the teacher. If that fails, talk with the school nurse.”

A home health aide provides more detail on how to proceed.

“Ask the teacher his or her reason for giving the student fluids when he clearly has problems swallowing. If the answer isn’t satisfactory, enlighten the teacher as to what could go wrong. And if that doesn’t work, go to the next level.”

Terry Cronin, LPN, agrees.

“First, check with the teacher. Is he or she aware there’s an issue with swallowing? If the teacher is aware of it, caution against giving the student liquids, explain the potential dangers, etc.

“If the teacher continues giving liquids, go to the principal and the school nurse and explain the situation. Ask them to speak to the teacher and reiterate that the child is not to have liquids that aren’t thickened.”

Shirley Sunderland, LPN (studying for a BSN), gives good reasons for why you might have to get others involved, even if this child isn’t your responsibility.

“It’s probably not your place to do anything about the teacher’s actions. However, if I were in your shoes, I’d ask the teacher for a private moment and explain to her the child cannot swallow liquids normally due to his condition and his repeated choking episodes could lead to a loss of oxygen and/or stoppage of respirations, which in turn could lead to heart failure.

“Please do this ASAP. As I said, it’s not in your place to interfere, but if you enlighten the teacher to the seriousness of the situation, you’ll have done your part to avert a disaster.”

Anonymous, you could say to yourself, “This is none of my business” and stay out of this situation. But there’s nothing wrong with interceding on this child’s part. In fact, you may help save his life by getting involved. The choice is yours to make.

This article has been brought to you in partnership with Interim Healthcare.

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I’m nearing my 50th birthday, and I’m worried my employer may think I’m getting too old to keep up with my duties or stay on top of the latest procedures and technological advances. How can I make sure no one thinks it’s time to “put me out to pasture?”

— Roxanne, RN

Read the best responses from your peers.

Remember age is just a number

Getting older doesn’t mean you can’t still do your job. But if you sense other people may not feel the same way, there are some things you do about it.

Only one reader believes you should look for another job. The others suggest you:

• Assess yourself.
• Work on yourself.
• Be yourself.

Assess yourself

Roxanne, looking at yourself objectively, identifying your strengths and weaknesses, can be difficult. But it can also be empowering.

Maria, RN, explains what you should look for:

“Has anyone made you feel this way? If so, perhaps it’s time to do a self-assessment. Are you physically able to perform your duties? Do you stay on top of the latest procedures/technological advances? If the answer is yes to both and you’re still worried, meet with your immediate supervisor and discuss your concerns. If the answer to either question is no, meet with your supervisor to determine if a new position would suit you better.”

Work on yourself

After your self-assessment, you may discover some things you need to work on. Several readers cite areas you might not have considered.

Denise R. Conti, RN, gives her thoughts on this:

“First, dye your hair and keep it up. Second, take extra CEUs related to your area of expertise. The more you have to offer, the more valuable you are.”

Alana Calderone, CNA, thinks a mind/body approach is best:

“Be positive and don’t forget to take care of your appearance — dye your hair, lose weight, do some exercise, etc. And confidently demonstrate to everybody that you have the skills, patience and compassion your patients deserve.”

An anonymous reader offers several alternatives.

“Attend in-service education as it’s available and update yourself with the latest information. Talk to your manager and say a prayer. (It doesn’t hurt.) Also, talk to the HR department about your concerns.”

Be yourself

With experience comes wisdom, so you have nothing to prove.

As Dr. Gebreab says:

“You are the best educator to the coming generation because you are experienced in your practice. Don’t worry about your gray hair. Feel free to do what you know and try to learn the new techniques and technology.”

An LVN is succinct in her opinion:

“Don’t worry about it. If you’re good at your job, your hair color and age don’t mean anything.”

Roxanne, you know you can provide the same high quality of care you always have, so don’t worry about other people’s misconceptions about you. A self-assessment may help bolster your confidence or identify a few things for you to work on. Taking care of yourself and continuing your education may make you feel better about yourself and your abilities. But, most of all, be yourself. You have a lot to offer your patients and your profession.

This feature is brought to you in partnership with Interim HealthCare.

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I work at a clinic where I’m the only nurse; the facility director and most of the staff are social workers. At times, I feel singled out and given less-than-respectful treatment.

Plus, Nurses’ Week gets barely a blip on our interoffice email, but Social Work Week is a big deal, with posters plastered everywhere, lunches for the social workers and raffle drawings. What should I do short of just leaving and finding employment elsewhere?

— RN, name withheld

Read the best responses from your peers.

The remedy is in your hands

RN, it’s understandable that you might feel unappreciated and disrespected in this situation. After all, you’re a professional whose job is every bit as important as anyone else’s. The question is: What can you do about it?

Your peers suggest you:

• Speak up.
• Educate your peers.
• Don’t take it personally.

Speak up

There’s no reason to suffer in silence, if you truly believe you’re being accorded less respect than you deserve.

An anonymous reader explains how you should proceed.

“Speak with your supervisor. Explain what’s going on and that you’re at the end of your rope. He or she should be able to help with this terribly insensitive situation.”

Educate your peers

On the other hand, your coworkers may not know Nurses’ Week exists — or how their failure to acknowledge it affects you.

Cecil H. Burton, RN/BSN, home care supervisor, believes it’s up to you to clue them in.

“During Nurses’ Week, put up your own posters all over the office to keep it in your peers’ minds — yes, we have a nurse, and it is nurses’ week. Leave little hints everywhere.

“As far as feeling singled out and getting no respect, figure out when these feelings happen and what triggers them. It just might be a misunderstanding. Talk to your coworkers and management. Let them know, politely and respectfully, how you feel. They may not even know this is happening or that they’re doing anything wrong unless you speak up.”

Don’t take it personally

Other readers want you to remember the vital role you play in your clients’ lives, and how hard you’ve worked to become the capable nurse you are. If you do, what your coworkers think or do won’t seem so important.

As an anonymous reader says:

“Let’s do a quick reality check. You’re the paid professional in this setting who studied medicine for years to become a nurse. The emails, posters, lunches and raffles may be amusing and fun, but amusement and fun are not typically things we expect to find at work. Look for these kinds of rewards in your personal life. Chin up and be the professional you are!”

Karen M., RN, agrees.

“This has nothing to do with your work duties and everything to do with your feelings. Conquer your feelings and control your reactions on the job. Be the total professional. Be friendly but maintain a professional distance from these people. They appear to harbor misconceptions about nurses as being on a level with the clerical or blue collar staff.

“The last thing you want to do is to go whining to the manager about your feelings and give him or her a subject to discuss at the next pre-staff meeting. I promise you can’t win this by complaining, but you can win by example.”

RN, we all like to be recognized for a job well done, and when you think you’re not receiving your due respect, your feelings may be hurt. If this situation continues to bother you, you could always speak to your supervisor or educate your coworkers. But whatever you do, remember how special you are. And don’t forget who ended up with that glass slipper at the end of the fairy tale!

This feature is brought to you in partnership with Interim HealthCare.

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A company recently hired me to assume the responsibilities of a nurse who was let go. Ever since I started working here, my coworkers have been less than friendly. I know the other nurse was very popular, but I didn’t have anything to do with her dismissal.

How do I get them to give me a chance? Should I just ignore the way they act? Or perhaps start looking for another job?

— Mona, RN

Here are the best responses from your peers:

It’s better to take some measured steps forward

Mona, your coworkers are obviously upset about the firing of their friend. However, their anger is misdirected; they should talk to upper management about what happened. But undoubtedly, they’re afraid to do that. So, that makes you the easy target.

Knowing this, what can you do about this matter? Our readers think you should:

• Prove yourself.
• Show some class.
• Clear the air.

Prove yourself

Considering how your coworkers feel, and as petty as it may be, they’d probably like to see you fail. That would validate their opinion management was wrong to let their friend go. Don’t give them what they want.

An LPN explains why concentrating on your work will pay off in more ways than one.

“Continue doing your job and be content with your work, making a difference in the lives of people who need your help. Sooner or later, your coworkers will see you can perform with or without them.”

Show some class

You could respond in kind to the way your coworkers are acting and adapt an attitude. But you have a better option.

Take the high road

Theresa, RN makes the following suggestion: “Be cordial toward other staff personnel (e.g., saying good morning with a smile, thanking them for a job well done, etc.). You cannot be held accountable for other people’s actions or reactions — only your own.”

Clear the air

Sometimes, enough is enough, and if you’ve gotten to the point where you can’t take this kind of abuse from your coworkers, it may be time for you to speak up.

An RN describes what she did when she was in a situation similar to yours.

“Not so long ago, I was the ‘new kid’ who’d replaced everybody’s friend, and I was treated like a pariah. After several weeks of this treatment, I met with each of my coworkers individually.

“I asked them about the nurse I’d replaced and listened to all the nice things they had to say about her. I told them she sounded like a great person, that I was sorry I didn’t have a chance to get to know her myself and that I only hoped one day they would have an opinion of me that would at least come close to how they felt about her. After that, we all started to get along. I think letting them talk about their friend and seeing I was willing to try to fit in helped.”

Mona, your coworkers aren’t giving you a chance, and that isn’t right. Show them the kind of professional you are by doing your job to the best of your ability. Be polite to each one of them. And if things don’t get better, demonstrate your empathy and desire to be a part of the team with one-to-one meetings. They will accept you. It may just take some effort on your part.

This feature is brought to you in partnership with Interim HealthCare.