Suggestions Welcome

[behawkins5]

I am at my wit's end with a student and their family and was wondering what suggestions this forum might have. This student is a non-compliant diabetic age 11. Blood sugars range 300-HI regularly. She doesn't do fingersticks at home, takes only Lantus...even when we don't have school...so when she's in school, her sugars are monitored, and she's covered with insulin. Mom believes she had a miracle prayer cure about 8 months ago that ended up with student being hospitalized and Department of children and families following them. Of course the school and nurse (me) were accused of harassment in the middle of all of this.

The problem now is that I am having trouble getting both testing supplies and the novolog pen on a regular basis. When she runs out, it's like pulling teeth to get more. This last time we went 3 days with no strips last week, and 3 days this week with no insulin. I wanted the Doctor to write an exclusion order stating that if the parent doesn't provide diabetic testing supplies and insulin, then the student can't be in class, but I got no support stating legal reasons. I asked my supervisor what to do and she suggested turning it over again to Children and Families....which would only further alienate the kid.

I have TRIED to educate this family, they won't listen...remember, she was cured.

I don't know what to do. I am only in this school once in 5 days...so the other days, I have to trust the teacher and CRT/Secretary to watch over her. I am only about 10 min away, but still!

Thanks
Erica

[cougarnurse]

Please read this story I had posted in the Nursing News Forum a bit ago: Prayers picked over doctors; child dies Perhaps you'd like to have your supervisor and the parents read it, too.

Good luck!

'Cat'

[AmandaWIRN]

Your state's Department of Child Protective Services needs to intervene here- you can only do what you can at the school level, but Child Protective Services can get involved in the child's home.