Nits ,do schools have individual policies regarding them and why is there no nit nurse anymore?

[Beauregard]

dd1 has had nits several times since september and 2-3 times a week i am wet combing with nit comb and conditioner and i am she is still combing home with a couple a week.

It is getting ridiculous and tbh expensive as i also buy the insectides when there are lots.

I was talking to a mum whose dd was constantly catching nits from one particular child - the nits were so infested they could be clearly seen by anyone stood near her in the playground. The school made the usual song & dance about not being able to do anything etc until the mum pointed out that it is neglect to not treat your child for an infestation (that is where the saying feeling lousy comes from urgh) and the school was ignoring a neglectful treatment of a child. All of a sudden they were treated and continual lice catching stopped!

I am a school nurse and yes every school has one unless it is private and they haven't paid for one. The reason the 'Nit nurse' role stopped was because it wasn't effective. Checking for head lice is a parent's responsibility although the kids who have headlice constantly tend to have parents who don't do anything about it and keep re-infecting everyone else.

Just remember that it's not just children who have and pass on headlice, adults can have them too.

As a school nurse my day is spent mostly dealing with child protection issues. Those children where headlice is a particular problem will be addressed by the school nurse if the school request it. The problems arise when school staff are reluctant to communicate with those parents.

My suggestion would be that all the parents in the school come together and organise a bug busting night when everyone checks their child's head and wet combs. Chemicals aren't always neccessary. Also most people forget to treat twice and check other family members heads.

Just thinking that maybe i should change my MN name to Nitty Nora but then that would reinforce the stereotype of school nurses - or so my manager says