Patient
Your preparation time is over. You can now start your little speaking role play. Don’t worry if I stop you when the time is up.
Nurse
Hello, Good afternoon patricia. Thank you for coming to the school clinic. I’m the school nurse, Narso Andrew, and I wanted to talk to you about your son, Samsun. He’s in grade three Right.
Patient
Good afternoon nurse. Yes, that’s right. Is everything okay? Is he sick or something?
Nurse
No No he’s not sick. He’s doing fine. But Patricia, I have noticed that he has some head lice, which are tiny insects that live on the human hair, and feed on blood. Have you noticed any signs of head lice on him?
Patient
Head lice? Oh, no That’s terrible. How did he get them? I always wash his hair regularly. He must have got them from someone else at school. This is so embarrassing. I don’t know what to do.
Nurse
Please don’t worry patricia. Head lice are very common and treatable. They are not related to hygiene or cleanliness. Anyone can get them regardless of how often they wash their hair. They spread through direct contact or sharing personal items like combs, brushes, hair accessories, hats, scarves, or helmets with others. They are not a serious health problem but they can cause some discomfort and irritation.
Patient
What kind of discomfort and irritation?
Nurse
Well, some of the symptoms of head lice are itching, scratching, redness, and inflammation of the scalp. Sometimes they can also cause small sores or infections on the scalp. Have you noticed any of these symptoms in Samsun?
Patient
Now that you mention it, I think he has been scratching his head a lot lately, and he complained of some itching yesterday. I thought it was just dry skin or dandruff.
Nurse
I see Patricia. Can you tell me more about the head lice situation?
Patient
This is a new thing for us. My family doesn’t have a history of head lice and Samsun hasn’t had any problems before.
Nurse
I understand it’s important to treat head lice promptly. It’s good that you came here today. We can start the treatment right away and get rid of the head lice as soon as possible.
Patient
What kind of treatment do you recommend?
Nurse
There are different options for treating head lice patricia, but the most effective one is to use a special comb. They can be eliminated with proper combing. The next is a medicated shampoo that contains either permethrin or pyrethrin. These are insecticides that kill the head lice and their eggs. You can buy them over the counter at any pharmacy or supermarket.
Patient
How do I use them?
Nurse
First, you need to wash samsun’s hair with warm water and apply the shampoo according to the instructions on the label. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then rinse it off thoroughly. Then you need to comb his hair with a special comb that has fine teeth, that can remove the dead lice and eggs from his hair. You need to do this section by section from the roots to the ends, and a way to comb with a tissue or paper towel after each stroke.
Nurse
You need to repeat this process every day for a week until you are sure that there are no more live lice or eggs in this hair.
Patient
Okay, I understand nurse. Is there anything else I need to do?
Nurse
Yes Patricia. There are some precautionary measures that you need to take to prevent head lice from coming back or spreading to others. You need to check the hair of other family members for signs of infestation, and treat them if necessary. You also need to wash and dry all bedding, clothing, towels and hats in hot water and high heat to kill any remaining lighter eggs.
Nurse
If there are any items that cannot be washed, such as stuffed toys or pillows you need to seal them in plastic bags for two weeks to suffocate the lesser eggs. You also need to avoid sharing combs, brushes, hair accessories, hats, scarves or helmets with others and discourage head to head contact among children.
Patient
Wow. That sounds like a lot of work.
Nurse
I know it sounds overwhelming but it’s very important to follow these steps carefully to ensure that the head lice are gone for good. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me anytime. I’m here to help you and your son.
Patient
Thank you so much for your help and advice nurse. I really appreciate it.
Nurse
You’re very welcome patricia. I hope Samsun feels better soon and enjoys his school life without any worries.
Patient
That is the end of your speaking role play. All the very best.
Nurse
Thank you.
