Every child deserves an education, which is why it is so important that school nurses are placed in every school. If your child has a chronic condition that needs intervention during the school day, please meet with your school nurse to discuss the plan of care.
Prior to your child starting school or prior to returning after a newly diagnosed chronic condition that requires daily intervention from the nurse, please provide the nurse with a treatment plan/action plan from your child’s medical provider and/or a Physician Authorization for Medical Procedure at School form. The nurse cannot provide detailed and specific care without doctor’s orders. If the child attends prior to the orders being on file in the health office, a guardian will have to come provide the care for the child until orders are received. Your nurse can clarify what is needed and, in some cases, provide you with the forms to be completed by a medical provider.
Examples of chronic health conditions requiring treatment plans, action plans, individualized health plans created by the nurse and/or physician authorization to be on file due to the higher risk of emergencies occurring and if routine procedures are performed at school:
- Diabetes
- Seizure disorders
- Catheterizations
- Tube feedings including emergency care
- Tracheostomy care
- Asthma
- Severe allergy
- Heart conditions
- Brain shunts
- Muscular disorders
The school nurse can request a treatment plan or doctors’ orders for other conditions not listed. Please provide all the supplies the nurse would need to provide care for your child.
The health assistant or other unlicensed principal designee may be trained to provide care in the event the nurse is absent or for field trips. Substitute nurses might not have previous training with your child but will be working within their scope of practice and following doctor’s orders.
Sometimes your child might need to miss more school days than typical related to his/her chronic condition. Chronic Health Forms can be helpful for your child for this reason and your school nurse can provide you with one. These forms are completed by a physician, chiropractor, physician assistant, or registered nurse practitioner. Per policy, these forms should note the diagnosis, prognosis, physical limitations affecting physical education, anticipated surgery, treatments, and hospitalizations which may interfere with regular attendance. These forms are renewed each school year, if needed, and turned into the health office. The form helps with excessive absences related to a chronic health condition. Please speak with an administrator if your child is falling behind on classwork related to excessive absences.
Our collective goal is to keep our students with chronic conditions in class, but our understanding is that absences might be necessary, and we are here to support your child either way.
