Health & Well-being

The licensed school nurse (LSN) is a registered nurse with a baccalaureate degree and is licensed in public health and school nursing. Our district nurse provides care and coordination for students at all schools through collaboration with support services, health clerks, and educational support staff.

Together, with the health clerks, the LSN promotes and maintains the health and well-being of all students. In addition, the LSN will:

• Delegate and supervise first-aid care, medication administration and health procedures
• Assess, plan and document for students with health issues
• Provide and plan the direct services for chronically ill or medically fragile students needing health procedures
• Plan for and provide vision and hearing screenings and referrals
• Provide health consultation and education to students, staff and families
• Provide referrals to community resources
• Coordinate prevention and control of communicable concerns

Our health clerks work in the school health offices under the supervision of the district nurse. They are certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid and receive targeted health education on pertinent school health-related topics such as diabetes, anaphylaxis, asthma and epilepsy. They perform the following services:

• Provide routine and emergency first-aid care to students with illnesses and injuries
• Administer medications as delegated by the LSN
• Provide care to students with chronic medical conditions as delegated by the LSN
• Assist district nurse with the prevention and control of communicable diseases, in addition to providing information to students and staff regarding communicable concerns
• Assist with vision and hearing screening programs
• Maintain documentation of immunizations and other health conditions as part of the students' health records

Please take a moment to ensure that your contact information is accurate in ParentVUE in the event that your child has an illness or emergency for which we need to contact you. 

At the beginning of every school year, please update your child’s school health office with any health information or health concerns through the annual verification of health information form. All forms can be mailed or faxed to your child’s school, or they can be delivered with any necessary medications to the school health office. Medications can be brought by a parent/guardian to the main office.

Annual Verification of Health Information Form

Common Health Forms:

• Seizure Emergency Care Plan
• Asthma Questionnaire
• Allergy and Anaphylaxis Questionnaire
• Diabetes Medical Management Plan
• Special Diet Request
• Lactose Intolerance

If your child needs health services support at school (emergency action plans, daily medication, etc.), please complete all necessary forms before the school year begins.

Medications should be administered at home whenever possible. However, at times it may be necessary for a student to receive medication during school hours. Before health personnel can administer any prescription medication to the student, the parent or guardian must provide all of the information below. For over-the-counter medications please note the last two bullet points(*).

All prescription medication must have a written order from the physician before school can administer the medication. All over-the-counter medication must have a parental/guardian permission.

• Written parent or guardian permission (Please include type of medication, duration of medication administration, dosage you want your child to have, and the reason for giving the medication.)
• Medication must be provided in the original labeled container (For prescription medication, the pharmacist will supply a duplicate labeled container so that one can be kept at home if necessary, and one can be kept at school. Non-prescription medication must also be provided in the original container.
• Parents and guardians are encouraged to bring any and all medication to school themselves and not send the medication with the child.
• Homeopathic medications can be given at school if there is a physician's prescription for them.

Self-Administration of Medication:

Self-administration means that the student is able to consume or apply medication in a manner directed by the licensed prescriber, without additional assistance or direction. A student may be responsible for taking their own medication after the district nurse has determined that several requirements have been met. Asthma inhalers, over the counter non-prescription medications and Epinephrine Auto injectors fall into this category.

All students who become ill at school will be sent home as quickly as possible.

A child should not come to school (and will  be sent home from school) if they have or have had:

• A fever of 100°F (orally) or higher in the past 24 hours WITHOUT fever-reducing medication
• Vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours
• An undiagnosed skin rash

Please notify the school if your child has a contagious condition like chicken pox, strep throat, or head lice.  

Make sure your school health office has a written record of your child's immunizations. To attend school in Minnesota, students must show they've had all immunizations required by law or file a legal, notarized exemption with the school.

If your child is found to have head lice at school, you will be notified by the health office. Students found to have head lice DO NOT need to be sent home early from school and may go home at the end of the day, returning to school after the start of treatment. 

Most often lice are spread outside of school. They are very small (less than 1/8 inch long), tan insects. They lay eggs (nits) on the hair close to the scalp. Nits are the size of a pencil dot; and are grey or white. Lice are spread mainly by direct, head-to-head contact. Lice do not spread to or from pets. They don’t jump or fly. Indirect spread through sharing of personal items such as combs, brushes, barrettes, hats, scarves, jackets, blankets, sheets, pillows, and sports head gear is less likely but possible. Take note if your child is scratching their head or neck. Use a good light source to look for lice in the hair but recognize they are not easily seen. Look for nits “stuck” to the hair close to the scalp. Check especially behind the ears and at the back of the neck. If a person in the household has head lice, others should be checked too.

Resources

• Click to view video How to Check for Lice
• Click on Treatments for Head Lice to access recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics
• CDC Treatment Guidelines

Treatment

Call your healthcare professional, pharmacy or your child’s school health office if you have questions about treatment options:

Daily removal of nits for at least 2 weeks is an essential part of treatment. A nit comb  works well, but there are other good options as well. Professional lice removal services are available but some may consider them expensive.

Prevent the Spread

Encourage your child to avoid head-to-head contact with others. Discourage sharing of grooming items and sports head gear. Combs, brushes and other hair accessories should be cleaned with hot soapy water. Wash clothing worn in the last 3 days (jackets, hats, scarves, pajamas, etc.), bedding and towels in hot water; and dry on high heat for at least 20 minutes. Vacuuming carpets, furniture, mattresses and car seats also helps control the spread. Insecticide or lice killing sprays are not recommended. Consider checking your child for lice before and after attending a sleepover, camp, or whenever they share sleeping quarters. 

Many children who hurt their heads get well and have no long- term complications. It is our procedure to call and let parents know when their child has hit their head at school- even if it seems minor at the time. Information may be provided regarding some common symptoms to watch for that might require further evaluation.

If your child is diagnosed with a concussion or traumatic brain injury that requires modification of their school day, please notify the health office or a school counselor so we can assist with this process.

Parent Fact Sheet - Concussions

CDC Heads Up Concussion Resources

Keep your kids on track. Schedule a well-child visit with your child's primary caregiver. As children and adolescents are doing more in-person activities, and as we prepare for the next school year, this is a great time to make sure they are caught up on missed well-child visits to get vaccines and check-in on their physical, mental and emotional health. Contact your child’s health care provider to make an appointment. If your child does not have a regular health care provider, there are resources available to help you schedule an appointment: https://freechildcheckups.com/.

If you are looking for additional information, here are some reliable web sites:

• Low Cost Health Care or Resources to Get Health Insurance
• Kid's Health
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Minnesota Department of Health
• US Department of Health and Human Services
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Minnesota Health Care Insurance for Children