Nursing

Dispensing Medication

No medication is permitted to be dispensed by unlicensed personnel except in a life or death situation (e.g. Epipen)

All medications must be presented to the nurse in the original containers. Parents/Guardians must sign a district permission form before any medications may be administered to children.

Prescribed medications must have a physician's written request for the administration of specific dosages of medication.  This should be accompanied by the district medication permission form which must be completed and turned into the office with the medication.  The medication form includes the following information: date, student's name, diagnosis, medication dosage, how administered, time schedule, side effects, whether or not school activities need to be curtailed, other medications prescribed by a physician, physician's signature and telephone number, and parent's signature. When medications are to be administered for a brief period (few days), the label on the original container will suffice with a note from the parent.

Administering Benadryl for bee stings must be done by the school nurse according to standing orders from the school physician.

Diabetic students may require instant glucose gel or tablets. This is not medication and may be administered by a teacher. The school nurse should be contacted immediately.

All medications, including non-prescription medication, must be presented to the nurse in the original containers. Parents/Guardians must sign a district permission form before any medications may be administered to children.

 

Delivery and Administration of Medication

The administration of prescribed medication to a student during school hours under the direction of a parent guardian and physician will be permitted only when failure to take such medicine would jeopardize the health of the student or the student would not be able to attend school if the medicine were not available during school hours.

Medication is to be brought directly to the school nurse. It is preferred that the medication be transported by the parent to the nurse, whenever possible. All prescription medication will be counted and the amount recorded when it is received.

The quantity of medication sent to school should not exceed, but be sufficient for the required dosages at school.

The school nurse will in-service personnel in emergency procedures as needed.

School personnel are responsible for observing and reporting to the nurse any side effects, unusual behaviors, or other problems concerning the administration of medication.

Both prescription and over-the-counter medication forms may be obtained from the school nurse.

 

Communicable Diseases in Children and Staff Attending Schools and Child Care Group Settings

• 27.71. Exclusion of children, and staff having contact with children, for specified diseases and infectious conditions.

A person in charge of a public, private, parochial, Sunday or other school or college shall exclude from school a child, or a staff person, including a volunteer, who has contact with children, who is suspected by a physician or the school nurse of having any of the communicable diseases, infections or conditions. Readmission shall be contingent upon the school nurse or, in the absence of the  school nurse,  a physician, verifying that the  criteria for  readmission have  been satisfied.

The diseases, the periods of exclusion and the criteria for readmission are as follows:

• Diphtheria: Two weeks from the onset or until appropriate negative culture tests.

• Measles: Four days from the onset of rash. Exclusion may also be ordered by the Department as specified in § 27.160 (relating to special requirements for measles).

• Mumps: Nine days from the onset or until subsidence of swelling.

• Pertussis (whooping cough): Three weeks from the onset or 5 days from institution of appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

• Rubella: Four days from the onset of rash.

• Chicken Pox: Five days from the appearance of the first crop of vesicles, or when all the lesions have dried and crusted, whichever is sooner.

• Respiratory streptococcal infections including scarlet fever: At least 10 days from the onset if no physician is in attendance or 24 hours after institution of appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

• Infectious conjunctivitis (pink eye): Until judged not infective; that is, without a discharge.

• Ringworm: The person shall be allowed to return to school, child care or other groups setting immediately after the first treatment, if body lesions are covered. Neither scalp nor body lesions that are dried need to be covered.

• Impetigo contagiosa: Twenty-four hours after the institution of appropriate treatment.

• Pediculosis capitis: The person shall be allowed to return to either the school, child care or other group setting after first treatment and upon examination and clearance from the school nurse. The person shall be reexamined for infestation by the school nurse, or other health care practitioner, 7 days posttreatment.

• Pediculosis corpora: After completion of appropriate treatment.

• Scabies: After completion of appropriate treatment.

• Trachoma: Twenty-four hours after institution of appropriate treatment.

• Tuberculosis: Following a minimum of 2 weeks adequate chemotherapy and three consecutive negative morning sputum smears, if obtainable.  In addition, a note from the attending physician that the person is non-communicable shall be submitted prior to readmission.

• Neisseria Meningitidis:  Until judged non-infective after a course of rifampin or other drum which is effective against the nasopharyhgeal carriage state of this disease, or until otherwise shown to be non-infective.

Source: The provisions of this§ 27.71 amended January 25,2002, effective January 26,2002,32 PaB. 491. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (243670) to (243671).

Cross References

This section cited in 28 Pa. Code§  27.76 (relating to exclusion and readmission of children, and staff having contact with  children, in child care group  settings). § 27.72 Exclusion of children, and staff having contact  with children, for  showing  symptoms.

A person in charge of a public, private, parochial, Sunday or other school or college shall, following consultation with a physician or school nurse, exclude immediately a child, or staff person, including a volunteer, having contact with children, showing any of the following symptoms, unless that person is determined by the school nurse, or a physician, to be non­ communicable:

• Mouth sores associated with inability to control saliva.
• Rash with fever or behavioral change.
• Purulent discharge from the eyes.
• Productive cough with fever.
• Temperature equal to or greater than 99' before receiving fever reducing medication such as Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• Unusual lethargy, irritability, persistent crying, difficulty breathing or other signs of severe illness.
• Persistent vomiting, now or during the night.
• Persistent diarrhea, now or during the night.

The school shall maintain a record of the exclusion and the reasons prompting the exclusion and shall review the record to de­termine when unusual rates of absenteeism occur.

Source: The provisions of this§ 27.72 amended January 25, 2002, effective January 26, 2002, 32 Pa,B 491. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (243671).

This section cited in 28 Pa. Code§  27.73 (relating to the readmission of excluded children, and staff having contact with  children); and 28 Pa. Code§ 27.76 (relating to exclusion and readmission of children, and staff having contact  with  children, in child care group settings).

• 27.73 Readmission of excluded children, and staff having contact with children.

A child or staff person, including a volunteer, having contact with children, excluded from a public, private, parochial or other school or college under § 27.72 (relating to exclusion of children, and staff having contact with children, for showing symptoms) may not be readmitted until the school nurse or, in the absence of a school nurse, a physician, is satisfied that the condition for which the person was excluded is not communicable or until the person presents a statement from a physician that the person has recovered or is noninfectious.

A child, or staff person, including a volunteer, having contact with children, excluded for the following reasons shall be readmitted only when a physician has determined the illness to be either resolved, non-communicable or in a non­ communicable stage: Rash with fever or behavioral change. Productive cough with fever.

Source: The provisions of this§ 27.72 adopted January 25,2002, effective January 26,2002, 32 PaB. 491. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (243671).