You and the School Nurse

How to be each other’s ally in maintaining a healthy ‘student body’

Tracking diabetes

School nurse Janet Davis, R.N. (right), reviews 6-year-old Michael’s blood sugar levels with him and his mother, Michelle Marchese of Nazareth.

While they’re still in the business of applying Band-Aids and ice packs, school nurses nowadays are just as likely to be monitoring blood sugar or fending off an asthma attack. “Most of us today deal with chronic illnesses and not just injuries,” says Peg Parry, R.N., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, nurse at Allentown’s Central Elementary. “But our major focus is helping kids stay healthy.”

With a state-prescribed ratio of 1,500 students per certified school nurse, it’s a huge responsibility. Strong parental support is crucial. Here’s how to show yours:

Ready your records. The school district hands out homework to parents on the first day of school: a raft of forms to fill out including emergency contacts, updated phone numbers, and the dates of your child’s latest physical and dental exams, and immunizations.

Share what’s new. A new sibling, relocation, divorce or death can profoundly affect your child’s school day. “Emotional reactions to changes in the family dynamic can sometimes bring out physical symptoms,” says Janet Davis, R.N., a certified school nurse in the Nazareth Area School District. Informing your school nurse about such events as well as medical changes helps the nurse be alert for symptoms and sensitive to special needs.

Know when home is better. Rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, heavy colds, hacking coughs or a fever over 100 degrees call for bed rest at home and a doctor’s advice. When your child does return to school, you’ll need a doctor’s order for medications (prescription or over-the-counter) to be given in school—and you yourself will need to bring them in. Doctors’ offices are accustomed to such requests, and many schools provide confidential fax machines to receive them.

If your child has a chronic condition, be prepared. Before school starts, meet with the school nurse, guidance and special education staff to design a plan around your child’s diagnosis. Topics to cover include medications, symptoms and how to handle flareups or emergencies. Update the plan periodically, and tell the nurse about any changes in your child’s condition. You’ll also need to stock the school medicine chest with needed equipment such as EpiPens to treat allergic reactions, inhalers for asthma attacks and insulin for diabetes control.

Know the backup staff. By law, there’s always a certified school nurse no more than a phone call away, even for non-public schools and those that share a nurse, says Kathleen Halkins, R.N., school nurse in the Bethlehem Area School District and president of the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners. District policy decides who minds the office in the certified nurse’s absence. Whether that’s a licensed nurse or a secretary with first aid and CPR training, parents have the right to expect that their child’s health and safety will be protected at school.

Want to Know More about local resources, including the Helwig Health and Diabetes Center, for children with diabetes, asthma or behavioral health conditions? Click here.

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