Information


Vickie Brannon, RN, Coordinator


Wendi Pirkle, RN, BSN, BMES School Nurse


Dawson Youth Health Services


Dear Parent or Guardian:
Optimal learning requires good health. The School Nurses are proud to be part of the team effort that supports student success. As we work with you this year, we need your assistance and cooperation in preparing for the possibility that your child might need to take medication, become ill, or have an accident during school hours. We hope this letter will help explain some of our procedures. School health services supplement rather than replace parental responsibility. Our program is designed to assist parents and guardians in devoting attention to child health, to discover health problems early, and to encourage use of the services of their physician, dentist, and community health agencies when needed.
 
The school nurse is a resource for health related issues and for health education. School nurses are also a liaison between education, health care agencies, and home.

SCHOOL MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
If medications can be given at home before or after school hours, please do so. However, if medications must be given during school hours, the following procedures apply. This is only a summary of the complete Medication Administration Procedures. A parent or legal guardian must complete and sign a School Medication Authorization (form available in clinic) for all medications given at school. For prescription medications that are to be administered for more than 2 weeks, a medical doctor must also complete and sign the School Medication Authorization. A copy of this form is available in the clinic and most physician offices. A parent/legal guardian or other designated adult must bring all medication with the signed School Medication Authorization to the school clinic. At no time may medication be in the reach of children (with the exception of emergency medications such as inhalers, epi-pens, insulin and glucagon. Prescription medications must be clearly labeled with the physician’s name, name of medication, strength, dosage, date, time for administration, and dispensing pharmacy. When medication is to be given at home and at school, ask your pharmacist to fill the prescription in 2 labeled containers, one for home and one for school.
•    All over-the-counter medications and prescription medications must be in the original containers and be FDA approved. If a child requires an over the counter medication, which is supplied on the attached form more than two times, the parent must furnish the medication. If a child requires an over the counter medication that is not listed on the standard school health permission form, the parent must furnish the medication with an individual parent permission for that medication.
•    If your child has a life-threatening condition (i.e. asthma, diabetes, or allergic reaction), permission may be granted to carry medication (such as inhaler, glucose tablet, Epi-pen, or internal Insulin pump) on his or her person. Such permission will require a completed and signed School Medication Authorization from the child’s physician and parent/guardian. Students with asthma or severe allergic reactions are encouraged to keep a second inhaler or Epi-pen in the clinic for emergency use during school even if they do carry such emergency medication. Guidelines for administration of albuterol and/or epipen have been established for emergent episodes of anaphylaxis or asthma.  This will help assure the ability of the staff to assist the student in the event the student does not have their medication on their person and is unable to instruct others where to find it.  If a student has these conditions, a parent conference with the school nurses and other staff should be conducted to develop a Health Plan for the student.
•    Unused or discontinued medication must be picked up by the parent from the school clinic prior to the end of the school year.  All medication left at school more than one weekday following the last day of school will be disposed of.
 
STUDENT ILLNESS/INJURY
•    Students with contagious infections need to stay home so they will not expose others. If your child is home with a communicable illness, please contact the school nurse so the parent(s) of other classmates may be alerted of symptoms.
•    Children must be fever free, temperature below 100.4 degrees, for 24 hours without fever medication before returning to school.
•    If you find head lice in your child’s hair, please notify the school nurse. The school nurse can advise you how to treat appropriately, how to manually remove nits, and treat your household before returning to school. Upon return to school, bring your child to the clinic first so the school nurse can help you be sure your child is free of nits before returning to class.
•    A child with chicken pox may return to school when all of the lesions have scabbed (Usually 5-7 days).
•    Impetigo, ringworm, shingles, & scabies must be under treatment to return to school. In some cases lesions may have to be covered.
•    If your child has reoccurring vomiting and/or diarrhea, they must stay home.
•    A child with bacterial Pink Eye (thick drainage and redness of the whites of the eyes throughout) may return to school after 24 hours of physician prescribed treatment. 
 
Please contact your school nurse if you have any questions or concerns. By working together, we can strive to ensure the health and well being of your children so that they can gain the most from their experience at school. Complete Medication Administration Procedure Available for View upon Request.       
 
Clinic Extensions: BMES -1217, RES- 1123, KES- 2253, DCMS- 1806, Riverview- 1305, HS- 1430
 
Parent/Guardian - Keep this page for your reference Rev. 4/09.
 
 
 (Information below provided by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta)
 
In order to reduce the spread of viruses and contagious illnesses among our students, please consider and follow these recommendations:
 
1.    If you are contacted by the school to pick up your sick child, please make every effort to do so promptly.

2.    Please keep your contact phone numbers current in the front office, with your child’s teacher, and with the school nurse.

3.    If your child is sent home with an illness that has been prevalent in the school, please allow him or her to remain at home until the illness has passed (example: if your child has been sent home for vomiting, do not allow him or her to come back to school until the vomiting has stopped and he or she is able to tolerate a soft diet, not just clear liquids).
 
We make every effort to promote hand-washing and good hygiene in the school to prevent the spread of illnesses.  We appreciate your efforts and consideration to protect the health of your children and other children with whom they come in contact.
 
 
 
 
Make sure that your child’s school knows how to reach
you during the day, and that there is a back-up plan and
phone number on file if the school cannot reach you.

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