School Health Services
The
primary purpose of the School Health Program is the maintenance, promotion,
protection and improvement of student, staff, and community health. We believe that parents are primarily
responsible for the care of their children.
The obligations of the school health services are health appraisal of
the student; informing and interpreting the results to the parents;
encouraging, motivating and supporting parents’ efforts to follow through on
the recommendations of the educational and health teams to the end that each
child may perform at their maximum level. The goal of Health Service personnel
is to assist with the education of all students by recognizing, removing when
possible and/or suggesting accommodation to barriers to learning caused by
health problems or physical or mental disabilities.
The School Health Services Team
The
School Health Services Team includes a Registered Nurse, employed part time and
in the District approximately 20 hours per week, a medically untrained Clinic
Assistant, and all employees of the District, including administrators,
teachers, and other staff. All
employees of the District participate on the Health Services Team through
observation and referral of health concerns to the School Nurse and or the
student’s parent/guardian. District
staff also observe school environment and report observed and potential
environmental hazards. Any member of
the District Staff may be called upon to refer injured or ill persons to the
Clinic, to initiate First Aide, or if indicated, stay with an ill or injured
person until help arrives. Classroom
teachers are in a unique position to observe students on a daily basis and
refer any possible health concerns to the Nurse, Clinic Aide, and or their
Principal. The Nurse is usually
available by phone when not on site and consultation is needed. The Nurse’s Practice in the School setting
is governed by the Texas Nurse Practice Act and various State and Federal laws
and regulations.
First Aid
First
Aid for very minor injuries or complaints may be given by the teacher in the
classroom if, in his or her judgement, that is the appropriate level of care.
Injuries and illnesses requiring more then this minimum level of care are sent
to the Clinic for First Aid.
Clinic Visit Record
Every
student clinic visit will be documented on a Clinic Visit Record. A copy of this record is sent home to the parent/guardian with
the student. The School will not be
responsible for health information sent home with students. It is the responsibility of the family to
communicate with students on a daily basis and review information sent home.
In Case of Emergencies
Parents
are asked each year to complete an emergency care consent form containing
written consent to obtain emergency medical treatment and critical medical
information such as pre existing health conditions, allergies and a list of
current medications. Having current
information is of critical importance should an accident or injury occur that
requires medical attention. It is the
responsibility of the Parent/Guardian to update this information as changes
occur. The District is not responsible
for medical or transportation expenses associated with a student’s injury.
School and Sick Children
Please fill out an Emergency
Contact Card and keep the information current.
Please include all cell phone, beepers, extension numbers etc. We ask
for 2 additional adult contacts that have permission to pick up your child for
those times when we are unable to reach a parent. The clinic, with its many visitors, is not a comfortable place
for a truly sick child.
Attendance at school is not permitted if these conditions are present:
·
A
morning resting temperature 100 degrees or higher.
·
Any
Temperature of 100.4 or higher (Health Department Guidelines)
·
Suspected
strep throat or other strep infection
·
Vomiting,
diarrhea or upset stomach
·
Any
undiagnosed rash. Please have your
doctor evaluate the rash to determine if it is contagious and share diagnosis
and treatment information with the nurse.
·
Drainage
or crusting of eyes/pink or red eyes
·
Child
who feels to ill to participate in classroom activities
·
Active
head lice infestation. Please inform
nurse of recent infestations that have been treated.
·
Any
contagious condition (See Student
Handbook section re Communicable Disease)
An ill child should NOT return to school until:
• Temperature has remained 99 degrees or lower for 24 hours.
• No vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours.
• Your child has been on antibiotics for 24 hours, i.e.: strep
infection, conjunctivitis, etc.
• Your child's doctor provides written release for return to
school after treatment for contagious condition.
Please contact the nurse if
you have a sick child and are having difficulty obtaining medical, dental, or
vision care. The nurse may be able to
link you with special funds from the community, the Lions Club, or local Health
facilities.
Health
Screenings
The
Boles ISD Clinic Staff conduct vision and hearing screenings on all new
students, and all children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first, third,
fifth, seventh and ninth grades. We also conduct screenings if a parent or
teacher requests the procedure. Once a child is identified as having a problem,
a referral letter will be mailed to the parent. If is important to remember that
by definition a screening will not detect all vision and hearing problems nor
identify all child with hearing/vision difficulties. Height and weight are usually measured in conjunction with Vision
and Hearing Screening.
Spinal screenings on young people during the high-risk years seems to be the
best way to detect spinal deformities. Without screening, referral and
treatment, mild curves may progress into severe Scoliosis, sideways twisting of
the spine. All students in sixth and eighth grades will have a Scoliosis
screening. Parents will be notified in writing if a professional evaluation is
recommended.
Dental and blood pressure screening are available upon request.
Texas
State Law requires any person who has reason to suspect that a child’s physical
or mental health or welfare has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or
neglect shall report this belief or suspicion to the appropriate Child
Protective Service authority.
The
Nurse is available to the Boles ISD community as a health information
resource. The Nurse will, on occasion,
present health topics such as Dental Health, Growth and Development, and other
topics in the classroom.