MRSA Precautions in the Grade School Setting

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I don't have time for an internet search tonight, so I'm asking for your help. My sister has a child in her elementary school class who was diagnosed with MRSA (not sure of the details). The principal is freaking out, insisting that the child be excluded from school and the building disinfected.

Can anyone point me to a reliable source of information on infection control of MRSA in the grade school setting?

Thanks so much!

Specializes in tele, oncology.

Hmmm...is there an infection control nurse at your facility that you could ask for help? Our infection control nurse is super enthusiastic about her bugs...I seriously thought she was going to wet her pants, she was so excited when we got a case of VISA (per rumor only the 27th diagnosed in the nation) and had CDC people out.

Notify the school nurse. The school nurse needs to educate staff, preferably ahead of time and before an outbreak, about MRSA The school needs to be careful that this child not get ostracized or bullied by her classmates because of the MRSA dx. Even with HIPPA, the kids will figure out who it is. Then the stories will circulate about how many children have died from the flesh eating disorder.:eek:

Specializes in just about everything.

I am currently an elementary school nurse, and had a student last year with MRSA. The school nurse needs to find out the details from parents, then teach the staff about the in and out. I also developed a hand washing awareness program that is working well with teaching the students of all grades of bacteria, illness, proper handwashing. We also have contests between grades. I have a bulletin board in the hall with pictures of students and teachers who have "been caught washing there hands". I wuse the "glo germ" so kids can see the germs.

We had so much illness last year and started it full force this year. The kids are real receptive and I am getting calls from parents who are impresed. We have 2 sutdents out with Staph, one in 1st and one in 4th grades.

The school nurse should be able to work with the staff and custodians on this. By educating everyone, the stories and rumors hopefully will stop. I got alot of my information from the internet and used several web sites to set up my program. It is basically all free. Just takes work putting it al together.

Hope this helps.

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Thanks everyone!

They don't have a nurse full-time in the building, so when this child's condition became known, the principal "took charge" and did so badly by over reacting.

I found great information on the CDC website and sent it on to my sister. Hopefully rational minds will prevail today :)

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