Graduating senior health records

[RNCourt]

Hello,

I'm working in a Charter School and this is our first year with seniors. They are graduating next week and I was wondering how I go about giving them their records. I remember learning about it in a school nursing workshop earlier this year but now I can't find where it is written. Anyways here are my questions:

-When should I give them their files? On the last day?

-Can I give a student their file even if they are not 18?

-What do I do with the file if the senior does not pick it up or I cannot find them by the time they graduate?

-I have SNAP, do I keep their electronic health records for a certain time or do I simply uncheck the active box after printing?

It seems silly but I don't want to make any mistakes. Time to wrap up the year! Yay!

[schooldistrictnurse]

It would be a policy of the school. In my district, the school keeps all records for 5 years from the date the student is no longer enrolled. What happens after that I don't know. But I'm confused when you state you will give records to the student--that is a practice I am not familiar with. Before the immunization registry in my state, we used to copy the student's immunization information for seniors and include it in the final report card.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I keep the hard record for a year and then shred. I keep any who may have had significant issues or injury in the event of any litigation (never needed one yet). We give the seniors their imms and I also keep a copy of the imms on file, I have since I started in 1994. Every year there are 2-3 former students who request their imms for grad school or a job and I am the only one who has a copy. For students who transfer, I keep a copy on file until they are 21 (group by DOB). This year I started to give those who drop out a copy as well. I never get rid of accident reports. They are filed by academic year. They have come in handy as a reference and data gathering.

[RNCourt]

I just called the school health department with dph and they told me to give them their complete health record with immunization record. Maybe it's different for every state? Im in Mass. But once I do that I won't have any sort of record or documentation. Should I make copies of everything?? I'm so confused.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I would copy imms and any significant accident or incident reports.

[100kids, BSN, RN]

We do not give out the files and by State law we must keep them for 6 years after they leave.