preventing spread of infection

Specialties School

Published

Hi all!

As many of you have been posting about the craziness that hits before holiday break, i, too, have been experiencing an increasing number of sick kids in my office. My question is.. what do you guys do to prevent the stomach virus..colds/sore throats/coughs from spreading?

I thought about putting up posters around my grades 1-6 building.. "cover your cough" kinda thing. I also thought about sending home reminders to parents about what warrants a child to stay home.

What else do you guys do?

Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

My teachers are on board 100% with this. They bleach wipe door handles through the day and we have whole school clean at the end of the day, focusing on touchable surfaces. I have noticed a difference in the number of students spreading to each other. I used to see at least half a dozen in a class, now it may be 1 or 2.

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Specializes in School nursing.

I hate to say this, but you can try your darnest to teach about hand hygiene and, well, colds still spread. Kids are kids. It is cold and germs are next to each other. And kids with cold typically aren't and shouldn't be saying home most of the time.

But, sending home some reminders to parents about when to keep kids home will never hurt. I've put what I call my poop posters in the bathrooms for the older kids (here it is!). I send reminders about cleaning desk to teachers (a lot of younger kids actually love to clean when it is appointed as a task with instructions).

(That being said, teachers can also be the germ culprits! I cannot control the spread and cleanliness of the teacher offices.)

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Specializes in Telemetry, Gastroenterology, School Nrs.

I have a bulletin board that I change every 2 months, and right now it is Snowmen holding a sign that says "There is "snow" doubt about it... Clean hands = Healthy students" It also includes the steps to proper hand-washing which are placed on a snow shovel :) :)

I also send reminders to staff to help their students remember to wash their hands; keep their fingers out of their mouth and away from their face; cover their coughs and sneezes, etc...

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Specializes in Telemetry, Gastroenterology, School Nrs.

Teachers also have bleach wipes in their rooms, that they use to wipe down surfaces each day! It takes a village :)

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I have a bulletin board that I change every 2 months, and right now it is Snowmen holding a sign that says "There is "snow" doubt about it... Clean hands = Healthy students" It also includes the steps to proper hand-washing which are placed on a snow shovel :) :)

I also send reminders to staff to help their students remember to wash their hands; keep their fingers out of their mouth and away from their face; cover their coughs and sneezes, etc...

My bulletin board is currently Pokemon and it says "If you don't wanna catch em all, WASH YOUR HANDS! We move the when to keep your kid home info to the front of the newsletter and website around this time of year too.

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Jen-Elizabeth, I love that poster! I'm going to order it and hang it in my own bathroom. :up:

We have an outbreak of what some parents are calling "Scarlet fever strep" but I haven't confirmed that with any school officials or even the local doctors' offices. (I'm retired from the school nurse job as many of you know but still have a kid in high school).

I know if there was an outbreak, the entire school would be wiped down at the end of the day and I encouraged teachers to wipe down door knobs and other areas during the day.

That gastrointestinal bug is highly contagious though - hard to fight.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I WANT A BULLETIN BOARD!!! I love putting up stuff like that! I'm going to request a bulletin board outside our health office door which happens to open right up into our cafeteria!

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I printed out the poop thing.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I printed out the poop thing.

Me too!! i forwarded the link to my campus :yes: Thanks Jen!!

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I printed out the poop thing.

My computer only takes 8 1/2 by 11 paper . . . I want a BIG POSTER.

;)

I did forward the link to our local school nurse group though.

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Specializes in School Nurse.

I printed it too...going in all my restrooms this afternoon. :yes:

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