Beginning of Year Checklist

Welcome!

Does your school district have a well organized health services department with forms, policies and procedures and record keeping etc.? Or is it all up to you?

I would LOVE it if parents of kids with special health needs and/or school meds would come visit me during the 2 weeks before school starts. Unfortunately, maybe a few will but the vast majority wait until the FIRST DAY of school and then I have a line out the door.

But in the very beginning school meds and any special procedures (cath, trach care) are the priority. Get all your doc orders and meds turned in from parents and get the med schedule organized. After that will be immunizations and health records (Did Johnny's mom write on his health record that he has asthma and a peanut allergy but you have no orders or meds at school?). I have about 650-700 kids so all of the above usually takes up a lot of time in the beginning. After that I launch pretty quickly into vision/hearing screenings and height/weight records.

Thank you for your input! We do have a pretty well organized health services department. We have relatively uniform forms, and all the nurses in my district follow the same P/Ps and do all the same record keeping. Thankfully, not entirely up to me, and I have several others to reach out to but still overwhelming for a new nurse with my own school!

Perfect!!

That helps a lot then.

So to just elaborate a little on the above: Make sure you are very familiar with the protocols. Do you have action plans for seizures, anaphylaxis, asthma attacks, hypo/hyperglycemia? I made myself a little checklist for each so that when I have a new student with any of the above I can just quickly scan through the checklist and make sure it's all there (helps move things along faster when I have that long line of parents waiting).

Another thing I forgot is staff training. Are you expected to do a staff training before school starts? Make a checklist of topics to cover and have your training forms ready for the staff to sign.

In addition to everything that was posted above: I also prepare a letter to send home with the students introducing myself and advise them to review the health office policy & procedures for themselves and their child. I make up baggies for all classrooms that have bandaids and gloves so that the teacher can cover up a minor boo-boo instead of sending little Johnny to see me. I pull together my emergency bag and replenish items as well as field trip backpacks with first aid items (replenish) so that it's ready to go when they are and of course complete my ordering. One last thing I do is have my hearing equipment & scales calibrated. All set.. Good luck and enjoy:bugeyes:

Thank you for all the info. I just applied for a school nurse job and am looking for as much info as I can get. I've been a hospital nurse for the better part of 20 years and I'm not yet nervous, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Perfect!!

That helps a lot then.

So to just elaborate a little on the above: Make sure you are very familiar with the protocols. Do you have action plans for seizures, anaphylaxis, asthma attacks, hypo/hyperglycemia? I made myself a little checklist for each so that when I have a new student with any of the above I can just quickly scan through the checklist and make sure it's all there (helps move things along faster when I have that long line of parents waiting).

Another thing I forgot is staff training. Are you expected to do a staff training before school starts? Make a checklist of topics to cover and have your training forms ready for the staff to sign.

bluebonnet- Is there a chance that you would be interested in sharing your checklist for your special healthcare paperwork? I have tried to make one, and I have gotten interrupted a gzillion times.

Yes we do have action plans for asthma, anaphylaxis, etc. in place. They just need to be tailored a bit for individual students. I am expected to do staff training on EpiPen indications and use. I was told to send out a powerpoint on anaphylaxis to all staff, have them review it, and during our first staff meeting, I give a little demo on how to use the Epipen and they are supposed to come show me they know how to use it with a trainer and what to look for. Then I sign off a competency checklist that stays on file. In MA we are required to go over anaphylaxis and EpiPen administration twice a year. Otherwise, I don't think I go over much else during the first few staff only days.

These are specific to our protocols and forms but here ya go:

Seizures:Health record, allergies, current med list, date of last seizure, med orders, meds, seizure action plan (a specific form), teacher training, bus driver training, EMS info packet, IEP/504, nursing care plan

Asthma: health record, allergies, current med list, Asthma action plan, meds, teacher notification and signs/symptoms training, EMS info packet, IEP/504, nursing care plan, BlueLoop? (BlueLoop is an app that allows parents to connect with the school nurse - really cuts down on phone calls! So I ask each parent as they turn in meds if they would like to be connected to it. You can google BlueLoop or My Care Connect)

Allergies/Anaphylaxis: health records, allergies, current med list, med orders, meds, Anaphylaxis action plan, teacher epipen training (signs and symptoms handout), EMS info packet, IEP/504, nursing care plan, notify dietician, diet modification form

Diabetes: health record, allergies, current med list, med orders, meds, pump orders (if applicable), teacher training (signs and symptoms handout), bus driver training, EMS info packet, IEP/504, nursing care plan, extra supplies and snacks

Thanks! That is very helpful!