Covid Coordinator

[MHDNURSE]

Is anyone here working as the school covid coordinator? If so what exactly are you doing in addition to your regular school nurse duties? If not, does your school have one and if so, that is that role? Would love more info as our district has promised to hire "covid coordinators" for each school but it seems like admin is now thinking the nurses will do that.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Yes, though that isn't my official title. I'm leading the health policies overall for the school and it can go between me and 3 specific admin here. I will be one likely with the direct ongoing DPH communication as well.

I'm writing all policies, leading training for stuff, managing and ordering PPE stock, will be contact to DPH for any cases, and anticipating taking care of helping with contract tracing. I'm also managing staff quarantine and help with referral for testing. We are doing a badging pre-screening prior to entry and I will managing all the data there and reviewing it, marking ones for follow-up, though I will delegate some follow-up from there to my nursing team.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

It should be a health professional (not an administrator). Having said that our role appears to be (at this moment and will likely change!) contact tracing, identifying, and then helping admin enforce the county's quarantine suggestions.

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

I'm not the covid coordinator, but I am the "designated COVID tracer." We've been told the school must notify parents/staff of exposures, so my current plan is to get all the contact info and then have some staff help me make calls. I've made a script for them to follow. It will be my duty to follow up with quarantined individuals per my local department of health instructions.

[Eleven011]

My admin is handling most of it, honestly. I sit on the back to school well committee, and I've been put in charge of running the sentinal testing on staff, but that's about it.

[guest464345]

My admin is (or perhaps is not) handling most of it, and little information filters down to me. They identified an isolation area after I absolutely insisted. No staffing for isolation area; presumably I will shut down my office to be in isolation, and they will somehow cover the regulars in my office. I will be the reporter/contact for Public Health. I imagine I'll be doing any contact tracing or notifications, though it's not clear who they plan to notify. I have gotten different answers to the question of whether or not exposed teachers will be sent home on quarantine, or how that will be tracked. I haven't seen any written policies at all.

I think they are basically praying we don't reopen in-person, rather than making clear plans. I would like to be more proactive and useful like @JenTheSchoolRN, and I like the idea of an official COVID coordinator, but it's just a slow motion car wreck feeling right now.

[scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN]

My assistant principal is the designated CC for our building. But I know we will work together. School starts for us on Thursday, but kids don't start until September 15, so I have no idea yet about anything, I hope they tell us! It's very frustrating, we got an email telling us we will get an email next week about what we are doing for training and how it will work. So crazy,!

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

FYI--Johns Hopkins has a free contact tracing course.