I have had parents bring medication to the school so I can give it to their kids. I have to give my speech " According to state law and our student handbook, medications cannot be administered without an order from your health care pr......on and on.
Am I missing something?
I mean people are shocked....SHOCKED that a Nurse would need an order from a Health care provider to give medicine to the kiddos. It must be different state to state?
Specializes in Community and Public Health, Addictions Nursing.
I need a provider order for each med. In the case of prescription meds, I take the prescription label as the order. For OTC, I need the doctor to write out an order. Parents also have to sign permission for any meds that are going to be given to their children.
We received a grant, the district is looking for ways to continue funding when the grant runs out. We have had great, positive feedback we definitely want to keep it going.
In my school district in TX, we need an order for EVERYTHING--RX or OTC. I, too, get parents that bring Tylenol up to the school and ask if I can give it throughout the day if their kid gets a headache and I, too, have to give the whole "I need an order from the doctor" speech. I have no standing orders, NOR do I have any stock meds (not even epi). My district's view on this is that it eliminates any liability on the nurse for "practicing medicine without a license," and I have mixed feelings about it. It can be frustrating to shuffle around paperwork just for a med, but it does make me feel better knowing I'm following an order like I would in a hospital.
Edit-- I can't even take a label on the RX bottle as an order... the order needs to be on a specific district form.
We must have MD orders for any medication, including OTC meds. Our orders must match the directions on the prescription bottle or we are unable to accept both the bottle and the order util they match. Parents must bring meds in to the school. Students are not permitted to carry anything but epi-pens, inhalers, and diabetic supplies with MD orders for self carry and parental consent.
My district's view on this is that it eliminates any liability on the nurse for "practicing medicine without a license," and I have mixed feelings about it.
I actually like this. It protects us from liability and we have enough to worry about already...
Specializes in Peds, MS, DIDD, Corrections, HH, LTC, School Nurse.
On 2/11/2019 at 3:47 PM, RNTadaaaa said:
I have had parents bring medication to the school so I can give it to their kids. I have to give my speech " According to state law and our student handbook, medications cannot be administered without an order from your health care pr......on and on.
Am I missing something?
I mean people are shocked....SHOCKED that a Nurse would need an order from a Health care provider to give medicine to the kiddos. It must be different state to state?
I had a parent say "Even for TYLENOL?!?!?"
Yes. Yes, even for that in my district.
I need to lie down. ?
We have to have MD orders for all Rx meds... the label doesn't qualify as an order. We have to have signed parent permission form for all OTC meds. ALL meds must be brought to the clinic by the parents in the original, unopened container.
In my state we need a MD order for OTC's, luckily I was able to reuse a neighboring county's (we don't do districts here) protocols which dictate how they are to be given.
NutmeggeRN, BSN
2 Articles; 4,743 Posts
In New Hampshire, we can do OTC with parental written permission. All others need an MD order.