Field trips

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

Having a few little issues with field trips - especially over night ones and whether a nurse HAS to go or not. Epi-pens and inhalers are not the issue -as most can self medicate - the issue is the meds taken at home that we may not know about.

Can anyone let me know what their policies are in their schools? I'm trying to arm myself with knowledge.

[edgwow]

In my school district, where my kids go, the nurse is required on all over night field trips to administer meds in the morning and any first aid necessary. You must ask, where they are going overnight, does it have it's own liscenced nurse to do first aid and medications? If it does,you should not have to go , but you need to be armed. I would send a note home stating if your child goes on this overnight field trip, you must fill out this form and have it signed by the physician so the med can be given to the nurse at the camp. It must have contact info for the parent and the dr. and info on the medication. Ie: name of medication , dose, time, side effects, reason. Let the parents know that there is only one procedure for getting meds while on the overnight trips. On day trips, our district gets a sub to administer meds on the field trip, they should not be averted to that, as you can't have teachers or other parents giving the meds. If it is unacceptable, maybe you could have the parents of the children that get meds be the chaperones. There have also been notes sent home in the past, stating that. On this day we are having a field trip, there is not a nurse available to go on this trip, therefore no one is able administer medications, you can sign a consent that you understand your child will not recieve his medicine that day or you can chaperone and administer the medication yourself, or not allow your child to participate in this activity.

[zenman]

I'm in an American International School in Bangladesh. The middle school and high school students take week long field trips to China, Malaysia, Vietnam, etc.. I just got back from a diving trip in Malaysia. Parents have to fill out a health form prior to the trip which asks for updated info on the kids health status or meds (since they usually forget to let us know). I'm hoping we stop the trips soon as it is a logistical nightmare and I can't figure out the "educational rationale" behind the trips since every student is already well traveled. This is the first year that we did not have a nurse or medical person on every trip, but instead had a first-aid trained teacher who took responsibility for making sure kids took their meds and who treated minor injuries.