Hearing and Vision Screenings

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

Does anyone else find it redundant to be testing every student in the school for hearing and vision, even when they have had a screening at their own pediatrician's office recently? This is only my second year as a school nurse, but in our state it is mandated that kids get screened "within 30 days of the first day of school", and every year after that. For me, it seems like a huge waste of time and resources to screen kids when I have a copy of their physicals and their H/V screening results on file. I prioritize those kids who don't have a screening on file, and obviously any kid who is brought in by a teacher that thinks there might be an issue. It is just hard for me to pull a kid from class for 20-30 minutes when I have a hearing and vision screening result right in front of me that was just done over the Summer at their annual check-up.

Am I the only one? What am I missing?

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Specializes in Home Health,Dialysis, MDS, School Nurse.

We don't get copies of health physicals for our elementary kids, nor do we require it. So I guess I'm ok with doing my health screenings on them all. Sometimes it might be the only health assesment they have gotten since their last years one :( And I don't have a deadline (other than a self imposed one to get them done by Christmas break) so I try to pull them from non essentials when I can.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Gastroenterology, School Nrs.

You are definitely not alone! I love it when I pull a student in and they say, "Oh, I just picked up this new prescription yesterday". Not sure my rapid screening is really needed at that point :)

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In Illinois we do not screen if they have been seen by an eye/ear dr in the last 2 years

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in NY we do it for all new entrants plus in certain grades but not every year.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

I wish we were somewhere in the middle, maybe if no screening within the last 12 months, but I guess that will never happen if we are screening them every year starting in K.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

Our health department does the screenings, so I am out of the fray.

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We do K, 1, 3 & 5 and any new kids to the district, I think we have 120 days from start of school to get them done.

If a parent gives me documentation (not more than a year old) from an opthalmologist/optometrist or from an ENT/Audiologist specialist - I will use that info, no need to screen if they already have been seen by a specialist (rarely get this unless a student is going thru some kind of testing such as special ed).

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

Sounds like a classic case of something that 'must be done' whether it logically makes sense or not. It doesn't matter whether it was my previous career or this one, there are always the all-rules-and-edicts-must-be-followed-no-matter-what zombies everywhere.

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Specializes in nurseline,med surg, PD.

Being able to see and hear is crucial for learning. I'd rathersee a kid get tested twice than fall through the cracks and not get tested at all.

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ABSOLUTELY!!! I don't screen my kiddos if they have a CURRENT (within the last year) screening on file from a physician or specialist. At that point, they've either been ruled as normal or a problem has already been identified. It doesn't make sense to re-screen them if they've already been seen by their physician, whom would screen them again if/when I refer them. The Dr. would probably think I was an idiot for referring a kid who already has a known issue or been deemed "normal"! I do however, put it in their chart that they have a screening from their physician on file. Just to cover my behind :yes: Plus, I'm the only nurse for my entire district so decreasing my screenings when I can is always the way I go!

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