Homebound Coordinator

LikeTheDeadSea, MSN, RN · May 30, 2018

There is a lovely lady at Admin that runs it for the district, but on the "ground level" of paperwork and arranging teachers and such, the building guidance counselor does it. Past paper-pushing the MD note onto the right parties, I don't do much at all related to Homebound, and would not want the legal responsibility.

MrNurse(x2), ADN · May 30, 2018

I would offer to take it over at the beginning of 2019, as in January 1, after you are able to shadow the existing person. To spring this at the end of the year is pretty selfish.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · May 30, 2018

I've been of the paperwork process, but not the education piece of it. That is handled by our SPED team. Student is assigned a SPED teacher, who coordinates work with the outside tutor.

pedi_nurse · May 30, 2018

I would be nervous about this as well. Homebound education has little to do with school nursing. It's the parents' responsibility to get an MD to sign off on the necessity, and then it's on Special Ed to coordinate therapy services and educational instruction. You don't have any experience in coordinating those things. And in most districts I know of, this is strictly a SPED thing.

pedi_nurse · May 30, 2018

Why are they trying to get it out from under Special Ed? SPED is the one who handles IEPs, some 504s, and coordinates therapy services for students in school. If anyone outside of SPED were to do this, I'd think a school counselor would be more qualified to be a homebound coordinator than the school nurse. At least they have more familiarity with the laws, 504 plans, and educational requirements for students.

aprilmoss · May 31, 2018

I was going to ask that myself. Students that are not in the school, don't need school nursing. The people who supervise that in our school are indeed people who are specifically trained in the needs of the exceptional student and "nursing" isn't usually one of them.

dd_txrn, ASN, BSN · May 31, 2018

Homebound is the responsibility of the counselors here. I rarely even know that a student is homebound until they come back. ( and sometimes not even then.....)

SavyNurse, ADN, EMT-B · May 31, 2018

Spoke with my district nursing coordinator and she said legally homebound is to remain under SPED. Only thing I may do is verify the doctor's note and make sure it's updated every 30 days as needed. She agreed that I am not qualified (which is totally fine by me!). I emailed the SPED, Director, and Assistant Director turning down the position.

And as to why they wanted to get it out from SPED... No clue. My school can be very backwards sometimes due to it being a "charter" school.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · May 31, 2018

Spoke with my district nursing coordinator and she said legally homebound is to remain under SPED. Only thing I may do is verify the doctor's note and make sure it's updated every 30 days as needed. She agreed that I am not qualified (which is totally fine by me!). I emailed the SPED, Director, and Assistant Director turning down the position.
And as to why they wanted to get it out from SPED... No clue. My school can be very backwards sometimes due to it being a "charter" school.

I'm at a charter and like I mentioned above, not expected to manage it. Though I do as you outlined above, request, confirm, document doctor's paperwork. I have also submitted basic paperwork through our public district (I'm at a public charter so homebound goes through the larger public district) and connected the teacher in SPED that will working with the tutor. After that, I'm done with it until the student returns or I do the process again in 3 months if homebound continues.

aprilmoss · May 31, 2018

Verify the doctors note for what? SPED placement, either with homebound services, in a self-contained class, or mainstreamed is something that is determined on the IEP. How is a single RN going to know what the most appropriate placement (even with a doctor's note). Something doesn't make sense here.

GmaPearl BSN RN · Jun 1, 2018

I communicate with parents, get documentation from the HCP of the child's condition / need for home instruction, then turn it into SPED department and keep my building admin informed.