New Lice Policies

[uthscsa2011]

Hello felllow nurses,

So it appears more and more school districts are taking up the new policies on lice. Our district is going to live out the remainder of the school year still sending home kids with live lice. But I hear CDC changed some policies and starting next year we are no longer allowed to send students home with live lice. How do ya'll feel about this? I live at a low-income school in a poverty stricken area. Every classroom has atleast 2-3 students with active lice, despite my best erfforts of speaking with parents, sending the student home multiple times, getting the social worker involved, ect. I can't imagine how badly infested my school will become next year. One of our preK classes had 7 students with active lice out of 16 kids. I just don't know how I feel about this....

[halohg, RN]

Wow, and this entire year all of the nurses were following the policy that if a student is indentified with live lice they need to go home asap and cannot return until the hair is treated. Turns out tx state health depart changed that before this year even started. I'm going to bring that to the attention of our nurse manager.

I am thinking state health depart statements and recommendations are one thing but your particular school district may need to adopt or adapt a current policy to change how you treat. I am still part of a no nit no lice policy, one nit and they are bounced out, cannot return until the health office gives an okay. However I am part of an area that is upper middle class and parent would revolt if this policy was to change. I keep hoping but not yet. I do class and bus checks on each reported case.

[Cattz, ADN]

I am thinking state health depart statements and recommendations are one thing but your particular school district may need to adopt or adapt a current policy to change how you treat. I am still part of a no nit no lice policy, one nit and they are bounced out, cannot return until the health office gives an okay. However I am part of an area that is upper middle class and parent would revolt if this policy was to change. I keep hoping but not yet. I do class and bus checks on each reported case.

Holy crap. Sounds like you are in a tough spot. I will keep my fingers crossed that your parents/school can come out of the dark ages on this one. Good luck.

[NanaPoo]

My private GA school (just barely outside of the Atlanta perimeter) still sends kids home with nits. Fo' real.

Our parents are upper middle class as well. They still argue with me on the regular for not sending lice letters home. I have regular meeting with administration after parents tattle on me for random things they assume I am doing wrong...you know, things that are backed by scientific theory and evidence based. Those meetings are a blast.

[peacockblue]

We are still a strict no nit policy. Our school board knows better than the CDC the America's Academy of Pediatrics and our state health department. I've presented the evidence. It has been put in the circular file.