Nurse Passes?

Unless it’s an emergency- the expectation is that each student will have a nurse referral slip filled out by the teacher sending them. Especially this year- no unnecessary visits should be occurring to minimize potential exposure. The slip is basically the communication between the teacher and myself- it doesn’t go home with the student.

To be honest, if a student has COVID-like symptoms they are going home and that paper pass isn't making its way back to class.

The likelihood of that paper pass transmitting COVID is very, very low regardless. I won't accept a student in my office this year without a written pass and/or a phone call/email from a teacher.

And in the case of a COVID-like symptom, protocol is the teacher MUST call me and either I or my LPN will go to the classroom, collect that student and I'll do an assessment in a space just outside my isolation space. If symptom may be COVID into isolation space they do. If it is more like nausea due to severe menstrual cramps, to my office for ibuprofen they go, and then they can get a physical pass back to class. They just show it to the teacher - who doesn't need to touch it - and it gets thrown out.

Beautiful answers from both @JenTheSchoolRN and @nursetlm

Yes to passes coming in the clinic.

I usually ended up calling the teacher in elementary school to say in my kindest voice why I was sending the kid back and why I expected the kid to be able to work and what, if any conditions I'd accept the student to return to the clinic today....

Hang in there.

I require passes for my student's to come into the health room (unless PE since simply call my cell or my daily med students), I also send students back to class with passes stating that there were actually in my office and not wandering around (especially if there is a sub in that class for the day).

I’m going to be using an “appointment” system this year. Teacher needs to call me to make sure it’s OK to send a student down, but if it’s a question of COVID, I will come collect the student. They need to be able to handle minor bumps and cuts in class. I have a diabetic who will be in office at least 6x per day and will likely have 4+ other kids for daily meds. I cannot have students just wandering in like before...

I created an E-Pass system on Google Forms. The teachers all have the link and will enter the info I need (student name, reason for visit) and it pops up real time on a speadsheet I will keep up on my computer. This gives me a timestamp of when they left the classroom and allows me to prepare for what is heading my way. The only difficulty I anticipate is my HS students like to "stop by" between classes or during lunch. This is just going to be a matter of retraining them to go to a teacher/admin for the E-pass. I will follow up each clinic visit with an email to the teacher (they are returning/going home).

Thanks everyone for the confirmation and input. I appreciate you all. I hope you are all doing well. You are all in my prayers. Good luck everyone because its already been crazy at my school already. 2 days down, 172 days to go. ?