Organizing end of the year paperwork

Eleven011 · May 3, 2017

Every student has a health file in my office. There we keep each years Health History form, immunization records, any hearing or vision evals done, doctors notes, etc. I also file away each year any medication consents along with the order (used to keep the signature sheet/med log, but that's on the computer now). I'm not sure of our rule (if there is one), but there are records from people I know are 50+ years old.

Supernrse01, BSN · May 3, 2017

We still have paper health folders for each student, so any pertinent papers (MAR, Health plans, health history forms, emergency contacts, immunization records, hearing and vision screenings, etc...) and anything that may have come in that I feel may be useful in the future, goes into that folder. The students are assigned a folder in Kindergarten and that same folder follows them for their entire school career. Once they graduate, the health folders goe into their permanent record for keeping.

WineRN · May 3, 2017

We keep the most recent/updated copy of everything, after high school it is all scanned into an electronic record and the physical copies shredded.

NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B · May 3, 2017

I stuff it all into the student's paper health record. I am k-4 so I'm sure by the time it reaches the high school the records are full, but that's not my concern. After graduation the paper records are sent to the district office where they are supposedly kept for...are you ready for this...100 years. What in the world will anyone want with some kid's health record in 100 years? Ugh.

KKEGS, MSN, RN · May 3, 2017

I file immunization records, doctor's notes, medication orders/authorizations and the med card where we chart when we gave a dose, accident/incident reports, sports physical forms, etc into the pupil health file. We just keep adding to it and it will eventually all end up in the district archives in a basement somewhere after the student has graduated. I'm not sure how long they keep them but I when I started nursing school at the age of 30 and needed to track down my old immunization information I contacted the school district and they were able to get my file out of the archives and make a copy for me. I lived in 3 different states as a child and my school shot record was the most up-to-date and complete thanks to a diligent school nurse. She saved me from having to contact multiple clinics in multiple states. :)

WineRN · May 3, 2017

After graduation the paper records are sent to the district office where they are supposedly kept for...are you ready for this...100 years. What in the world will anyone want with some kid's health record in 100 years? Ugh.

AHH!! what a waste of space!

When I graduated High school I was given two envelopes, one with all my health records and one with the guidance counselor records (small catholic school, they made us all check in yearly).

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · May 3, 2017

Vaccine records are electronic. In HS we file each medication administration form (if parent has provided symptom relief/student has a daily med). We tend to thin those out by the time the kid gets here. I retain previous years' emergency contact sheets because it has been necessary ONCE for me to go back in the file (and if it happened once it may happen again). All our charting on visits, emergencies, etc. is electronic. Injury reports are held separately.

At the end of four years, the file goes to the district to be held for however long in the student's cumulative file. Some of the school records have different retention schedules but I understand they save all the bits in that folder until the longest of the retention criteria is met.

If you don't have a policy I would advocate for being able to send your terminal folders (kids who've left the district or graduated) away from your filing space!

AdobeRN · May 3, 2017

Original Immunization records are kept in the student's cumm folder and follows them thru K-12 - we also enter them into Eschool - so no need for a copy in my office. Doctor's notes - data clerk keeps for her records. Medication consent forms, Action plans, medical info stuff - I bundle and put in a file cabinet in my office at the end of the year. We have to keep records on site for 2 years, anything older than that gets boxed up and sent to the districts central document storage area.

Alot of our stuff in now computerized so I no longer have a file one each kiddo anymore unless they have medical issues or I get medical documentation info that I need to hang onto.

it'snotatumor · May 3, 2017

Do you send your files on to the next school as students progress through grades (i.e. does the middle school nurse send files to the junior high nurse?) or does each school nurse have a file on students while they are there? It just seems like a waste of time, space, and resources.

cooties_are_real · May 3, 2017

We have a medical history file on each student. We started those when my son was in kindergarten (he graduated 2015). We keep all our emergency care forms, important dr notes and anything the nurse thinks needs to pass on. I hold all records for 5 years after they graduate. I have a storage room for supplies that has a filing cabinet in it that I use to help keep track. When I get the records from the Middle School, I have to purge them because the wont fit into my filing cabinet.

AdobeRN · May 3, 2017

Do you send your files on to the next school as students progress through grades (i.e. does the middle school nurse send files to the junior high nurse?) or does each school nurse have a file on students while they are there? It just seems like a waste of time space, and resources.[/quote']
It really isn't that much paperwork - I have 125 5th graders moving onto middle school next year and only about 7 files with pertinent medical info/documentation that the middle school nurse may need to reference. All other papers such as the medication consents, action plans etc are yearly forms the parents must submit each school year. Parents also fill out a new medical history online form every year.