Outside providers treating students in your clinic

[BSNRNHS]

Hi all,

Have you ever heard of a physical therapist telling a parent that because he has his own practice, and takes his business on the road daily, he could treat the student at the school?

He would require a staff member to be there while he does his physical therapy work.

If there is a precedent for this, please tell me, I am ALL ears.

Besides the extremely obvious observation of my not being able to step away and observe physical therapy with a student and her physical therapist, I would think that there be some sort of liability if any further injury occurred on the premises.

Thoughts?

This school year has started off in a funny way..

[OldDude]

Unless it has specific language for that in the contract between the district and the company providing the therapy, anything the PT "requires" must be provided by his employer.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

I'm with OldDude. If student needs PT at school, usually it would go through a school provider. Why can't this PT occur outside of school?

[Jolie, BSN]

Sounds like the parents don't want to have to drive their little darling to an appointment, or *gasp* have the child miss an after school extracurricular activity in order to address a condition serious enough to require PT.

As I explain to parents, the role of the school nurse is to enable children to attend and fully participate in school who would not otherwise be able. Only if this child's condition would prevent him from regularly attending and fully participating during the academic school day would I allow on-site PT by an outside provider. And only with the building principal's OK.

I suspect this is a matter of parental convenience, not medical necessity. The PT can visit with the child at home after school.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I agree. PT services provided in school must be contracted with the school. This is a matter of liability. The PT can't just absolve this by saying "as long as a staff member is present". It's not that easy. It's a longer process requiring board approval and in some cases medical and back ground checks.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I don't think he can require another person. I have had kids who, through their IEP, get contracted sevices at school, but it has nothing to do with me. We are fortunate enough to have a therapy area.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

I don't think he can require another person. I have had kids who, through their IEP, get contracted sevices at school, but it has nothing to do with me. We are fortunate enough to have a therapy area.

We have contracted mental health services at my school, which we do help process, but it is approved by a student's insurance. But these are services that are necessary to be conducted during the school day. Is is necessary for PT to be completed during the school day? That is where I would start.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

A PT on wheels??? Wow, what a convenience!!!

But not in my clinic, thanks. Not even at lunch. Unless the parent wants to come supervise the visit, and even then...we're really busy at lunch here with the vomiting kids and the coughing kids...

[Farawyn]

That would be a NOPE!

[OldDude]

We have PTs and OTs contracted through special ed come to my campus that go somewhere and leave but I've never witnessed where they go or what they do.

[WineRN]

I don't think he can require another person. I have had kids who, through their IEP, get contracted sevices at school, but it has nothing to do with me. We are fortunate enough to have a therapy area.

We are the same.

Whenever we bring in outside providers they need to be approved by the district and have a certain agreement with the district signed annually. We used a mobile dental company for the past 5 years but for some reason this year they are not willing to sign the district agreement, so all of our schools had to cancel our dates with them until they do so.

[Amethya]

I was actually having this conversation during a 504 for our short gut student. He has PT outside of school, but the PT is asking that if we can do some PT exercises during PE for him, but we can't because our PE teachers aren't certified but they are educated in this. So we all agreed to find someone who can do that with him school, but he needs to be accepted into our SPED program to get all these benefits, which I think he will be because of his disability and he has some mental disadvantages. But I thought that if they are already getting care outside of school, they aren't allowed to get it in school?