Back2workRN

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate your responses.

Thanks to all for your help. I appreciate it!

Just thinking... maybe the implication is that there could be something in the student's history that makes epi contraindicated, and that's why their MD would not have written it into their plan or prescribed it?

Thanks, jhunting. It did not sound right to me, but I wondered if I was missing something... She said it very matter-of-factly, even when I asked her to repeat/clarify.

Thank you, kidzcare. This situation would be for a kid who does not have their own EpiPen at all, but who has a known allergy. Like some students' allergy plans she showed me just said "avoid the allergen" (no meds ordered at all) or only had MD approval for Benadryl because the student had never had a serious reaction. So we know they have an allergy but I guess the MD did not write for epi for whatever reason... It's these kids that she said my license does not cover me to give epi, even if they are in anaphylaxis.

I'm new to school nursing, just working as a sub, and I am confused about something that was said by a nurse who was training me. She was talking about having stock EpiPens on hand for emergencies and being able to use them on someone who has an unexpected anaphylactic reaction. But then she said we can only do that if it's a previously unknown allergy. If there is a student who has a *known* allergy but their doctor has not prescribed epi, we can't give it--even if they are having an anaphylactic reaction. For example, the student's paperwork says he has a mild food allergy and his MD has only written for Benadryl -- but one day he is exposed to the food and goes into severe anaphylaxis. This nurse said that a teacher or someone else could give that student epi, but my nursing license would be in jeopardy if I did it. I'm confused. Is this a common policy that school nurses follow? I just can't imagine witnessing a kid in anaphylaxis, having EpiPens on hand, and saying "I can't give this because it's not ordered." Isn't that why we stock emergency EpiPens? Can any experienced school nurses help me here? Thank you!