Rapid testing in schools- any here in MA?

[MHDNURSE]

Our district is set to begin the new rapid tests and I am wondering if anyone is doing these in their schools, especially if you are in MA.  We were just told that we are going to begin "sometime next week" but I imagine there is extensive training for administering the tests and of course no in in the district seems to know anything about that.  Would love to hear from anyone who is doing these in their districts.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

15 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Sounds too much like taking over primary care or public health duties. I know that MA makes a Rapid Response Team available to come to schools to do mass testing, but that depends on reaching a certain number of positives in the school. What do they expect y'all to do about contact tracing if you're doing testing?

The one partnership my school is looking at partners with a lab that processes the sample and the results go through a portal that also reports the data to DPH (Maven essentially for us MA folks). These are PCR tests, so also accepted by the state. DPH/CTC will then pull the data to start contact tracing.

Of course, the school also does it, I guess...? This is where I get slightly confused here in MA. I've had a couple of positives already, but luckily for students that ended up having no close contacts at school. I called them both in DPH who confirmed the positive lab with me through Maven. DPH has been great, but we are so still learning this school COVID game together :). 

17 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Sounds too much like taking over primary care or public health duties.

I totally agree and.  We do have a close relationship with our local BOH but I still do not think we should be doing this testing in the school. Just because we can does not mean we should.

[Eleven011]

Every school here in SD has been giving the option to receive the rapid tests free from the DOH.   We would only administer to symptomatic students or staff and then results need to be reported daily to our DOH.   There is a webinar happening today actually for training.   Our admins are still talking about weather or not we will be doing it, but I'm thinking we will be.   

[cowboysandangels, BSN]

We are being told that we cannot accept anyone back into school unless they had a PCR test.  Not accepting antigen tests. 

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

And then there are the kids who will come to school sick in search of a test...exposing everyone in their path.

5 minutes ago, NutmeggeRN said:

And then there are the kids who will come to school sick in search of a test...exposing everyone in their path.

YES!! Good point!

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

38 minutes ago, NutmeggeRN said:

And then there are the kids who will come to school sick in search of a test...exposing everyone in their path.

THIS x1000. It is one of my worries as my school launches surveillance testing. We actually won't be able to per the doctor's order that goes with this testing be able to test any symptomatic folks. I have to direct them to one of the MA test sites.

I do have a pre-screener that needs to be completed by everyone prior to entry and screen those students that do not complete it. But we all know that is not perfect at all. Just a tool. They are really all just tools. And I'm already exhausted again thinking about all this...

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

4 minutes ago, JenTheSchoolRN said:

THIS x1000. It is one of my worries as my school launches surveillance testing. We actually won't be able to per the doctor's order that goes with this testing be able to test any symptomatic folks. I have to direct them to one of the MA test sites.

I do have a pre-screener that needs to be completed by everyone prior to entry and screen those students that do not complete it. But we all know that is not perfect at all. Just a tool. They are really all just tools. And I'm already exhausted again thinking about all this...

Yes  me too. I have never slept so well as I do now. I am just exhausted when I go home!

[AdobeRN]

Texas Governor just approved a pilot program for school districts to do Rapid Covid testing in their schools if they choose.  Praying that our district passes on this opportunity - I have no desire to be testing kids in my clinic.  I envision more problems with parents sending kids to school ill. 

[EnoughWithTheIce]

2 hours ago, NutmeggeRN said:

And then there are the kids who will come to school sick in search of a test...exposing everyone in their path.

This is what I would fear! After 8 weeks in, I am finally getting parents to understand the need to keep ill kids home and follow up with their PCP. If they found out we are testing, the lines will be out the door every morning.

What are the implications for nurses doing these tests? It's diagnostic, is that even within our scope??? 

[AdobeRN]

1 hour ago, EnoughWithTheIce said:

What are the implications for nurses doing these tests? It's diagnostic, is that even within our scope??? 

My first thoughts about doing the Rapid testing in schools.  

[BunnyBunnyBSNRN, ASN, BSN]

2 hours ago, AdobeRN said:

Texas Governor just approved a pilot program for school districts to do Rapid Covid testing in their schools if they choose.  Praying that our district passes on this opportunity - I have no desire to be testing kids in my clinic.  I envision more problems with parents sending kids to school ill. 

We have been told our district will start serial testing on a voluntary basis sometime within the next couple of weeks.  One of the neighboring district has been doing this and claim is lessens the parent and student anxiety about returning to face to face instruction.  

According to our director, the nurses have no role in the testing (we didn't have any input into if we should do this or not, so it appropriate we won't have a role in the testing).  However, if there is a positive, we will be responsible for contacting the parent and letting them know LD can't come to school and then doing the contact tracing.