Reporting to parents

For example, a student has an eating disorder. Are you required to notify the parents?

Are you suggesting that the school nurse is diagnosing an eating disorder? To answer in general terms, our goal is usually to work cooperatively with student, family, health care provider and other agencies for the health and safety of the student.

Nurses are not qualified to dx any type of disorder. I will report head injuries, emergencies, fevers over 100.0, vomiting and chronic diarrhea, live lice. Otherwise, I send a clinic note home. Now, I'm sure I forgot to mention a few scenarios I would call the parents but you kind of get the idea. :-)

if i have an idea that a student may not be eating as healthy as they should ( like a cafeteria aide reports frequent skipping or dumping of meals or that the student is going to lunch and maybe only having a water) i will most likely call the parents with concerns, but never formally coming out and saying "i think so and so has an eating d/o." if the parent asks if i suspect it, i usually answer that i can't diagnose, but that it certainly merits further observation and perhaps a visit to the primary md or at the very least a discussion with the student.

Is this a situation you are encountering, a friend, a school project?

Depends on the child and situation. Obvious call for head injury, suspected fracture, suspected appendicitis, vomiting, fever, lice, conjunctivitis, skin eruptions that may be contagious etc. etc. Never dx but collaborate and suggest. If you have concerns, talk to others and make the call. Keep privacy in mind.