school health office records

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Specializes in SCHOOL NURSING.

How long must school health office records be kept for students? This does not include immunization records.

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Most records I archive at the end of the year. They get dumped when the student leaves the system (graduates high school or transfers). I think they keep them a year in case anybody wants to have them tranferred). The only thing I keep are things that are the active student health history report and last years IEP, IHP, etc... (handy to have going forward into the next one).

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We have state guidelines for how long to keep things. There is a General Records Schedule on our state website. I would search for that or contact the school district office.

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.

It might vary by state. Without recalling specifics my requirements are either 3 years, 7 years, until the student leaves the district, or indefinately.

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Specializes in SCHOOL NURSING.

Thanks for your reply. I did look at the state website, and it appears that health records are part of the permanent record and must be kept for 60 years after graduation or leaving the school system.....

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Specializes in School nursing.

In my state every school record must be kept for 7 years, including the health record. How long does your school have to keep student records after they leave or graduate?

I also give my seniors their own health physical health records during their exit interview at my school.

Edit: wow - 60 years??

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Our state lets the school district decide and our district keeps them for 7 years.

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Specializes in School nurse.

In New Jersey it's 100 years.

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Specializes in SCHOOL NURSING.

WOW! That is crazy!

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Specializes in School nursing.
In New Jersey it's 100 years.

I'm not sure they would hold up unless stored properly, which how and with what space?

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Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

We scan everything in electronically and it is uploaded to their record. We also have it saved electronically in a file that all the district nurses share. Then we shred.

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We keep for 2 years. If they drop out, I keep till they are 21 just in case they return. I'm in Pennsylvania.

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