Giving meds

Specialties School

Published

I remember when I was in school and had a headache our school nurse would toss some Tylenol my way.

It's not so easy anymore. To give meds I have to get parent and MD signatures. This holds true even for Neosporin and cough drops.

Is it easier anywhere else, or is this a federal standard? Even for cough drops?

Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.

In my son's school just for tylenol, cough drops any type of medication, otc or prescription you have to have the MD fill out a paper saying he can have. I think that they have taken things too far. However they can call me and I can come in and administer the tylenol or whatever. I think it is a bit ridicolus (sp) For OTC i think the parent signature should be sufficient.

My niece's school would not let her carry her combivent inhaler with her on the bus. It had to stay locked in the nurses office. However, her bus ride was over an hour long. If she had an acute attack on the bus, the bus driver was supposed to radio for a 911 call. :uhoh3: The argument that her having the inhaler might prevent a minor attack from turning into an acute attack did not sway the schoolboard any. Needless to say, the family banded together so that she always had a ride to and from school.

My stepkids are in a different school district, so stepdaughter doesn't ride the bus, thank goodness there's no fight about her inhaler.

In my son's school just for tylenol, cough drops any type of medication, otc or prescription you have to have the MD fill out a paper saying he can have. I think that they have taken things too far. However they can call me and I can come in and administer the tylenol or whatever. I think it is a bit ridicolus (sp) For OTC i think the parent signature should be sufficient.

I can understand having a doctors note. For one thing it protects my license and for another; sometimes the parents don't accurately measure the dose so they really don't know how much to tell you to give the child. If the doctor has signed off on it then you know you are giving the correct dose.

Jenn

P.S. I have had the Dr. dosage differ from parent dosage in that the parent wanted the child to have more. I always go by what Dr. says to give.

Well, if you think about hospital nurses, they can give nothing without an order from a doctor. In New Jersey school nurses can not give any meds without a Doc order and parent permission. Sometimes parents grumble. We do let children carry inhalers if the Doc writes an order that they have been instructed and are capable of self-medicating

In my district we can give OTC meds with just a note from the parents. The medication must be in a labeled OTC container and must be age appropriate. I'm in an elementary school and must give children's or jr. strength meds. I can only give cough drops with permission from parents. All prescription meds must be brought in the original prescription bottle with a doctor's note AND a note from the parent.

I'm a full time elementary (K-5) school nurse in Massachusetts. In my town, every school has at least one full time nurse in the building. This is in response to the significantly increased acuity of medically compromised students (DM. CF, seizures, trachs, catheterizations etc). We realize how fortunate we are to have magnificent support from administration and the School Committee.

In Massachusetts we have many state laws regarding medications in the school. The school nurse must have a physician's order, written parental permission and the medication provided from home before administering any medication, even OTC or cough drops. Elementary students may not carry their own meds, even inhalers or EpiPens without additional written doctor's orders. Delegation of medication administration of any med (for example for field trips) is allowed only to the child's classroom teacher or his/her own parent and then only inhalers, EpiPens and daily scheduled meds.

I usually do leave the Health Office for lunch but am frequently called back. The office staff deals with minor abrasions or takes a temp before deciding to call me. Splinters, nonfebrile headaches and nonnauseated tummy aches are directed to return when I come back from lunch. But I am never unreachable and I'm the only one to decide whether to send a sick child home or send them back to class.

When I was a sub I had no idea how demanding, fascinating, and rewarding being a school nurse could be. I just love it and plan to stay here for the rest of my career. No more hospital med-surg for this nurse.

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