Health care plan

[peaceful nurse, RN]

I work for head start and we have health care plans for everything under the blue moon even though we don't do medicine. My manager has said if there's no supporting documents from the doctor then there really should not be a health care plan and that I am supposed to to talk to the parents about not having the documentation. I feel so weird doing that. Telling parents that there is no supporting diagnosis for the health care plan therefore there can be no plan. I am planning on putting it back on the parents but I can't always do that. I just feel that it is not my place to say that the doctor is not supporting the diagnosis. How would you go about this.

[LikeTheDeadSea, MSN, RN]

Head Start programs are not over-seen by the same legislation as school age in my state. I'd look if your state has any governing documents related to what you should have on file.

If you are reaching out to families, it's all in the way you word it. Instead of "there is not supporting diagnosis so we can't have a plan," try something more along the lines of, "We need the doctor to outline what we should do in health-related situations since every child is unique and we want to make sure that we are following exactly what the plan is." By framing it as a "we're trying to to do what is safest and best for your child," you'll likely get a much better reaction and follow-through.