Lice Policies

[BrisketRN]

Today one of my classes is having their fourth case of lice this year. Per school policy I check the whole class whenever we have a confirmed case. This is my first year at the school, and the former nurse left me her parent illness notes which state that parents must provide an "all clear" note from a lice treatment center or pediatrician. I checked our handbook and it only says proof of treatment and children can return to school when no live lice are present, so I changed our parent illness note. I also told admin that the CDC says to not send kids home for lice and their reaction was a shoulder shrug and "ok sounds good." What are your lice policies?

[AdobeRN]

Cattz said:

Every time I deal with lice in this crazy school business it pushes me one step closer to "don't ask, don't tell".

I have felt this way for quite some time. I really hate dealing with lice.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

BeckyESRN said:

ETA: If there were a lice vaccine, I bet I wouldn't see as many Facebook anti-vaxxers...

I am stealing Poodles' OH MY LANTA. I just spit tea.

[phoffman]

Go online to see what an expert from Harvard Dr Richard Pollack has to say about head lice in schools and school policy. He has spoken to school nurses about lice policies. He has a website called Identifyus here is a great presentation: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/managing-head-lice.pdf

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

ruby_jane said:

I am stealing Poodles' OH MY LANTA. I just spit tea.

Right? I bet the antivaxers would be first in line! lol

[halohg, RN]

Strong no Nit / No Lice Policy

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

Unfortunately, in the not so sleepy suburbs, no nit policies reverberate with the dual income professional families that vote the school boards in. When there may not be much to differentiate board member platforms, this would be enough to unseat a board member.

[KKEGS, MSN, RN]

We exclude for live bugs but not for nits. We do not require any proof of treatment and we certainly don't require our students to be "cleared" by a lice treatment center or doctor. What a waste of money! If I sent a student home for live bugs or even for nits I'd follow up with the parent the next day and see how treatment is progressing, if they need any advice, etc. and check the child when they return to school.

We also do not send letters home when lice has been found nor do we do classroom head checks.

[Csn2016, BSN]

When I started at my school I was informed we had a strong no nit policy...until upon further review I read the policy even closer and it states "The board authorizes the school nurse and/or health room nurse to exclude from school any student with symptoms of head lice or nits." No where did it say they HAD to go home at that very moment. It only states that if lice or nits are found upon examination for readmission the student will be denied reentry in to school. So that's what I've started doing--I send them home with live lice but nits I make a phone call and tell the parent and send the student back to class with strict instructions to not share things with classmates (but we also have to remember that by the time lice is identified more than likely the child has had it at least a month.) We also do school wide lice checks at the beginning of the year which I despise and I'm working on getting them to give that up...baby steps.

[WineRN]

My teachers hate that we follow the AAP guidelines for lice and let the little ones stay.

I just found nits on a little one today, called home and parent said they would treat it and I've seen two teachers and our counselor about it

[NurseMrn]

We do not exclude, check entire classrooms, or have no nit policies. Due to the population I serve, its quite an issue at my school. Our local Home Health company will go in yi families homes and help if needed, and we do use this resource. We also buy quite a lot of supplies to send home!

[AutumnDraidean]

I'm a sub, I hate doing head checks. It's winter here and scalps are dry and itchy. I check the whole head, but I start with the back of the neck, behind and above the ears. Then I check the crown. I've found nits but only once have I found a live louse. My kids have suffered twice, once from an ill considered hat loan box in a kindergarten, and once from playing "hair salon" at day camp. I learned, I drilled into their heads not to touch other people's heads, and never use other people's hats, hoods and hair things. So far we've been lucky. It's a comfort issue and a social issue. a medical issue? not so much.

People still equate lice with being "dirty" or "low class" and it's still a social stigma. In order to end no-nit policies we need to address this. which will be an uphill policy.

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

Well y'all...lice case #5 in this class. Sixth lice check. I got a phone call from a parent today distraught that her daughter has lice again. I don't know if someone outside of this class has lice and doesn't know it/isn't treating it/isn't reporting it. These lice checks take up so much time, and my office is already overcrowded with sick children. Kind of lost on where to go from here. I don't have much oversight (private school, people above me aren't health care professionals), and this is my first year.