Screening High School Students

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2013

I am certainly not one of the more experienced nurses around here, but I did just finished screening 7th and 9th. I did have another nurse to help, but it can be done on your own as we only had one vision and one hearing machine.

Know your equipment and see if you can get a faculty staff volunteer to test how long it might take; that's what I did. Turns out that it took about 3 minutes per student for hearing and another 3-5 minutes for vision (including documentation). But after getting into the groove, it went a bit faster. Remind students to bring their glasses if they have 'em! Some folks do hearing and vision together. I didn't have much extra space (my office isn't the biggest), so I did hearing screenings one day, vision another. Got through about 12-15 students in one 50 minute class period.

Warning about calling down 10 students at a time - is someone there to help you monitor the other 9 students while you test one? I called students down in groups of 4. When I got done with the third student, I handed him/her a list with the next four students to come down. By the time I was done with my fourth student, I had another 4 waiting.

Good luck!

SchoolRNAmy · Dec 18, 2013

I agree with JenElizabethRN in regards to pulling down 10 at a time....

I work in a smaller school, Pre k -8, I usually pull down 2-3 students at a time, explain how it's going to work. I'll do hearing first, test all three, then start the vision. As I finish each child for hearing, I send them up, and they send down another student. It's kind of like a revolving door.

Do what works for you. It will take you a little bit of time to find your groove. :)

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 18, 2013

First of all, I am lucky enough to have a second set of hands in the office to help me during screenings. This is a nurse that I know knows how to screen, so we set up 2 screening spots and get twice the students done. I make sure that I email the teachers and everyone the screening schedule so they know not to send the kids that they think "feel warm" or have chapped lips or any other BS need. I've even been known to make up posters to put up around school to remind the kids that Wednesday the 9th is vision screening day - don't forget your glasses or have had them make announcements. I don't chart the kids at the time of screening - this is one time that paper and pencil beats the pants off of technology. I make a list in the beginning of the year as I often have to pull kids in for early screenings for CST or speech and mark them off as i go.

I tend to call the older grades in bigger groups with the expectation that they will keep quiet while in my office. If not - discipline. I'm not asking the world of them. The younger kids get called out of class in groups of 4-6, depending on what grade and what screenings need to be done for that group.

coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2013

Thanks so much for all the advice! I would love to have a 2nd Nurse, like at my last District, but this District isn't going to pay a school nurse from the County office of Ed to help me since the last Nurse's could do it on their own. Unfortunately, I'm a bit stressed because I don't have much time. I have to start in the Spring because I just finished my Audiology course and I can't officially start screening until I receive my certification from the State so hopefully that will be by mid-Jan. Between State testing, AP tests, and other "black out" dates I'm hoping to get them all done before May since we finish the 1st week in June. This will be an interesting few months!

fetch, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2013

Does your district/state allow for nursing students to assist in any way? Depending on any nursing schools in your area, you might be able to get a few extra hands that way.

angrykitten · Dec 19, 2013

When I was in nursing school, I had community health clinical in an elementary school and did about 120 vision screenings (not hearing though). I also got a classmate to come do some because we needed volunteer hours as well and honestly I thought I had learned enough about doing vision screenings :) I would definitely ask around for volunteers like the previous poster mentioned.

coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2013

I just doubled checked my State's regulations regarding vision screenings in California schools and it says

591. Employees Authorized to Give Tests.
(a) An employee of a school district or of a county superintendent of schools may be authorized to give vision
tests pursuant to Education Code Section 49452 and may be designated a “duly qualified supervisor of
health” within the meaning of that section if the employee is:
(1) A physician and surgeon or osteopath employed pursuant to Education Code Section 44873.
(2) A school nurse employed pursuant to Education Code Section 44877.
(3) An optometrist employed pursuant to Education Code Section 44878.
(b) Any other certificated employee of the school district or of the county superintendent of schools may be
authorized to give vision tests pursuant to Education Code Section 49452 if the employee has one of the
following documents:
(1) A statement from a qualified supervisor of health that the employee has satisfactorily completed an
acceptable course of in-service training in techniques and procedures in vision testing of at least six
clock hours given by the qualified supervisor of health making the statement and that the employee is
qualified to administer vision tests to pupils.
(2) A transcript from an accredited college or university evidencing that the employee has successfully
completed an acceptable course in vision testing of at least one semester unit.

So I can't ask the local nursing students for help