Sports clearances and clerical help

[RNqueens]

Hello all!

I am drowning in paperwork and junior high sports clearances that I don't even have a handle on students with new issues uughh.

How do you go about sports clearances? Right now I have each roster where I put if the student is medically cleared to participate. My issue is that I am also responsible for their permission form for the sport. I think I'm going to suggest the coaches be responsible for their own permission forms so that I can just focus on the medical aspect.

Do you have clerical Staff and how competent are they? I have 1400 students to one nurse and a secretary who is not efficient. I have to constantly micromanage her. I stayed way past my time to enter physicals (I actually worked until her time) and she did nothing. Her excuse is that the paperwork doesn't get in the computer until november. That is unacceptable when I entered 3/4 of the 7th grade physicals during unpaid OT.

I have other things that take priority and think the health aide/secretarial staff should be more efficient PS there is nothing I can do about it

[SnugglePuggle, MSN, RN]

The Athletic Department at my school has their own secretary to handle the Physical Clearance forms. Thankfully I never see them.

[ohiobobcat]

At my school, the ATC handles all sports stuff. It never even crosses my desk, unless a student gets injured to the point that it effects their education. I train the coaches (and the ATC) in diabetes and life-threatening allergy management each season. I also review the legalities of 504 plans because there are still some coaches out there who will bench a player because her blood sugar was low in practice and she had to sit out to eat something so she wouldn't DIE!!!

I used to be an ATC. I let my certification lapse 12 years ago, and I would NOT feel comfortable in that role at all anymore, even though I was told that my former ATC certification was a part of the reason I got hired. We are a big athletic school, and I made it very clear during my interview that I no longer hold the ATC certification/licensure, and cannot practice as an ATC.

I can pull some of my old assessment skills out of my pocket, but I always refer athletes who get injured to our ATC after my initial assessment. I will say that the ATC background made ortho a breeze in nursing school. I am also especially skilled in ace wrapping and crutch fitting/ training.

TRUE STORY- right as I was typing this, a mom of a junior high student came in and asked me to tape her son's thumb. He hurt it last night in football and the trainer taped it, but they had to take the tape off when he showered this morning. Uh, no?

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

the sports physicals are the bane of my existence here - you'd think we were talking pro level sports here the way the parents act. Can't be bothered to get vaccine records in but are yelling and screaming about when the sports programs are going to start!!

Anyhow - here's my system:

Sports physicals are required for every sport and remain valid for 365 days. So what I do (bear in mind that the middle school portion of my school is only about 300 kids (elementary makes up the other 500) and not everyone plays sports) is make myself a spreadsheet on excel of name, grade, missing components, physical expiration and 90 day update (i'll get to this in a sec.) Then as the physical expire or as new students bring them, i just update and forward on to the coaches.

The 90 day update thing is a form created by the athletic association that does not require another physical, but does require the parent to disclose any new injuries or medical issues if the student submitted a physical that was done more than 90 days ago. So the usual course of action is that all the students turning in physicals for fall sports will most likely need to complete the 90-day form for winter sports - depending on the date of their physical. When in doubt, i just have them fill one out- it takes the parents 2 minutes and doesn't create the need for a dr visit.

[Farawyn]

the sports physicals are the bane of my existence here - you'd think we were talking pro level sports here the way the parents act. Can't be bothered to get vaccine records in but are yelling and screaming about when the sports programs are going to start!!

Anyhow - here's my system:

Sports physicals are required for every sport and remain valid for 365 days. So what I do (bear in mind that the middle school portion of my school is only about 300 kids (elementary makes up the other 500) and not everyone plays sports) is make myself a spreadsheet on excel of name, grade, missing components, physical expiration and 90 day update (i'll get to this in a sec.) Then as the physical expire or as new students bring them, i just update and forward on to the coaches.

The 90 day update thing is a form created by the athletic association that does not require another physical, but does require the parent to disclose any new injuries or medical issues if the student submitted a physical that was done more than 90 days ago. So the usual course of action is that all the students turning in physicals for fall sports will most likely need to complete the 90-day form for winter sports - depending on the date of their physical. When in doubt, i just have them fill one out- it takes the parents 2 minutes and doesn't create the need for a dr visit.

Yes, we have that as well. It's called an Interim Sports Form.

Because we need more forms.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I made a up a form about how much i love all these bloody forms!!

[Eleven011]

I am so happy I don't have to deal with this!! At my school, in about April, physical permission forms go home to all JH/HS studets who will be doing any sport the following year. Then in one day, all students are bussed by grade to our local clinic and physicals are done. Forms go to the AD and he takes care of it. Not my circus, not my monkeys :)

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I have absolutely nothing to do with sports physicals and I'm GRATEFUL!

The paperwork goes out with the registration information at the end of summer. The parents have to take their kids into the local doctor's offices to get a sports physical. That info goes from the school secretaries to the coaches.

The only thing that I get is if a kid is diagnosed with a medical condition. And the parents already write that on the registration paperwork.

The thing I hate is . . . .. .having to look over all the paperwork gathered by my health aide and finding all the medical conditions, calling the parents about meds and getting Action Plans signed.

Hate it.