storing meds when I'm off campus

[Nurse2Kids]

I read all about keeping the meds secure, so it has me curious how to best handle this.

I'm the nurse for two campuses, and the school secretaries are delegated to give meds.

They've never had a school nurse, and I believe the only documentation of meds was scheduled/prescribed meds. Overseeing the OTC meds was disastrous, but they managed.....literally heaping shoeboxes of pill bottles.

My office on each campus is next to the secretary's office, so they could just run in and grab the med to be given, or could take the student into the office to give the med.

How do I handle securing the meds if I'm not on the campus? Give an office key to each secretary? Leave the offices open, and give a key for a locked med cabinet?

I'll primarily be on the elementary campus, so the secretary will need access to bandaids, etc. when I'm not on her campus.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Can you make the secretary a nice heavy duty first aid kit for his/her desk? That might also make it easier for them for the minor stuff. Otherwise I'd leave the office and med box locked and give the secretary the key. I'd to leave it open for anyone to walk into. But that's just me :).

[Nurse2Kids]

Yes, there is a very nice first aid kit made up on each campus.

Thank you for the tip.

[RedKat]

I'm only in my office for the morning, then there's no nurse at my school while I go to other schools in the district for the remainder of the day. In my school, my office is locked when I'm not there, and meds remain locked in my cabinet. The secretary has her own set of keys so she can get whatever is needed. If my office was left unlocked, I have a feeling that things would start disappearing much faster than normal - so this way, she has some control over it when I'm not there. She does keep some bandaids and ice packs in her office (she has a small refrigerator) but unlocks my office when she needs meds or other supplies. Good luck!