Teacher Referral

[zenman]

If you use teacher referral forms, ie. forms sent from the teachers with a student visit, what do you do with them? We are starting this and the school offices want a copy to file, the teachers want a copy to see what we've done and I'm going nutz trying to figure out a simple system that will not require me making duplicate copies and will allow me to ID frequent flyers and keep records of the number of daily visits.

[michigooseBSN]

We have computerized office visit entry and do not use teacher referral forms but I'm wondering if documenting health information on such a form and then either returning it to the teacher or giving it to the office to file is a violation of patient privacy. Why does the teacher or the office need to know anything other than that in the nurse's opinion the child is OK to return to class?

[it4396]

HELP!!!??? I am in school, working on my MSN, and I am having a very difficult time finding a teacher evaluation tool, also. I say also, because as I was doing a google search, I came across this site, click on it, and saw another person asking for the same thing. So I'm now a registered user, and love having this technology of communication. So if there is anyone out there who can help me (us), I will really appreciate it. Glad to be a part of this network.

[MelissaJaneRN]

I just started working this April in an elementary school and took the place of a nurse who was there almost 20 years. I am new to school nursing.

She never used teacher referral forms but I desperately want to use them because I feel I am being grossly misued. Maybe everyone feels this way! However, I do feel that if I institute use of the referrals, there will be a slight decrease in unnecessary nurse visits.

I never thought of the issue of confidentiality, however- students tell their teacher what is wrong when they come to the nurse. So its important, I feel, for the teacher in turn to know what was done in the nurses office so they dont re-send the student down to my office or not believe the student, or feel something (that I already did) needs to be done. She knows what the temp is, how long they rested, how they behaved, if parents were contacted and what the next plan of action is.

I thought that these slips should then be sent home with the kids, then there is parent communication of virtually every nurse visit. If something ever came up that was confidential, I wouldnt send the note back with the student, or perhaps Id seal it in an envelope for home- it is all very situational. Most of the time, kids are coming down for things that arent confidential from the start becase they tell their teacher was is wrong in the first place- sore throat, cough, skinned knee..

I think they are important for parent communication- I was floored at the handful of times the last two months of this year I worked where parents called me ticked off because I didnt call them and tell them their precious fell and skinned a knee. Is a skinned knee serious enough to take time to call home?? Track down parents after endless failed attempts?? I dont think so!

My fear is that the teachers will not want to use these referral forms- they are used to the old nurse who didnt use them. I am going to try..

[zenman]

My fear is that the teachers will not want to use these referral forms- they are used to the old nurse who didnt use them. I am going to try..

They don't want to use them, however, I have the superintendent's support. When I go back in the Fall, our teacher referral forms will also be our visit record and an NCR copy will be sent back to the teacher and one to the principal's office. Our copy will be filed in the student's records. The parents can go online to check their kid's grades, etc. and we are thinking about granting them access to an online visit record also so they can see how many visits their child is making to our office as well as what for. No way do I have time to call them when their cell phone is off while thay are playing tennis!

[Hilundlass]

Our elementary school uses a simple "healthroom slip" which the nurse requires the teacher to write a basic complaint on. The nurse writes a generic treatment on it (snack, rest, etc) and returns it by way of the student so that the teacher knows how it was handled. No specific health info is written on it, and some teachers staple it into the students homework folder to go home to the parent. This also helps the nurse track where the younger students are coming from, so that they don't just run in to the healthroom from the bus first thing, or from lunch without notifying a teacher. The teachers usually escort the kindergarteners and don't always write a slip.

I feel sure that FERPA would apply in which the teacher is only "entitled" to health information as it applies to their capacity to learn in their environment. Not every teacher in the same grade should know if little Johnny has head lice for the third time. Privacy is a big issue and not every teacher understands that working in the school does NOT entitle them to the latest "goings on" in the health room.