/School Information / Nurse-Medical
Nurse / Medical
School Nurses:
Ashlee Leahy, RN ~ ghsnurse@bcsd5.org
There is a school nurse at each school. The nurse is available during school hours for daily health or wellness needs and any emergency situations that occur.
Guidelines for Keeping Children Home from School
-
Has had a fever of 100 degrees or higher within the past 24 hours. A student must be fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours before returning to school.
-
Has vomited within the past 24 hours
-
Has had diarrhea within the past 24 hours
-
Has a persistent cough or chest congestion
-
Has a rash of unknown origin
-
Has red swollen eyes that are draining, painful, and/or itching
-
Has been prescribed antibiotics for a contagious illness such as strep throat or pink eye. The child needs to have been on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.
-
Has head lice
Requirements for 9th Graders
-
Complete list of all immunizations
-
Physical Exams: Current State of Illinois school physical examination (Sports physical forms cannot be accepted); Current physical is an exam dated less than 1 year from the 1st day of school
-
Vision Exam: performed by a licensed Optometrist or Ophthalmologist (only if a student moved from another state)
-
Dental Exam: Illinois law requires a current dental exam for 9th graders. The dental exam is to be turned in by May 15th of the current school year. It can be dated up to 18 months before the May 15th deadline. If you are without dental insurance or cannot afford the exam you will be required to fill out the Dental Exam Waiver form for your child. The waiver form will fulfill the state requirement.
Requirements for 12th Graders
-
Meningococcal Vaccine: Two doses for students entering 12th grade; if the first dose was given on or after the 16th birthday, only one dose is required
Requirements for New K-12 Students
All new students must have a current physical and proof of immunizations.
-
Physical Exam: Illinois law requires a current physical exam, less than one year from the 1st day of school, when entering 9th grade. Students without a current exam on file will not be allowed to attend the 1st day of school unless there is an appointment card from the doctor’s office on file with the school nurse.
-
A Dental Exam is required for Kindergarten, 2nd, 6th, and 9th-grade students in Illinois. The form is due May 15 (dated within 18 months of May 15th deadline). If you are without dental insurance or cannot afford the exam you will be required to fill out the Dental Exam Waiver for their child. The waiver form will fulfill the state requirement.
-
All out-of-state students moving into the district are required to show proof of an eye exam performed by an Illinois licensed optometrist.
-
Tdap: (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) four or more doses are required with the last being a booster that received (needs "is" added) on or after the 4th birthday.
-
Hepatitis B: Three doses required. The first two doses are no less than 28 days apart and the interval between the 2nd and the 3rd doses must be at least two months apart.
-
MMR: (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) two doses are required. The 1st dose on or after the 1st birthday and the 2nd dose no less than 28 days after the first.
-
MCV: (Meningococcal) All students over the age of 11 years old are required to be vaccinated with a single dose of a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine.
-
OPV/IPV: (Polio) ]three or more doses are required with the last dose received on or after the 4th birthday. Any combo vaccine with IPV requires four doses.
-
Varivax: (Chickenpox) two doses required. The 1st dose on or after the 1st birthday and the 2nd dose no less than 28 days after the first, OR PROOF OF DISEASE
-
Tdap: (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) 6th grade requires one dose of vaccine.
Health Examinations / Immunizations
State law requires a medical exam for all children within one year prior to entering Kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grades. Physical exams must be on file by the first day of school. If a physical examination is not on file, by the first day of school, the child will be excluded. This exclusion shall begin immediately and shall remain in effect until the child is in compliance. All students who are new to the District, entering any grade, must have a current physical and provide proof of up-to-date immunizations within 30 calendar days, beginning with the first day of enrollment in the district.
Vision and Hearing Screening
Vision and hearing screenings will be conducted annually on all Special ED students. Any student that is referred by a teacher or parent/guardian will also be tested. These screenings are not a substitute for a complete examination by a physician. If your child has had a vision and/or hearing exam at a physician’s office within the past school year, and a report is on file at school, your child will not be required to undergo screenings. Parents and teachers will be notified if the student fails a screening. For further information or questions, please contact the school nurse.
Medical PE Waiver Policy
In order to be medically excused from P.E., a student must present a physician’s note to the nurse. A note from a parent will be honored for one day only. A note from an administrator or nurse shall be honored for up to one full week. After that time, a licensed physician’s excuse shall be required. Any medical excuse beyond two weeks in any grade period will be treated as an entire nine weeks and the Medical P.E. Policy shall apply.
Sports Physicals
Students involved in sports through the school are required to have a physical on file annually. The physical examination is good for one year from the date on the exam. Students are not allowed to practice or participate in sports if they do not have a current physical on file at the school.
Medication Procedures
Medication shall be defined for our procedure as drugs that are prescribed by a licensed physician. The medications shall be those required during school hours that are necessary to provide the student access to the education program. The intent of these guidelines is to reduce the number of medications given in school, yet assure safe administration of medications for those children who require them. The primary function of the school is to provide an education. The administration of medications is not normally a function of education. When a child requires long-term or short-term medication, the responsibility for administering such medication rests solely upon the parents. Only those medications that are necessary to maintain the child in school and must be given during school hours will be administered by the school. Medications will be limited to those that are absolutely necessary for the critical health and well-being of the student. All prescription and over-the-counter medications taken at school must be prescribed by a licensed prescriber on an individual basis as determined by the child’s health status. Students taking medication three times a day, other than Ritalin and/or seizure medication, should take it before school, after school, and at bedtime, unless specifically noted by the doctor. Then a note from the doctor must accompany the medication stating it must be taken at school.
Procedures for Bringing Medication to School
Medication is to be sent to school for the entire regime if short-term. Long-term medications may be brought to school in doses for one month. The medication should be in a bottle with the prescription attached to the bottle. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to see that medication arrives at school in a safe, orderly, and efficient manner. It is a parental duty to personally bring medication to school and deliver it to the school nurse or adult office personnel for safekeeping. If it is not possible for a parent to bring the medication to school personally, a child may bring the medication under emergency conditions if the followed:
-
The parent must notify the school nurse and/or office personnel that the child will be bringing the medication to school. This notice must occur 24 hours in advance unless the medication has just been ordered.
-
The parent must notify the school nurse and/or office personnel of the type (name) of medication being sent and the number of tablets or amount of liquid dosage that the child has in his/her possession so that the count and type of medication can be verified.
-
It should be understood that it is the Ball-Chatham District’s position that all medication is to be brought to school by the parent and/or guardian and should be brought by the student only when emergency conditions exist that would prevent the parent or guardian from fulfilling their responsibility to deliver medicine to the school.
Administration of Medication
Medication will be managed by the school nurse. If the school nurse is unavailable a substitute registered nurse, school administrator, or his/her designee will administer the medication after being instructed by the school nurse as to the procedure of administering and recording the medications. Each dose of medication shall be documented on a specific and individual form. This form will be filed in the student’s individual health record. Documentation shall include the date, time, dosage, route of administration, and signature or initials of the person administering the medication. Over-the-counter medications shall not be brought to school. The school supplies Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Antacids, and Cough drops as needed. Over-the-counter medications listed on the signed OTC Medication permission form may be given as needed through the nurse’s office. Students recovering from temporary illness or students on permanent medication who require medication during the school day must have a Medication Authorization Form or written statement from the student’s physician and written permission from the parent. A student may possess medication prescribed for asthma or anaphylactic reaction for immediate use at the student’s discretion, provided the student’s parent/guardian and the student's physician have completed and signed an Asthma/Anaphylactic Medication Self-Administration Form.
School Access to Emergency Epinephrine
Public Act 97-0361 allows schools to voluntarily maintain a supply of emergency epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPens) for students who have forgotten their EpiPen at home or who do not have a known allergy. It is crucial that children with life-threatening allergies have immediate access to emergency epinephrine when anaphylaxis occurs. Epinephrine can save a child’s life by opening his or her airways until emergency personnel arrives. The supply of emergency epinephrine allowed under this Act is not intended to replace epinephrine prescribed to students with known allergies. A school nurse may administer an EpiPen to any student that he or she, in good faith, professionally believes is having an anaphylactic reaction and who does not have an Emergency Action Plan in place. Under Public Act 97-0361, a school district or non-public school, and its employees or agents are to incur no liability for the administration of an EpiPen, provided the school nurse acted in good faith when administering the EpiPen. Parents who have children with severe allergies are encouraged and reminded to work with the school and put in place an Emergency Action Plan in place. Examples of the Food Allergy guidelines and action plan are available on the Illinois School Board of Education’s website at:
https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Food-Allergy-Guidelines.aspx.
Storage of Medication
Medication will be stored in a locked drawer or cabinet. Medications requiring refrigeration will be refrigerated in a secure area. Long-term medication may be brought to school in doses for one month. The prescription should be attached to the medicine container. The school nurse will administer medication; however, if the school nurse is unavailable a substitute registered nurse, school administrator, or his/her designee will administer the medication. The nurse will instruct her substitute on the procedure of administering and recording the medication.
Recording of Medication
Each dose of medication shall be documented on a specific and individual form. This form will be filed in the student’s individual health record. Documentation shall include the date, time, dosage, route of administration, and signature or initials of the person administering the medication or supervising the student in self-administration. In the event a dosage is not administered as ordered, the reasons therefore shall be entered in the record on a specific form. Over-the-counter medication shall not be brought to school. The school will supply Tylenol, Ibuprofen, antacids, and cough drops as needed. Inhalers are a part of prescription medication and must not be kept in lockers, book bags, or on the student. The student has access to the nurse’s office within a sufficient amount of time to get and use an inhaler. If a student must carry an inhaler, a self-administration form must be completed by a physician and parent/guardian.
End-of-Year Procedure
At the end of the school year, each building nurse will notify parents of the remaining amount of medication at school. Parents will have ten days to pick up the remaining medication otherwise the nurse will dispose of it.