Highlights from the Health Office

Pembroke Village School Nurse is Kathy Mayer RN, BSN
Pembroke Hill School Nurse is Jean Picard RN, BSN

School Nurse’s Role in Student Educational Success

• Provider of school health services
• Manager of student health care
• Educator, Counselor, Advocate

So what does a school nurse do all day??

The school nurse assists students, staff and families in the management of first aid, communicable conditions, accident prevention and chronic health conditions in the school setting. School health records are maintained with immunization audits and annual screenings (height, weight, vision, hearing). The nurse also works with the classroom teacher in providing wellness promotion education. Information about your child’s health issues is kept confidential. Parents/guardians are encouraged to communicate with the school nurse about your child’s health status changes.

Keeping Children Home From School

One of the most common dilemmas is knowing when to keep children home from school. Sick children should not be in school for their own well being and the well being of others. Please keep your child home when they are sick and contagious to others.

Often the first sign of illness in a child is a change in behavior such as irritability or tiredness. Fever may or may not be present. When your child shows signs of not feeling well, it is best to keep them home from school so that you and your health care provider can further evaluate his or her condition. Children must remain out of school when:

• Has a fever of 100 degrees or higher. Your child cannot return to school until his or her fever is gone for 24 hours without medication.
• Has conjunctivitis (pink eye). Your child cannot return to school with bacterial conjunctivitis until 24 hours after antibiotics have been started and with viral conjunctivitis, until symptoms are clear.
• Has vomiting and/or diarrhea. Your child cannot return to school until he or she is symptom free for 24 hours.

Please also consider keeping your child home with symptoms that prevent him or her from participating in school, such as:

• Excessive tiredness or lack of appetite
• Productive coughing, sneezing\
• Headache, body aches, earache
• Sore throat
  A minor sore throat is usually not a problem, but a severe sore throat could be strep throat even if there is no fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache and stomach upset.

If you child becomes ill during the day (i.e., diarrhea, vomiting, signs of contagious illness, fever above 100 degrees or is injured) you will be called to pick up your child promptly. Please keep emergency numbers current and provide available alternative contacts. In the case of an emergency an ambulance will be called at the nurse’s discretion.

Medications at School

If your child requires a prescription medication at school, the nurse needs a signed doctor's order and a signed medication administration form. The medication must be in the original prescription container. All three requirements must be met before the nurse can give a prescription medication to your child at school. The medication also needs to be brought to school by an adult.

If your child needs over-the -counter medication such as cough drops and cough syrup, you need to send a note stating why they need the medication, when they had the medication last and when they can have it at school. For Tylenol, Advil and Benadryl, we would also like to have a medication administration form signed. The medication needs to be brought to school in its original container by an adult.