SCHOOL NURSE/SCHOOL HEALTH

MEET THE SCHOOL NURSE / HEALTH SCREENINGS / FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY CARE
ILLNESS AT SCHOOL / MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL

NEWS FROM THE NURSE

Winter is coming and with it comes unwanted companions, the cold and flu viruses - waiting to torment you yet again with their familiar symptoms: sore throat, stuffy nose, achy muscles and hacking cough. Wintertime means most of us will be spending more time indoors.Unfortunately, sealed environments are ideal breeding grounds for common infectious diseases such as cold and flu. Don't resign yourself to the inevitable....here are some simple ways to reduce your risk of ever catching the bugs in the first place:

• Keep it clean. Handwashing is the most important way to prevent the spread of infection.
• Get a good night's sleep. Even moderate amounts of sleep deprivation (one or two hours) can affect your body's immune system.
• Exercise regularly. Regular exercise helps boost the body's resistance and maintain its immune function.
• Don't be a shut-in. There's little evidence supporting the notion that a chill induces a cold or flu.
• Keep your distance for a while. Cold and flu viruses are transmitted through contact and through air, so the best way to prevent a cold or flu is to stay away from someone who is sick.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids moisten mucous membranes, making them more effective at sloughing off viruses that enter the nasal passage.
• Eat well-balanced meals.
• Do not send students to school who are sick - especially if they have fever.

Although there is no known cure for the common cold, the body usually wins; symptoms typically last for between four and seven days. The best you can do is treat the symptoms and look forward to springtime and the end of cold and flu season.

MEET THE SCHOOL NURSE

Hi, I’m Albritton’s School Nurse. I have been the School Nurse at Albritton since 1985. I am a Registered Nurse, nationally certified as a School Nurse by The American Nurses Credentialing Center. I am at Albritton daily from 7:45 am to 3:15 pm and can be reached at 907-0201, extension 3636. Please browse through this page to find out some of the services of the School Health Program. If you have a question about the program or a health concern about your child that is not addressed here, please feel free to call me. If your child has a chronic health condition such as asthma, diabetes, seizures, allergy to bee stings, please stop by the nurse’s office to discuss the specific needs of your child to ensure that proper care and treatment will be provided in case of an emergency.

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HEALTH SCREENINGS

Vision screenings were done on seventh grade students October 16 & 17, 2007. Referrals for those students who need further vision evaluation were mailed home November 1, 2007. The written follow-up by the health care provider should be returned to the School Nurse to be included in the student’s health record. If I am not notified of the status of the follow-up, it can only be assumed that no follow-up care was obtained.

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FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY CARE

First aid for minor injuries is administered in the classroom or in the nurse's office. You will be notified if the injury is serious and needs medical attention. If there is a true emergency, an ambulance will be called and you will be notified as soon as possible to meet your child at school or in the emergency room at Womack Army Medical Center.

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ILLNESS AT SCHOOL

Students who become ill during the school day are seen in the nurse’s office. Teachers may use their discretion to decide when it is necessary and appropriate to refer a student to the nurse. If your child is too sick to remain in school, you will be notified. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to call the parent of a sick or injured child only to find out that all phone numbers on file are incorrect. PLEASE keep home, work, and emergency contact phone numbers up-to-date. To prevent the spread of communicable diseases and to allow your child to do his/her best in school, please keep your child at home if you know he/she is sick. Please call the School Nurse if you have any questions regarding policies for certain conditions that require medical treatment prior to readmission to school.

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MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL

Medications that are required during the school day must be administered in the nurse’s office by the School Nurse or a trained staff member. Medication should not be transported daily by the student to/from school. The medication must be brought by the parent/guardian of the student in the correct medicine bottle with proper pharmacy label. The Doctor and parents must complete and sign an Administration of Medication Request form which can be obtained from the nurse or school office . Non-prescription medicines will not be given unless accompanied by a written doctor’s order and written parent permission and supplied in the original container with appropriate label intact. For safety reasons all medicines are kept locked in a secure place. The school will assume no legal responsibility for students who self-medicate. Copies of the Fort Bragg Schools Medication Policy are available in the nurse’s office.

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Favorite Links

http://www.schoolasthmaallergy.com/
http://www.latex-allergy.org/
http://www.henrythehand.com/