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RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE:
The
Cobb County School District (District) recognizes the importance of the
health and welfare of students and staff. Therefore, the District
establishes a school health service program to address the health and safety
of students and staff.
RULE:
All
school nurses and Trained Personnel shall follow procedures and
recommendations in “School Nursing/Clinic Procedures” (Form
JLCD-1).
A. HEALTH CLINIC:
1. Each school shall maintain a dedicated room, clinic, for student
health care which will
provide a private and confidential environment to care for
sick/injured students. The
dedicated room shall contain the clinic supplies and equipment
necessary to meet the
health care needs of students and as listed in the “CLINIC SUPPLIES
AND EQUIPMENT
CHECKLIST” (Form
JLC-1).
2. School nurses shall maintain a record of emergency information on all
students.
3. School nurses and Trained Personnel will not:
a. Perform invasive procedures such as probing in the eyes, ears,
nose, throat, or
skin.
b. Diagnose or prescribe treatment or medication.
c. Transport students.
d. Open or treat abscesses.
e. Pull loose teeth.
f. Remove or replace body jewelry (e.g., pierced earrings)
g. Allow any unauthorized person to make a list of names from clinic
cards/information.
h. Examine intimate body parts of a student without the presence of
two
administrators or other designated employees who, if possible,
must be the same
gender as the student. Intimate body parts include the primary
genital area, anus,
groin, inner thighs, or buttocks of a male or female and the
breast of a female.
This includes cleaning or changing a student’s clothing.
B. HEALTH CARE SERVICE:
1. Health Care Service, including the dissemination of medications, are
provided by a
licensed school nurse or other employee who has successfully
completed clinic
orientation training provided by the District’s Consulting Nurses
(Trained Personnel)
or school employees trained and authorized by the District’s
county-wide Special
Education Nurses in accordance with Administrative Rule JLCD
(Medication).
2. Standard precautions are based on the premise that anyone may
potentially transmit
an infection. Standard precautions and infectious control techniques
should be used
in all situations that have the potential to present a hazard for
infectious materials.
See “STANDARD HEALTH CARE PRECAUTIONS” (Form
JLC-2) and “EXPOSURE TO
BLOOD/BODY FLUIDS RESPONSE PROCEDURES “(Form
JLC-3).
3. Accidental exposure to blood, body products or body fluids places the
exposed
individual at risk of infection. The risk varies depending upon the
type of body fluid
and/or infection as well as the condition of the skin that is
contaminated. Use
protective barriers such as gloves, robes and eye/face protection
greatly reduces an
individual’s risk of exposure. If an exposure occurs, refer
immediately to “EXPOSURE
TO BLOOD/BODY FLUIDS RESPONSE PROCEDURES” (Form
JLC-3).
4. School staff who have knowledge of a blood-borne infection of others
in the school
are not at liberty to share that information with others without
written consent.
C. IMMUNIZATIONS:
The District recognizes the importance of protecting the health and welfare
of students and staff from the spread of communicable diseases. The
District, Cobb and Douglas Public Health, and/or the Georgia Department of
Human Resources has the authority to require immunizations or other
preventive measures including quarantine, isolation and segregation of
persons with communicable diseases or conditions likely to endanger the
health of others. These agencies may require quarantine or surveillance of
carriers of diseases and persons exposed to or suspected of being infected
with infectious diseases during such period until they are found free of the
infectious agent or disease.
1. All students, prior to entering school in the District, shall be
required to present
certification of immunization to the proper school officials in
compliance with all state
and local regulations [O.C.G.A. § 20-2-771(b)]:
a. Students who are not eligible for adequate immunization
certificates must begin
the necessary series of immunizations pursuant to O.C.G.A
20-2-771 (b) and
Department of Human Resources Rule 290-5-4-.02.
b. If a parent/guardian objects to immunizations on the grounds of
conflict with
religious principles/practices, he/she may complete a waiver (Form
JLC-4; See also
Administrative
Rule JLCB [Admissions/Withdrawals]). The school must keep the
waiver on file and available for inspection by health officials
in lieu of an
immunization certificate. The waiver may be canceled and the
student withdrawn
at the discretion of the appropriate health authority when the
threat of epidemic
disease in the community makes such action appropriate:
(1) Religious Exemptions: The school must keep the affidavit on
file and available
for inspection by health officials in lieu of an
Immunization Certificate.
Affidavits denoting religious exemptions do not expire.
(2) Medical Exemptions: There must be an annual review of
medical exemptions,
and certificates must be reissued with or without
indication of exemption.
c. If a student has a physical disability and if, in the opinion of
a licensed physician,
there is no clear prospect of when the student’s disability or
disabilities can be
removed, at his/her discretion the licensed physician may issue
a Certificate of
Immunization indicating medical exemption. A Certificate of
Immunization
indicating medical exemption shall be subject to review as
provided by the
certifying or another licensed physician. The licensed physician
must conduct an
annual review of the exemption and subsequently may reissue it
from year to year
until and unless there is cause to believe that immunization or
a specific
immunization may finally be accomplished without danger to the
student’s health.
D. MEDICAL INFORMATION REPORT:
The District may request the submission of
Form JLC-8 (Medical Evaluation
Report) in order to provide the District with some of the medical
information necessary to determine:
1. A student’s eligibility as a child with a disability for special
education services or
Section 504 accommodations;
2. A student’s medically necessary nutritional needs/accommodations; and/or,
3. Any services to be provided or made available by school nursing staff.
(For some
students,
more detailed doctors’ orders may be necessary)
E.
ILLNESS/INJURY:
1. Sick or injured individuals will be cared for per standard First Aid
guidelines:
2. All students who show definite signs of illness or injury shall be
sent home. If a
contagious disease is suspected, students awaiting parent/guardian
arrival shall be
separated from other students when possible.
3. The District shall not deny a student with a communicable disease an
education solely
because of the infection. If there is a reasonable cause to believe
that a student has
a communicable disease, the determination of a student’s
inclusion/exclusion shall be
based on reasonable medical judgment. See “INCLUSION/EXCLUSION OF
STUDENTS
WITH POSSIBLE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE” (Form
JLC-5).
4. The School Nurse, Principal or designee shall determine whether or
not the student
will be allowed to stay in school due to certain injuries or
possible illnesses, see
“PROCEDURES WHEN STUDENTS SHOW SIGNS OF ILLNESS OR INJURY”
(Form
JLC-6).
F. EMERGENCY
MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS)/911:
The school Emergency Medical Plan should include actions to be taken in
medical emergencies and should be activated in the event of a medical
emergency. Additionally:
1. It is the school nurse’s decision as to when EMS/911 is to be
notified and what
information is to be given concerning the condition of the
individual.
2. When the school nurse is not on the premises, the administrator in
charge makes the
decision to initiate the emergency management plan.
3. When EMS personnel arrive they assume full responsibility for the
care of the
individual(s).
4. Parents/guardians are responsible for any charges that arise as a
result of the
involvement of Emergency Medical Services.
5. Do not leave the child unattended.
6. A parent/guardian and, if necessary, the student’s emergency contacts
should be
notified as soon as possible.
F. SPECIAL
EDUCATION NURSING SERVICES:
Personnel who are responsible for the education and care of disabled
children with special health care needs must receive training from persons
who are qualified to provide such training and licensed to perform the
procedure being taught. Staff training should be updated annually or as
needed due to a change in a student's medical condition or a change in the
staff working with the student.
Adopted: 10/12/05
Revised: 3/14/07 |