Nurses Corner

MEDICATION

FIELD TRIPS AND MEDICATIONS:

ONLY Daily and/or as needed prescription medication kept in the nurses office will go with the student on a field trip. This would include Prescription pills, inhalers, injections, rectal medications, treatments.

The teacher can assist the student with daily pills and inhalers.  THE TEACHER CANNOT ASSIST WITH TREATMENTS (BLOOD SUGARS, RECTAL MEDICATIONS, TREATMENTS, INJECTIONS).

The  parent/guardian should plan accordingly to go on a field trip if your child is a diabetic, requires treatments, has an allergy that requires an epi-pen, has a seizure that requires the use of a diastat or magnet.  A grandparent of other adult caregiver who knows the care of the child is welcome to come in the place of a parent.  No siblings young than 21 years old.

If you have questions, please contact Nurse Jackie or your child's teacher.

TO SEND OR NOT TO SEND A SICK CHILD?

This can be a very difficult question for parents and caretakers to answer early in the morning. How does a parent decide when to send a child to school or not?

Delaware State Law is very specific. It requires parents to send a child to school every day. The daily decision should always be weighted in favor of sending your child to school. In other words, unless there is a serious reason – SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL .

But suppose your child complains of not feeling well…then what?

• Take your child’s temperature. If the child’s temperature is 100 degrees or higher, they should remain at home in bed for the rest of the day.
• If your child vomited during the night or before school, they should remain at home in bed. If the vomiting lasts longer than a few hours or you are unsure, call your doctor or school nurse.
• Generally, even if you are late, please send your child to school. Being late is better than being absent. When your child is in school he is learning important skills needed to succeed in life. Good attendance conveys an attitude of respect for learning.

PLEASE REMEMBER DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IF:

• They are sick with a fever >100, vomiting or  diarrhea
• Your child's temperature should be less than 100 for 24 hours without the aid of fever reducers (acetaminophen or ibuprofen).
• If your child was put on antibiotics for strep throat, they need to be home 24 hours on antibiotics and temperature less than 100 before returning to school.

If you child is testing and are displaying any of the above symptoms, please keep them home.  They will be able to take the test when they return.

NOTES:

• You will need a parent note explaining why your child was absent and to excuse that absence upon return to school
• If your child is out for more than 3 days with an illness, you will need a doctors not to excuse the absence.
• If no note comes with the child, the child will be marked unexcused. 

HAND WASHING Proper hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs. Children should wash hands before eating and after playing outdoors, using the bathroom, coughing, sneezing, blowing their noses, or touching someone else with a cold or cough.

Follow these steps for hand washing:

1. Wet hands with warm running water.

2. Add soap and rub hands together for at least 15 seconds. Remember to wash fronts and backs of hands, between fingers and under nails.

3. Rinse hands under warm running water.

4. Dry hands thoroughly.

COUGHING AND SNEEZING: Cold and flu germs are spread from person to person in droplets of coughs and sneezes. Germs can travel up to six feet when propelled by a sneeze! Tissues should be used to cover both nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and hands should be washed afterward. TEACH YOUR CHILD TO COVER THEIR COUGH OR SNEEZE INTO THEIR ELBOW.

CLEANING Germs and viruses are often spread when people touch something that is contaminated and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. Some viruses can live up to 72 hours on some surfaces!

PLEASE be on the outlook for symptoms of colds and the flu: fever, aches, cough, sore throat, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

Students should be free of a fever WITHOUT THE AID OF FEVER REDUCERS (ACETAINOPHEN OR IBUPROFEN)  for 24 hours before returning to school.

PLEASE BE ADVISED the nurse will not be providing a change of clothes for children who have accidents or mishaps. To avoid a phone call from the nurse, PLEASE PLEASE PUT A CHANGE OF CLOTHES IN YOUR CHILD'S BOOKBAG FOR SUCH EMERGENCIES AND REPLACE WHEN USED.

Please help me keep your child from missing important class time and you from missing work.

THIS WOULD INCLUDE: Pants, Underwear, Shirt, and Socks.

Having lice is not a sign of poor hygiene habits. They do not discriminate on race, color, or texture of hair. Lice are small insects that rely on the human body as their food source. They can be found on the scalp, in the hair, or in pubic hair. They do not fly or jump. The lice spread by direct person-to-person contact or sharing of personal items such as: combs, brushes, hats, scarves, jackets, sweaters, sheets, pillow cases, blankets, etc...Lice live 30-33 days, they lay 4-8 eggs for next 16 days (hundreds of eggs) that hatch every 7-10 days.

You may notice your child scratching their scalp or complaining of their scalp itching. You would want to check your child head/hair for lice or nits. Lice are small insects (less than 1/8 inch long), tan colored (sometimes darker or lighter depending on child's hair coloring), alive and moving. The lice prefer the back of the scalp, behind the ears, and above the neck, but you need to check the whole head. Nits  are the eggs which are gray/white specks glued to the hair shaft, they are not easily removed like dandruff is. EVEN if you can't find the insects, lice must be there if the eggs are there. Eggs more than 1/4 inch out on the hair shaft are generally dead or empty shells.

To get rid of the head lice, you may purchase an over-the-counter, non-prescription product (RID, A-2000, NIX, or Pront) from the drugstore, or a physician may prescribe a treatment for you. Follow the directions as given on the bottle. Repeat treatment in 7-10 days to kill any surviving Nits. After using the treatment successfully use a fine-tooth metal comb dipped in warm vinegar. It is important to remove all nits.

You will also need to Clean personal items by any of the following methods: washing bedclothes and blankets in hot water; put pillows, coats, blankets, bedclothes in hot dryer for 20 minutes; use of dry cleaner; store stuffed animals in sealed plastic bag for one week; boil combs, brushes, curlers, barettes, hair accessories for 10 minutes; soak in 2% Lysol and water for one hour; freeze for 48 hours. Through vacuum cleaning of carpeting, floors, and furniture is all that is necessary in the rest of the household. Do not forget to vacuum the car upholstery and carpet. The insecticide sprays are not recommended.

REMEMBER: Head lice are not choosy about whom they infest. ANYONE can get them. They do not cause illness, only an inconvenience.

The important thing is to treat promptly and thoroughly. Your cooperation is essential in preventing the spread of head lice. Please don't send your child to school without treatment. If treatment was given, Please have your child visit the nurse prior to class to have clearance to be in school and bring bottle of what used on hair to show nurse.

Please call the nurse with any questions or concerns.

Lice Information from CDC (English)    Lice Information from CDC (Spanish)

Ringworm is a Fungal Skin Infection that is very CONTAGIOUS that can affect people of all ages. It is not a worm. It can be found on the scalp, the body, groin areas, or the feet.  It is passed by direct skin to skin contact orby contact with contaminated items such as: combs, clothing, bed clothing, shower, or pool surfaces. Pets, especially cats, are also carriers of this fungal infection. Sweating and breaks in the skin, scalp or the nails are ways to get the ringworm.

Check your child's skin for symptoms: itchy, red raised, scaly patches or a bump, which may blister and ooze. Over time, it may begin to look like a ring or a series of rings with raised, bumpy, scaly borders (the center is often clear). This ring pattern gives ringworm its name. If the scalp or beard is infected there will be bald patches. If nails are infected, they will be discolored, thick, and may be brittle.

To treat ringworm, keep your skin clean and dry. Apply over-the-counter antifungal cream, like tinactin, or any cream that contains miconazole or clotrimazole. Wash sheets and night clothes in hot water every day while infected. Keep the area covered for 48 hours after treatment has started and while in school keep covered at all times. Infected pets should also be treated. Prompt treatment of ringworm will show clearing of skin within 4 weeks. If the ringworm symptoms do not improve, infect the scalp or beard, signs of a bacterial infection (warmth to touch, sudden worsening in redness or patches, red streaking, pus,discharge or fever) call your doctor right away.

The best way to prevent ringworm is to keep your skin and feet warm and dry. shampoo regularly, especially after haircuts, do not share clothing, towels, hairbrushes, combs, headgear, or other personal care items (these items should be cleaned and dried after use).

If you have any questions you may contact your school nurse or your primary care provider. Information about Ringworm is attached below.

Ringworm

Your child's care and safety are of upmost importance to me. There are several things you need to do to make sure your child has a smooth transition without interruption to a new school:

1. Please let the nurse know if your child has a medical condition, requires treatments, has allergies or requires medications to be taken at school.
2. Please bring a copy of your child's immunization record, recent physical within 2 years and birth certificate with you on enrollment.
3. It is Delaware law for new Enterers to Delaware school to have:

• Physical (within 2 years of enrollment)
• Updated immunizations, this means:
  • 5 dTaps
  • 4 Polio
  • 2 MMR
  • 3 Hepatitis B
  • 2 Varicella vaccines
  • tuberculosis skin test (within 1 year of enrollment)

4. Meet your school nurse and review the immunization records and discuss any medical problems or concerns before you leave the main office.
5. Below are the attached Delaware requirements for enrollment to Delaware Schools, Physical form and information on local doctors, walk n clinics, public health clinics

Medical Requirements   Clinic Information

Vision and Hearing Screening for all 2nd and 4th graders and all other students who have IEP's will begin in the fall after the 5th grade Orthopedic/Postural screenings. If your child wears glasses, please make sure they have them for the screening.  If you have any questions or think your child is having visual or hearing difficulty and would like the nurse to check your child first, please contact me. Please watch your newsletters and/or the nurse website of when these are beginning.
 

Orthopedic/Postural screenings on all 5th graders will be done shortly after school starts. Please watch for a letter sent home from the nurse advising you of the screening dates. This is only a screening. The nurse assesses your childs back for any curvatures, their gait (how they walk) or any other problems with back. Your student could be referred to Phase II screening if the nurse observes any changes. A letter will be sent home if your child is referred for Phase II. Phase II, a Physical Therapist from A.I. DuPont Childrens Hospital will assess any student the nurse has identified as a possible problem. You will receive a letter in late winter/early spring of when. If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Jackie. Please watch newsletters and/or website for information of when starting.