School Health Clinic Guidelines

The school nurse is responsible for managing the health care status of students enrolled at Temple ISD. This service includes review and evaluation of health records and general health conditions. The nurse keeps records of students’ immunizations, health conditions; vision, hearing and scoliosis screenings, health action plans and routine clinic visits. The nurse cannot make a diagnosis or write prescriptions. Please do not send your child to school if he/she is ill or has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher. If a student has any health concerns while at school, they need to come to the nurse’s office. Teachers will not allow the student to call their parents from the classroom to be picked up for health reasons. If your child becomes ill, the nurse will call  you or someone designated by you, to pick up your child. It is imperative that all phone numbers be listed on the emergency contact form and be updated immediately should they change during the year. Please provide the nurse with any changes in health conditions that may need the nurse's professional support. If your child has had an injury,surgery or change in health status; please bring him/her to the school nurse’s office prior to returning to class to discuss the specific needs of your student. Written documentation from your healthcare provider outlining any restrictions to activity or special treatment guidelines will be reviewed at this time .  The nurse will review doctor’s orders for care at school, including medication administration and restrictions/accommodations that must occur in the school environment. Scheduled surgeries or procedures that may impact your child at school should be discussed with the school nurse prior to the event and before the student returns to school.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT & INFORMATION
If a student has a medical emergency at school or during a school-related activity when the parent cannot be reached; the school will need to have written parental consent on file in order to obtain emergency medical treatment and to share information about pertinent health conditions with emergency responders. Parents should keep emergency care information up-to-date, including the name of the health care provider, emergency health care facility, emergency phone numbers, allergies and scheduled medications; etc.

HEALTH EXCLUSIONS
It is the goal of Temple ISD to provide an environment that is conducive to healthy learning for all students and staff.  Some communicable diseases or conditions may warrant exclusion from school to avoid exposing others to risks of infection. If a child is sent home ill they may return the same day if they have a doctor’s release or are cleared by the school nurse. If your student exhibits any of the following symptoms, please keep your student home until the child is free of the symptoms and/or has been satisfactorily treated. The health and safety of all children will be enhanced by following these guidelines. Stay home if any of the following are present:

• Temperature of 100 degrees or higher. (Your child must be 24 hours free of fever without aide of Tylenol, Advil or any other anti-pyretic medication).
• Vomiting and /or diarrhea. (Your child should be free of vomiting and /or diarrhea for 24 hours before they return to school without the aide of medication to suppress symptoms.
• Persistent cough of unknown origin
• Rash of unknown origin
• Open, itchy or draining lesions
• Painful Red, itchy, draining eyes
• Suffering from a reportable disease as defined by the Texas Department of State Health
•  Scaly patches on the body or scalp of unknown origin
• Scabies
• Prescribed antibiotic therapy taken for less than 24 hours (or time line determined by physician).

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES/CONDITIONS
Temple ISD follows the recommendations of the Texas Department of State Health for communicable disease management.  Parents aware that their child has a communicable or contagious disease are asked to telephone the school nurse so that other students who have been exposed to the disease can be alerted if deemed necessary. Students with certain diseases are not allowed to attend school while their disease is contagious. These illnesses include, but not limited, to whooping cough, chicken pox, mumps, measles, ringworm of the scalp, live lice, fever, pink eye, fifth disease, and strep throat. More information can be obtained in the district handbook for students.

Please see the Department of State Health Services recommendations for the prevention and control of communicable diseases in a group-care setting.

HEALTH SCREENINGS
Vision & Hearing Screening
Health screening programs for vision and hearing are required by state health and safety codes. The Special Senses and Communication Disorders Act, Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 3688 requires that children enrolled in a public, private, or parochial school in Texas are provided with vision and hearing screening. Local policy requires the Temple Independent School District to comply with Board of Health screening requirements. The schedule for screening is established by the Texas Department of Health and is supported by state and local policy. The requirements apply each year to newly enrolled students and all students in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First, Third, Fifth and Seventh Grade. Students, parents, and teachers may request screening anytime during the school year.

The school nurse will organize and supervise all screening programs in the school. Health screeners must have completed an approved training program and be certified by the state.

The nurse is responsible for screening in the schools to include the following:

• scheduling screening dates
• compiling all initial screening results
• re-screening all children whose initial results fall outside the acceptable range.
• notification of parent/guardian of screening results that fall outside of the acceptable range
• referring to a professional health care provider for further evaluation, all children whose follow-up screening results fall outside the acceptable range. Written results should be provided to the school.
• providing follow-up on all referrals
• submitting complete screening results to the district’s officer in charge of completing the mandated screening report submitted annually to the Texas Department of State Health Services. 

Scoliosis (Spinal) Screening
Scoliosis screening is required by the Texas Department of State Health (TDSH). Local policy supports this requirement. Spinal screening for Temple ISD students is done for girls during the fall semester of grades 5 and 7, and for boys during the fall semester of grade 8 . Screeners must have completed a TDSH approved training program. Although nurses, as health care professionals, are not required by law to complete an approved training program Temple ISD Health Services staff nurses complete the certification program and adhere to the re-certification schedule. The school nurse will organize and supervise all screening programs in the school. If you do not want your child's spine checked by the school health services staff, you must provide the school nurse with documentation of results from your health care provider.

The nurse is responsible for spinal screening in the schools to include the following:

• scheduling the screening to minimize interruption of academic instruction
• notifying parents in advance of the intent to conduct spinal screening and of the nature and purpose of the screening
• conducting the screening with consideration to the students' right to privacy
• re-screening students whose initial results fall outside the acceptable range
• referring, to a professional health care provider for further evaluation, all children whose follow-up screening results fall outside the acceptable range
• providing follow- up on all referrals
• submitting complete screening results to the district’s officer in charge of completing the mandated screening report submitted annually to the Texas  Department of State Health Services.