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Medical Conditions, Illness and Injury

In this chapter

  • Guidelines

  • Abrasions

  • ABUSE

  • ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

  • Anaphylaxis

  • Asthma

  • Bites - Animal

  • Bites - Human

  • Bites - Snake

  • Bleeding (Cuts or Wounds)

  • Blood or Body Fluid Contact

  • Blisters

  • Body Injury

  • Bone/Muscle/Joint Injuries

  • Spinal Injuries - Back or Neck

  • Burns

  • Cerebral Palsy

  • Chafed/Chapped Skin or Lips

  • Cut/Laceration

  • Cystic Fibrosis

  • Dental Injuries

  • Diarrhea

  • Dislocation of Joint (Bone/Muscle/Joint Injuries)

  • Ear Complaints

  • Electrocution

  • Eye Injuries

  • Penetration by Object

  • Chemical Burn

  • Foreign Body in Eye

  • Eye Infections/Irritations

  • Sty

  • Fainting

  • Fractures (Bone/Muscle/Joint Injuries)

  • Headache

  • Head Injuries

  • Heart Conditions

  • Heat-Related Emergencies

    • Heat Exhaustion

    • Heatstroke

  • Herpes Simplex Virus

  • Hyperventilation

  • Menstrual Discomfort/Cramps

  • Mental/Behavioral Health

  • Mouth Injuries

  • Nausea

  • Nosebleed

  • Overdose - Drug/Alcohol

  • Poison (swallowed)

  • Poison Oak/Ivy/Sumac

  • Rashes

  • Ring Removal

  • Roseola

  • Seizures/Epilepsy

  • Shock

  • Sore Throat

  • Spinal Injuries (Bone/Muscle/Joint Injuries)

  • Splinters/Pencil Leads

  • Sprains/Strains (Bone/Muscle/Joint Injuries)

  • Sting (Insect)

    • Signs & Symptoms

    • Allergic Reaction and Emergency Injection Kit is available

    • Allergic Reaction and No Emergency Injection Kit is available

  • Stomachaches

  • Appendicitis

  • Thrush

  • Ticks

  • Toothache

  • Vomiting

  • Warts

  • Wound (open)

Guidelines: 

The guidelines on the following pages provide direction for the care of students with physical complaints or injury.  When the school nurse is on campus, contact him/her in case of emergency or if there is a question about the condition of a student.

Use these guidelines when caring for students:

  • Follow District emergency policy regarding moving any student with bleeding or serious injury.

  • If the health room personnel must leave the health room, coverage needs to be provided in the health room by designated personnel.

  • Review the student’s Parental Consent for Health Services and the Health History Form in InfoSnap.

  • Discreetly question the student about his/ her injury or physical complaint.

  • Observe for visible signs of injury or illness.

  • Follow the procedure recommended for the particular injury or physical complaint.

  • DO NOT DIAGNOSE health problems.

  • Practice Standard (Universal) Precautions/infection control.

  • Allow the student to rest 15 minutes before taking temperature post-exertion; if the temperature is not elevated the student may return to class.

  • If the oral, tympanic or temporal temperature is 100.4° F or higher, or axillary is 99° F or higher, the student may not remain at school.  Call the parent to come and take the student home.  (If a tympanic thermometer is used, it must be set on oral mode).  Sick students are to remain at home until at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine) - Illness Notice.

  • Rectal temperatures should never be taken in school.

  • Always contact the parent whenever there is an injury to the head, eyes, bones, or there is bleeding which will not stop. 

  • To ensure that further observation and care will be provided at home, notify the parent/guardian when first aid is given at school.  If the parent cannot be reached by phone, complete the Student Injury Report and send home with the student. 

  • Notify the parent/guardian if the student does not feel well enough to return to class or returns to the health room after being sent back to class.

  • If there is a question, consult with the parent/guardian and principal to decide whether or not the student should stay in school.

  • Document all student visits to the health room, the intervention/care given, and the outcome/disposition.

  • For suspected abuse or neglect follow link http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/

Releasing a student

Follow your school’s policy for releasing a student to the parent/guardian.  No student is permitted to leave the school before the parent/guardian or an adult delegated by the parent/guardian arrives to sign the student out of school.  School health personnel should not transport a student off the school campus.  When a major emergency necessitates immediate transfer to the hospital, call 911, contact the parent/guardian immediately, and notify the principal.

Referrals

Those students who exhibit frequent or patterned health room visits should be referred to the school nurse for further nursing assessment.