A registered full-time nurse is a member of the education team in every district school and preschool program. It is the nurse’s goal to promote the physical and emotional health necessary for the achievement of an optimal learning experience for every student.
Areas of service provided by the school nurse include:
- Health appraisal
- Physical assessments, interventions, and referrals.
- Hearing, vision, and dental screenings (in designated grades) and referrals.
- Health and developmental histories, as part of learning evaluation.
- Prevention and control of communicable diseases
- Communicable diseases detected and reported and parents advised about care and when child may return to school.
- Immunization records reviewed for compliance with state law for school attendance. Referrals made when needed.
- Care for chronic conditions
- Chronic conditions identified; Nurse serves as case manager.
- Administration of medications and medical procedures at school with physician’s orders and parental permission.
- Emergency care
- First aid provided for injuries and paramedics called to transport to medical facility, if necessary.
- Maintain up-to-date phone numbers, which are for parents essential to facilitate emergency care.
- Health counseling/education
- TAPP (Teenage Parent Program)
- Collaboration with county, state, and law enforcement agencies
- Pima County Animal Control called if student reports being bitten by animal and has injury including broken skin.
- Child Protective Services and the appropriate city or county law enforcement agency called if student reports physical abuse or parental neglect.
- Assessment for potential or actual environmental risks
For more information regarding health services, please contact Joy Schaefer, School Nurse Manager, at 545-3671.
