Health Services
School Health Services
School health services are a vital component of the multi-tiered system of supports needed to create and sustain learning environments that are equitable, culturally responsive and aligned to the needs of our students. Well trained, supervised and supported school nurses are vital to optimize health and academic outcomes for children and the school community. School nurses must be prepared to address the needs of today’s students and to plan for and respond to trending issues.
The Health Office is staffed by licensed school nurses during the scheduled school year Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 3:30 PM. The nurses provide health services to LUMS, LUHS, and GMTCC students and staff.
We utilize The Vermont Standards of Practice: School Health Services Manual, (the Manual) addresses Vermont school health services in partnership with PreK-12 education. This Manual is Vermont’s guide for school nurses, school administrators, and others, who develop, implement, and evaluate continuous improvement activities of school health services.
Health Information Updates, Prescription Medication Forms, Asthma Action Plans, and Allergy Action Plans are required to be completed every year. Our phone number is (802) 851-1212 and Fax number is (802) 888-2997
Forms:
Health Information Update Form-go here
Prescription Medication Form-go here
Asthma Action Plan-go here
Allergy Action Plan-go here
Bee Sting Allergy Action Plan-go here
EPIPEN/INHALER-Prescription Form-go here
The following are required functions of the school nurse every year :
• Vermont Annual Immunization Reporting
• Vermont Annual School Nurse Report on Asthma, Insurance, and Well Care Visits, Dental Exams, and Health Appraisals
• Screening as required by law (vision and hearing)
Covid Questions:
Symptoms and Treatment: https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/covid-19/covid-19-symptoms-treatment
Testing in Vermont: https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/covid-19/covid-19-testing
According to the Vermont Department of Health, school nurses should use their clinical judgment and discretion to determine if a student is well enough to remain in school, be tested, or be sent home. If a student or staff member is not well enough to learn or participate, regardless of whether they are tested for COVID-19, they should be sent home from school.
A student may return to school if their symptoms have improved, and they have not have a fever (temperature of 100.4 or greater) for a full 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications.
It is recommended that students and staff keep up to date on COVID-19 and other vaccinations.
General Illness and Injury:
The nurse(s) will administer basic first aid to your child during clinic hours as needed. The nursing staff will contact the student’s parent/guardian with symptoms or injuries that are felt to require further medical assessment or emergent treatment beyond first aid. If the emergency is life threatening or we are unable to reach you, EMS (Emergency Medical Services) will be called immediately. Children are required to participate in physical education or outside activities unless we have received a note from their medical provider which specifies that they are unable to perform these activities.
Chronic Allergies and Illnesses:
A child with a chronic illness or allergy may have a life-threatening reaction while at school or during a school event or field trip requiring an immediate response to save the child’s life. Therefore it is the intent of the Health Office to ensure that an individual student treatment plans and appropriate rescue medication be readily available so that we can provide a safe environment for your child. Parents can obtain additional information at www.leg.state.vt.us to view legislation including “H.748 An Act Relating to Permitting Students to Possess and Self –Administer Emergency Medication” and “158 An Act Relating to Life-Threatening Chronic Allergies and Illnesses in Schools.” In accordance with this legislation, we are required to have Action Plans from your child’s physician/medical home. See Forms Above.
Requests to go home ill once a student is at school:
Should a student request to contact their parent/guardian or to go home due to illness or injury we request they do so through the health office. Please be sure that you provide and update the school with your most current contact information and that phone mail boxes are functioning. Be prepared for a call should you send your child to school ill and have indicated to them that they can call should they not feel better.
Students will be excused through the health office to go home if:
- They have a fever (eardrum temperature of 100.4 or above)
- They have been witnessed vomiting
Flu:
Every year, some students get sick with the seasonal Flu during the fall and winter months. Symptoms can include: fever, chills, sore throat, cough, headache and body aches (sometimes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.) Flu can spread from person to person. The CDC recommends that individuals with influenza like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications.
Head Lice:
Parents/guardians will be notified when head lice have been identified on their child. The Vermont Department of Health and the Department of Education do not support the practice of exclusion (nit free, no nit) policies or practices. Further information on head lice can be obtained on the Vermont Department of Health website or by calling our local Vermont Department of Health office in Morrisville at 888-7447.
Medications:
Over-the-counter and prescription medications are kept in the Health Office and dispensed by Health Office staff. Students are not allowed to carry medications unless the medication is an emergency rescue medication and we have received written permission from their physician to do so in the current school year.
Over-the-counter medications must be age appropriate and will be dispensed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. We dispense ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Benadryl for allergic reactions only, and antacids. If you want your child to take any other over-the-counter medications while at school, we need your written permission along with the medication in the original container with your child’s name written on it. Should your child’s medical provider recommend a dosage or frequency that exceeds the manufacturer’s recommended dose, a physician order is required.
Written orders from a physician or health care provider detailing the name of the student, the drug, the dosage, route and time to be dispensed and/or schedule with the physician name and signature must be received by the health office before any prescription medication can be given. Prescription medications must be in an appropriately labeled pharmacy container. Your pharmacy will provide a second labeled bottle to you upon your request. All prescription medication must be brought to school by an adult and kept in the Health Office during school hours. For safety reasons, students should not bring medicine to school on the bus. Please notify health office personnel should your child need to take prescription medication at school. A student’s first dose of any medication that they have not taken before should occur at home. Narcotic medications will not be dispensed at school. A Prescription Medication Form can be found in our on-line Links.
Student Health Screens:
All seventh, ninth, and 12th grade students will be scheduled for health screening. Students will undergo eye and hearing testing as part of this screening process. If testing is initially found to be abnormal, the student will be re-screened to verify results. If after a second screening the student still has not passed testing, parents will receive a letter providing them with their child’s specific results.
Immunizations:
Vermont law requires the following:
- students must meet school entry requirements for immunization
- schools must notify parents when the student does not meet school entry requirements for immunization
- schools must assure that students initially provisionally admitted meet vaccine requirements as soon as possible, not exceeding 6 months from enrollment
For entry into the seventh grade, or if your child is newly enrolling in our school, proof of the following immunizations are required:
- 5 doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine
- 4 doses of polio vaccine
- 2 doses of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine
- 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine
- DTap booster (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
- Varicella (chicken pox) – (2) doses; or proof of immunity; or history of disease
Vermont Department of Health Documentation of Varicella -Chickenpox Disease form-go here
Immunization Exemption Form-go here
Education for Parents-Religious Exemption-go here
For more information on the Vermont Recommended Child and Teen Vaccination Schedule contact the Vermont Department of Health Immunization Program at (802) 863-7638 or toll free in VT (800)-640-4374 or visit their website: HealthVermont.gov
Comprehensive Sexual Health Education and Condom Availability Programs
Vermont State Law requires that school districts, supervisory unions, and independent schools have a comprehensive health education curriculum that includes sexual health education and to make condoms availability to all secondary students. Condoms are available to all students at LUHS, LUMS, and GMTCC through the health office free of charge.
Resource links:
edu-vdh-memo-comprehensive-sexual-health-condom-availability.pdf
edu-guidelines-condom-availability.pdf
https://education.vermont.gov/student-support/healthy-and-safe-schools/sexual-health
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/16/001/00132
Stanford Medicine Tobacco Prevention Tool Kit: https://med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolkit/you-and-me-together-vape-free-curriculum.html
Drugs and Alcohol Procedures:
It is the policy of the LNSU that no student shall knowingly possess, use, sell, give, or otherwise transmit, or be under the influence of any illegal drug, regulated substance, or alcohol on any school property, or at any school sponsored activity away from or within the school. It is further the policy of the district to make appropriate referrals in cases of substance abuse. The full policy and be found here: StudentAlcoholandDrugs.pdf
Search and Seizure:
School authorities may search a student, student lockers, or book bags. In addition, all automobiles parked in school lots may be subject to search by school officials. They may seize any illegal, unauthorized, or contraband materials discovered in the search. This applies to any school-related or school-sponsored event such field trips. Examples of unauthorized materials include, but are not limited to: lighters, matches, tobacco products, drugs (illegal and prescription), alcohol, and any type of weapon.
School Nurse/Associate School Nurse Roles:
- Be knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms of substance use, the substances available and the prevalence of use in the community
- Collaborate with the school's administration to create a policy regarding alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
- Collaborate with the school's administration to create a referral procedure for students who exhibit signs and symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
- Educate the faculty and staff about the school's referral procedure and signs and symptoms of substance use.
- Be a resource for students and parents/guardians regarding alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
- Collaborate with the school's administration, SRO, and school counselors to develop a substance use assessment form.
- Conduct substance use assessment for students who are referred to the health office to determine if it is safe for the student to remain in school.
Substance Use Nursing Assessments:
Please refer to this link for the health office procedure for substance use assessments: SubstanceUseNursingAssessments_1.docx
Resources:
National Institute on Drug Abuse: cannabis-marijuana-drugfacts.pdf
American Lung Association: The Impact of E-Cigarettes: E-Cigarette_Health_Risk_Fact_Sheet-AA-V2.pdf
E-cigarettes and Youth-What Parents Need to Know: OSH-E-Cigarettes-and-Youth-What-Parents-Need-to-Know-508.pdf
E-cigarettes and Youth-What Educators and Coaches Need to Know: OSH-E-Cigarettes-and-Youth-What-Educators-and-Coaches-Need-to-Know-508.pdf
E-cigarettes/vaping visual dictionary: ecigarette-or-vaping-products-visual-dictionary-508.pdf
Stanford Medicine-https://med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolkit/you-and-me-together-vape-free-curriculum.html
We would like to take an opportunity to let you all know of the location of all of our AED’s (Automated External Defibrillators). An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that helps to re-establish an effective heart rhythm in those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. The combination of CPR and early defibrillation is effective in saving lives when used in the first few minutes following collapse from sudden cardiac arrest.
LUHS: location is outside the nurse’s office on the first floor
location is upper B wing the top of the stairs on the wall to the left where the fire extinguisher is located as well
LUMS: location 1 is just outside the main office on the first floor
GMTCC: location 1 is outside of the main office across from the CEC
location 2 is outside of culinary in the hallway
location 3 is outside of construction in the heavy tech building
Along with each AED machine is a two-pack dose of nasal Narcan (naloxone). Please see the attached literature related to Narcan.
Staff have the opportunity to access additional training in AED use and CPR training through SafeSchools (Vector training). https://lnsu-vt.safeschools.com/login
In addition, there are multiple on-line training opportunities through the American Red Cross, National CPR Foundation, American Academy of CPR and First Aid, Inc., and other sites.
The health office has an AED training device for anyone who would like to work with one hands on. Below are Vermont legislative documents related to use of AED’s, emergency care, duty to act, and overdose situations. We are also available to review administration of Narcan.
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/18/017/00907
Emergency Medical Services
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/12/023/00519
Duty to Act laws often emerges from cases of individuals standing by while others are injured. Vermont was one of the first states to pass a Duty to Act legislation and has one of the most clear and specific statutes. Vermont statute 519(a) states:
A person who knows that another is exposed to grave physical harm shall, to the extent that the same can be rendered without danger or peril to himself or without interference with important duties owed to others, give reasonable assistance to the exposed person unless that assistance or care is being provided by others. The law goes on to say that a person who provides reasonable assistance as listed above shall not be liable for civil damages unless his acts constitute gross negligence or unless he will receive, or expects to receive, remuneration.
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/18/084/04254
Vermont's Good Samaritan Law provides protections from criminal liability for those who call for help from the scene of an overdose.