What Services do School Nurses Provide?

The office of the school nurse is equipped with basic first aid supplies to cover minor injuries and discomforts and allow students to continue with their school day uninterrupted.

Professional nursing staff in the offices provide assessment and decisionmaking for more extensive medical issues, then either call a parent, assist a child to contact their health care provider, or call the rescue squad depending upon the urgency of the need.

Nurses administer routine medications to students whose parent/guardian has signed a permission form and brought in the medication.

School nurses provide these basic services to students:

• Provide teaching about growth and development, human physiology, and common medical issues to students who request information.
• Suggest typical comfort measures for common health complaints
• Make recommendations for students to seek additional medical care
• Make referrals, communicate with health providers, and facilitate appointments for health care
• Administer medications to students when permissions and procedures have been established
• Help students manage chronic medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and sickle cell disease in the school setting
• Assist parents to navigate the health care system on behalf of their children
• Perform mandated vision and hearing screenings
• Monitor and contain communicable diseases and infestations at school
• Monitor adherence to state immunization requirements for new and returning students
• Address health and safety planning for field trips