Health Services

School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success and life-long achievement and health of students.

School nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development; promote health and safety, including a healthy environment; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide case management services; and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self-management, self advocacy, and learning. (School Nurse Definition: National Association of School Nurses, 2010)

The school nurse is responsible for health records, hygiene counseling, and general medical conditions. He/she keeps records of students’ health and performs screenings on students (per DSHS) which may include vision, hearing, spinal (for scoliosis), and Acanthosis Nigricans/AN (precursor to Diabetes Type 2). 

The nurse cannot make a diagnosis or write prescriptions.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Free of Symptoms (Clinic Policy)
It is the goal of Community ISD to provide an environment that is conducive to learning for all students and staff. Some communicable diseases or conditions may warrant exclusion from school to avoid exposing other students. If your student exhibits any of the following symptoms, please keep your student home until the child is free of the symptoms and has been satisfactorily treated.

• Temperature of 100 degrees or above
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Persistent cough
• Rash
• Open, itchy or draining lesions
• Red, itchy, draining eyes
• Presence of live lice or nits in the hair (see below Head Lice/Pediculosis)
• Suffering from a reportable disease, as defined by the Texas Department of State Health Services 
• Undiagnosed scaly patches on the body or scalp

***Your child must be 24 hours free of fever without any fever-reducing medications such as Tylenol/Acetominophen or Advil/Ibuprofen and NOT throwing-up or having diarrhea for 24 hours before they return to school. Antibiotics (if prescribed) must be taken for 24 hours before returning to school. (Guidelines from CDC, Texas Department of State Health Services/Texas DSHS, National Association of School Nurses/NASN, American Academy of Pediatrics/AAP)

Teachers WILL NOT allow the student to call/text their parents from the classroom. Students who become ill, should go to the clinic for evaluation by the school nurse. If your child becomes ill, you or someone designated by you will be contacted to pick up your child. It is imperative that all phone numbers be completed on the enrollment card and be updated immediately should they change during the year.

Communicable Diseases/Conditions
Parents of students with 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. Students with certain diseases are not allowed to attend school while their disease is contagious. These include chicken pox, mumps, measles, ringworm of the scalp, lice, fever, pink eye, fifth disease, and strep throat. 

Emergency Medical Treatment and Information
If a student has a medical emergency at school or 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 allergies to medications, foods, insect bites, etc. Parents should keep emergency care information up-to-date, including the name of the doctor, emergency phone numbers, allergies, etc.