School nurses advocate for all children to promote optimal health. They provide health expertise to the entire school community. In addition to providing first aid and assisting students with medications, they conduct health assessments including vision and hearing screenings, participate as the health specialist on the IEP Team, provide health education on a wide variety of topics to all ages including parents and staff, provide health counseling and wellness programs for the school staff, acts as a liaison between home, school and the medical community, and help control communicable disease spread by assuring immunization law compliance. They also work with other school personnel to assure a school environment that is safe and conducive to learning.

All of our current nursing staff members are licensed to practice nursing in Ohio. To reach the nurse assigned to your child’s school, call the school office.

 

Students may not carry prescription or non-prescription medicine on their person. The exception to this rule involves students carrying their rescue inhalers and/or emergency Epi-pens. Please telephone the district-wide nurse (419-698-6000) or the nurse in your building to discuss criteria for self-carrying these two medications. State law requires that a Physician Request form be completed and signed by the prescriber and the parent.

 

The school does not provide Tylenol, Advil, or other pain or fever reliever to students. If your child needs to take a non-prescription medicine on a regular or occasional basis, bring in the medicine in its original container. Visit the Family Resources page to locate the Non-prescription medicine form. Non-prescription medication does not require a prescriber signature.

 

All medicine must be accurately labeled with the child’s name, medication and dosage instructions. The medicines are kept in a locked cabinet and administered from there. We attempt to keep accurate records of medication dosing with a log for each individual student. Remember that NO medication may be taken at school without a signed permission form.

 

All medication must be collected by the parent/guardian at the end of the school year. Any meds left after the 15th of June will be destroyed, this includes epi-pens and inhalers. No medications may be held over for use the following school year. A new medication form is required each school year.

It is imperative that the EMA be completed and returned to the school office annually. School personnel, including the nurse use these forms daily. The information you provide allows us to contact you or your designee in the event of an incident or medical emergency. Please provide reliable, current, local contact numbers for yourself and at least one or two other adults that can be reached during the school day in the event that you cannot be contacted. This form also allows you to inform us and/or Emergency Medical Services of any medical/health issues concerning your child. Without contact information and current health data, serious problems could potentially occur in the event that your child is injured or becomes ill at school. Asthma, diabetes, seizure disorders, allergies, mental health issues, medication (taken at school or home), and cardiac problems are only a few of the medical issues affecting our students. This information must be provided annually to keep our records current about the things your child may be facing.

 

Visit the Family Resources page to locate the EMA form for students in grades K-8.
Visit the Family Recources page to locate the EMA form for students in grades 9-12.

If your child has a diagnosis of diabetes, asthma, seizure disorder, or an allergy/food allergy please click on the appropriate button to print an Emergency Action Plan for that diagnosis. We ask that you, together with your child and health care provider review and complete the plan and return it to the nurse at school. Together we can work to ensure your child’s health and safety.