HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES
In any public school setting, all of us are exposed to germs. Throughout the day you accumulate germs on your hands from a variety of sources, such as direct contact with people, contaminated surfaces, foods, even animals and animal waste. One of the primary roles of the School Nurse is to support student learning. The nurse accomplishes this by implementing assessment and interventions that promote student and staff health and safety. School nurses help identify and try to prevent the spread of diseases in the school setting. Students who are sick or getting sick may be contagious to other students and staff. Students who are sick or getting sick need rest and cannot concentrate and do their best learning.
Pulaski County Schools is providing these general guidelines to parents about when to keep your child at home and when we may send your child home. Remember these are only guidelines and your child may be sent home based on a nurse's assessment and/or designated school employee or parent discretion.
- Fever - students who have a fever of 100 degrees or greater will be sent home. A student should not be sent back to school till they have been free of a fever without medication for 24 hours.
- Vomiting - almost any illness can cause a child to vomit. One episode of vomiting does not necessarily mean the child is sick or needs to go home. The student will be assessed for other signs and symptoms to determine if the child should be sent home. If the student has been actively vomiting in the last 24 hours, the student should stay home for a 24-hour period without vomiting.
- Diarrhea - the contagiousness of any case of diarrhea depends on cause, but most cases are contagious. The student will be assessed for other signs and symptoms to determine if they need to be sent home. Any student who cannot contain feces in a toilet will be excluded from school to minimize the risk of fecal/oral transmission of disease to other students and staff. If the student has had diarrhea in the last 24 hours, the student should stay home for a 24-hour period without diarrhea.
- Fainting, Seizure, or any loss of consciousness - can occur for a variety of reasons. This may be a serious problem and it is important to try to establish the cause. The student will be assessed for other signs and symptoms to determine if they should be sent home.
- Head Injury- parents will be notified of any injury to the head, and the student may be sent home for observation.
- Any injury to a limb or other body part that limits movement, walking, or has pain and swelling. Any suspicion of a broken bone. The student will be sent home.
- Any wound that may require stitches, the student will be sent home.
- Rashes - skin rashes are symptoms of a large number of infectious and noninfectious diseases. If we do not know the cause of the rash the child will be excluded from school until we receive a physician's statement that the rash is not contagious. If your child has a rash that you do not know the cause for please keep at home until the cause for rash is determined.
- Impetigo - is a contagious skin infection caused by bacteria. Children must be excluded from school until 24 hours of antibiotic treatment has been completed. Good hand washing should be practiced.
- Scabies - is an intensely itchy skin rash caused by a mite, (a small insect). The mite burrows into the skin and deposits it eggs there. Scabies is contagious as long as the infected child is untreated. Students must be excluded from school until 24 hours of treatment has been completed and the school must have written documentation from physician concerning the treatment plan for the student.
- Pediculosis (Head Lice) – child must be treated at home before returning to school. School nurse will check child the day they return to school before they go to class.
- Ringworm - is a fungal infection of the skin. It can be passed to other students as long as the fungus is present in the infected area. The student should be treated with over-the-counter antifungal preparations that should be applied twice daily. If the infection does not respond, a prescription medication may be needed. The infected area should be covered at school.
- Conjunctivis/Pink-eye- is an inflammation of the thin, transparent outer layer of the eyeball with swelling of the eyelids. Bacterial conjunctivis is contagious and we will exclude from school until 24 hours of antibiotic treatment has been completed, or a statement from a physician stating no treatment is necessary. We will ask parents to pick up their child.
- Chicken Pox - caused by Varicella-zoster virus. Will be excluded from school for at least 5 days after eruptions first appear or until crusts become dry.
- Influenza- which includes H1N1. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, occasionally, vomiting and diarrhea. If your child has any of these symptoms you should keep your child at home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved. Teach your child to wash their hands with soap and water frequently throughout the day. Teach your child to cough and sneeze into a tissue or into the inside of their elbow. Tissues should be discarded after a single use and hands washed. If your child develops any of these symptoms at school we will call and ask parent to come take their child home.
It is very important that parents keep all phone contact numbers up to date and that your children know how to contact you at all times.