Just three months ago we were focused on summer vacation and how to stay safe and healthy. After a hot and busy summer, families are loading their children onto buses and off to school. September is a great time to organize a child’s health care needs. A healthy child has a greater opportunity to learn
First and foremost, make sure your child is up to date on their yearly physical, immunizations, dental care and eye exam. The school nurse is a valuable professional. It is important to meet her or him even if your child doesn’t have any health issues. If you are having trouble accessing health care for your child, your school nurse can provide information for available state resources. School nurses are registered nurses with specific education and certification. Schools follow local and state policies. State regulations mandate every child to receive required immunizations despite the federal changes.
Every child needs a documented physical exam with their provider prior to entering school and then every three to four years. If a child is participating in interscholastic sports, a sports physical is required every year. Along with documented physical exam before entering kindergarten, a lead level and vision screening must be submitted
If your child requires medication while at school, an order from a licensed prescriber, caregiver consent and up to 30-day supply of the medication must be brought to the school nurse. If your child has asthma, allergies, diabetes, seizures, attention deficit disorder or any other condition requiring special services in school, it is necessary to meet with the school nurse and develop an Individual Health Care Plan prior to school starting.
A new Emergency Contact Form should be completed every year and updated throughout the year if there are any changes. There is a potential myriad of circumstances and emergencies that could affect schools. It is important to know your school’s policies for emergencies and how you will be contacted
A child should never be subjected to bullying, racism or any type of oppression within the walls of their school or anywhere. In Massachusetts there are over 8,000 bullying allegations in elementary and secondary schools yearly. School nurses and administrators are there to address these situations allowing access, equity and opportunity for all students
Pedestrian injuries are the second leading cause of injury in children ages 5-18 in Massachusetts. If your child walks to school, make sure they understand safe street crossing, traffic signs and signals, walking on sidewalks and what to do if they encounter suspicious strangers or someone offering them a ride
Same rules apply if your child is riding a bike to school. Be sure the bike is in good condition and your child’s bike skills are safe and controlled. By law they must wear a helmet. Bike helmets reduce head injury and death by 85%. That’s a pretty good percentage and not worth gambling with. I just read a book where a neighborhood had a “bike bus” where once a week the kids met and rode their bikes to school together under the supervision of a parent.
School buses are relatively safe. Most school bus related accidents are children crossing from the school bus getting hit by passing cars or even their own bus. Teach them about blind spots and cars possibly not stopping as they should. Massachusetts law requires students to receive classroom instruction on bus safety three times a year
If you are a parent of a teen who works or wants to get a job, be sure they can handle the stress of school, extracurricular activities and work. Childhood ends too quickly. Some teens are working through school vocational education. Learning about job hazards, employee rights, responsibilities and child labor laws is important. Any work-related injury in youth under 18 should be reported to the Department of Public Health’s Occupation Health Surveillance Program.
Most school injuries happen out on the playground or playing sports. Hopefully most schools are highly in tune to the safety and maintenance of the playground. School sports injuries are usually minor musculoskeletal injuries. There are strict state guidelines regarding necessary care and follow up for concussions before returning to play. A very important concern is any athlete or student who passes out, experiences chest pain, lightheadedness or severe shortness of breath while exercising. The possibility of an underlying genetic health problem such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or other cardiac anomalies may cause sudden death. Any child who experiences concerning symptoms should stop play and be cleared by their provider before returning to school.
Lastly, the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Community Health and Prevention provides and is expanding access to <a href="https://lumeamara.online/?p=6613" title="Listening, Learning and Leading: Commonwealth Secretary-General engages young people on mental health“>mental health and substance use services to all students. The program includes three tiers. First tier provides behavioral health promotion and prevention for all students. Tier 2 is targeted intervention for some students. Tier 3 is more intensive services for students with the highest needs.
Even though the quote “it takes a village to raise a child” is highly overused, it is true. Summer is over. Help our community’s children make the transition to school as smooth as possible. Stop for school buses and children going to and from school. Education is a gift and the cornerstone of a healthy community
Take care of yourself and someone else
Juanita Carnes is a nurse practitioner with 40 years of experience in a hospital emergency department and urgent care facilities. She served 30 years on the Board of Health in Westfield, Massachusetts
