Medication administration at school require authorization from a licensed health care provider (Physician, Advanced Practice Nurse or Physician's Assistant) and signed parent permission.  Medication must be provided by the parent/guardian in an individual pharmacy-labeled bottle for the student who is to receive it.  Medication will be given as directed on the pharmacy label and according to health care provides' specific orders. 

Medications include all prescription or over the counter medication (all pills, syrups, injections, inhalers, epipens, creams, sprays, eye drops, cough drops, sunscreen, etc.).  Medications may not be expired.

Forms (Physician completes and signs)

Physical Forms (To be completed by health care provider)

For the safety of all students with severe allergies, the health office requests a signed health care plan from your health care provider along with an antihistamine and/or epipen for school use.  In extreme cases, middle and high school students who have proficient knowledge of anaphylaxis may “self-carry” an epipen with signed health care plan from the health care provider, parent, and approval of school nurse.  However, a second epipen and antihistamine is requested to be stored in the health office.       

Allergy and Anaphylaxis Action Plan and Medication Orders

Self Carry Contract

Special Dietary Needs

A number of different allergens are responsible for allergic reactions. The most common include:

Food Allergies - your immune system overreacts to a particular protein found in that food. Many food allergies are diagnosed in young children, though allergies may also appear in older children and adults. There’s no cure for food allergies; however, many children outgrow food allergies. Allergic reactions usually occur within a few minutes of eating the trigger food, though reactions can sometimes appear a few hours later. If you believe you or your child may have a food allergy, consult an allergist or immunologist who can order tests to determine whether it’s a food allergy, food intolerance, or something else. Some symptoms of intolerance and allergies are similar, but the differences between the two conditions are important. If you have a food intolerance, eating the food can leave you feeling miserable. With a true food allergy, your body’s reaction to the food could be life-threatening. The main symptoms include hives, “throat closing, ”and difficulty breathing.

Eight foods responsible for most allergic reactions:

• Cow’s milk • Eggs • Fish • Peanuts • Shellfish • Soy • Tree nuts• Wheat

For the safety of all students with asthma, the health office requests a signed health care plan from your health care provider along with an inhaler for school use.  Typically, middle and high school students who are proficient users of inhalers may “self-carry” their inhaler with signed health care plan from physician, parent and approval of school nurse.  However, a second inhaler is requested to be stored in the health office.  

For the safety of all students with Type 1 Diabetes, a health care plan signed by a health care provider is required in order to provide related care at school.  

All standards and templates for orders and health care plans related to the care of students with diabetes can be found at:

CO Kids with Diabetes

General Information about Diabetes:

• The body does not produce insulin because the cells in the pancreas that make insulin have been destroyed. 
• Requires insulin injections to use the glucose from their food.
• Usually diagnosed in children and young adults and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. Only 5% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease.
• With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, even young children with type 1 diabetes can learn to manage their condition and live long, healthy, happy lives.

Type 2 diabetes:

• Happens because the body does not produce enough insulin OR the body’s cells ignore the insulin (insulin resistance).
• May be managed with life-style changes, such as diet and exercise
• Some people may also need oral medication or insulin injections to help their bodies use glucose for energy. 

Risks of diabetes:

Diabetes increases the risk for many serious health problems, but with the correct treatment and recommended lifestyle changes, many people with diabetes are able to prevent or delay the onset of complications. Long-term complications of unmanaged diabetes may include problems with the eyes (glaucoma, cataracts), feet (neuropathy, numbness), skin (infections) and increased risk for heart disease (high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke) or kidney disease. 

Source: American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org/

Seizure Action Plan (to be completed by physician)

• There are many different types of seizures. People may experience just one type or more than one. The kind of seizure a person has depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbance that produces seizures. The symptoms of a seizure may affect any part of the body. Most seizures last only a minute or two, although confusion afterwards may last longer. Experts divide seizures into generalized seizures (absence, atonic, tonic-clonic, myoclonic), partial (simple and complex) seizures, gelastic seizures, dacrystic seizures, non-epileptic seizures and statusepilepticus. Generally, the most frequent cause of an unexpected seizure is failure to take the medication as prescribed. Other factors include ingesting substances, hormone fluctuations, stress, sleep patterns and photosensitivity.

• While medications and other treatments help many people of all ages who live with epilepsy, more than a million people continue to have seizures that can severely limit their school achievements, employment prospects and participation in all of life's experiences. It strikes most often among the very young and the very old, although anyone can develop epilepsy at any age. In the U.S., it affects more than 300,000 children under the age of15--more than 90,000 of whom have seizures that cannot be adequately treated.

Source: Epilepsy Foundation http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/index.cfm

ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY

• Any injury to the brain that occurs after birth (excludes hereditary, congenital, degenerative or birth trauma injuries). It includes both traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries.

    TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

• An injury to the brain due to an external bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. This may be an open head injury where the head is penetrated (skull fracture, gunshot wound, etc.) or a closed head injury that causes the brain to move within the skull (whiplash, concussion, shaken baby syndrome, etc.

NON-TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

• An injury to the brain that is caused by internal incident (stroke, anoxic injury [lack of oxygen], brain tumor, brain infections such as meningitis, etc.).

     WHAT IS BRAIN INJURY? (3 MIN VIDEO)

CONCUSSION

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a concussion as:

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury- or TBI- caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, stretching and damaging the brain cells and creating chemical changes in the brain.

It is important to recognize that concussions can be sustained through a variety of means including: motor vehicle crashes, falls, bicycle crashes, recreational mishaps, etc. A child/ adolescent does not need to experience loss of consciousness to sustain a concussion. The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be found in the CDC chart below.

• CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT - A TEAM APPROACH

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES:

• Roadmap to Concussion Recovery - Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children
• Concussion Comeback Plan - Children's Hospital Colorado
• Centers for Disease Control
  • Concussion Information Sheet
  • Heads Up: A Fact Sheet for Parents
  • Heads Up: Concussions in Youth Sports - A Fact Sheet for Athletes
  • Heads Up: Concussions in Youth Sports - A Fact Sheet for Parents

Lice  

District Lice Policy

Lice Information

Bed Bugs 

Releases of information allow appropriate school staff (typically school nurse, psychologist or administrators) to obtain mental and physical health related records as well as discuss health concerns, treatments and care while at school with student’s health care provider.  Parent must sign and date any release of information and may revoke the release at any time.

Release of Information (Typically works for most providers, except The Children's Hospital and North Range Behavioral Health)

The Children's Hospital

North Range Behavioral Health