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Health Office FAQs

How many visits do you have each day? In a year?

On average, I see 15-25 students per day

What kinds of services do you perform at the school?

Health Office visits: 2120 Medication Administrations: 76 Screenings: 431 Communication with Parents: 301

How do you know all these statistics?

I have a wonderful computer program called SNAP. In the SNAP program, I can enter every student’s address info, medical conditions, medications, permissions, and allergies. I enter every student’s immunization record and the program helps me make sure each child is up to date. All screening results are kept here. And I keep a daily log of each student visit; what the complaint was, what I saw, what I did, and what happened. This program is extremely useful in aiding my record keeping. When a 5th grader moves up to CMS, his/her SNAP records move up to that Health Office! All nurses in SAU 16 use SNAP.

What are your more common health office visits?

Cuts and scrapes, mosquito bites, poison ivy, bathroom “accidents”, loss of baby teeth, stomachaches, sore throats, and cough.

Do you care for the staff as well?

Yes, their most common reason to visit is for headaches.

What screenings do you perform?

Every fall I perform vision, hearing, height, weight, & BMI screenings on every student. Sometimes a teacher or parent might request an additional vision or hearing test during the school year.

When do you send children home?

A fever of 100.3 or higher, vomiting, broken bones, purulent conjunctivitis, sometimes emotional issues, or if they feel so ill they are unable to stay in the classroom. I will often consult with a parent if I have questions.

What are your recommendations as to when my child should be kept home?

The above-mentioned conditions would also be reasons for you to have your child stay home and not attend school. Children should be fever-free for 24 hours (without the aid of fever-reducing medication). For those who have started antibiotics, 24 hours from the first dose is the general "ok" to come back. You may also want to keep a child home who is coughing/sneezing so much that they are unable to control the spreading of their germs. If in doubt, give me a call!

What medications do you administer?

I have SAU 16 Nursing Guidelines (click here) that are signed by a Core Physicians Pediatrician. The medications listed on these guidelines are as follows: Hydrogen Peroxide, Anbesol, sore throat spray, cough drops, Calamine, antacid, Hydrocortisone Cream, antibiotic ointment, Acetaminophen, and Ibuprofen. (Benedryl, Epi-Pen, Albuterol for Emergencies). However, I am also required to have parental permission to administer any of the above. Any additional medications that are required to be given at school need an MD and a parent permission form signed. I very often try other means before giving out medication (ie: icepack for headache).

Do you do anything else at the school?

I feel very lucky to be working at a small school that gives me the opportunity to branch out into other areas. I coordinate the school’s Emergency Management Committee and Wellness Committee. And I do some teaching in the classroom when asked by our teachers (nutrition, hand washing, body systems, puberty).