Nurse's Office
The Nurse
ISA’s nurse, Frances Sibbett, is in school Monday to Friday, 8pm to 1pm. You can phone her through our reception on 01224 730300 or email fsibbett@isa.aberdeen.sch.uk
The nurse’s responsibilities include: ensuring our medical information is up to date and that families are registered with local health services; updating care plans: raising awareness of health and wellness issues and working with external agencies; anxiety management; supporting medical first response; training and assisting families to access NHS services.
She is also one of Designated Child Protection Coordinators (DCPC) and meets weekly with this group to monitor well being issues at school.
We encourage parents to regularly update their children’s medical conditions on PowerSchool and inform the school nurse directly of any significant changes.
Medical First Response
Our Board Policy on health management is here.
We have a medical first response coordinator who oversees our trained first aiders. Our first aiders follow these guidelines. We also have staff trained in the use of epipens. We follow this protocol for head injuries. Medical first responders also deal with students feeling unwell - not just first adi.
In the case of more serious medical incidents, we have policies around accompanying students to hospital. For younger students especially we may have to attend to intimate care needs.
Accidents and near misses are reported using this form. We review specific incidents in weekly compliance meetings and more generally in monthly
General Health and Medication
Please refer to Board Policy 6.40 Health Management for our general approach. Specific protocols around administering medication can be found here. If your child needs to be given medication during the school day or school trips, please update the details on PowerSchool (if required) and complete the relevant form - medication form or lotions/creams form. Please inform the school nurse of any medication or medication changes required for your child.
Students should carry their own asthma inhalers during the school day. These can be kept in their school bags for easy access. A "Prescribed Emergency Inhaler" is kept for students with asthma if their own inhaler is out of date or cannot be found. Find the asthma protocol here.
Adrenaline Auto Injectors (AAI or EPIPENS) for elementary students are kept behind the IT desk in the reception area. Middle and high school students should carry their AAI's in their school bags. An additional "Prescribed Emergency AAI" is kept for these students, behind the IT desk in the reception area. Find the epipen protocol here.
Fever - ISA follows NHS Inform guidelines of fever in children which is 37.5*c.
Returning to school after a fever - the student may return to school 24 hours after a normal temperature has been recorded and if feeling well.
Vomiting and gastric upset - students may return to school 48 hours after their last episode and if feeling well.
Ticks and Lyme's Disease - For information on and advice for the removal of ticks, follow the NHS Tick Guidance.
Please see the following for how to register for NHS services in Scotland. This includes GP and Dentist.
For NHS details on Coronovirus (COVID-19), view here. ISA's COVID-19 risk assessment can be viewed here .
Allergies
ISA makes every effort to make the school safe for students with allergies. However, we cannot guarantee a 100% safe environment; parents need to work with their children to promote their own awareness and sense of personal responsibility. Please read our allergen awareness protocol, asthma protocol and epipen protocol.
Parents should share allergy information with the school nurse and through PowerSchool. We can then provide an alert with the student’s information.
For events during the school day, we do not allow food to be brought in for sharing with students. Students either eat their own food or food prepared in school.
Mobility Impairment
If your child has a mobility issue such as a broken bone or injury, please inform the school nurse, principal and if appropriate, the transport coordinator.
Please read the Impaired Mobility Information and discuss the contents with your child
Breastfeeding
ISA is a member of the NHS scheme Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland. This scheme is run by the NHS, and it means that women are welcome to breastfeed (or bottle feed) their baby in any public space at our school, with the guarantee that no-one will ask them to move, stop feeding, or cover up. As well as just being the decent thing to support, the right to breastfeed in public is protected by law in the UK.
The overall aims of this NHS scheme are to raise awareness of the laws protecting breastfeeding in the UK, and to help mothers feel more confident about feeding in public. We hope that it will help to make ISA parents who also have infant children to feel more welcome at ISA, and to feel relaxed and supported about caring for their children on school premises.
There’s more information about the scheme from the NHS website, and also on a poster in the staff room. If anyone has any questions about this initiative, please get in contact with Josie Crimp.