In Maine, the school nurse is a Registered Nurse (RN), licensed by the State Board of Nursing, that has received certification from the Maine Department of Education. A school nurse can strengthen and help facilitate the educational process by improving and supporting the health and well-being of students. School nurse's work focuses not only on the prevention and treatment of illness, but also the early identification and intervention of various health problems. A school nurse is uniquely qualified and knowledgeable to be a wonderful resource for teachers, students, families, and communities.

On any given day, you might find our school nurse:

1. Assessing and following up on acute and chronic health issues of students

2. Screening students vision, height, weight and hearing

3. Coordinating and administering medications and treatments to students

4. Tracking student immunizations

5. Supporting students and staff in choices that promote health and wellness

6. Managing and reporting communicable diseases in the school

7. Writing and revising school health policies to reflect best evidence-based nursing practice

8. Managing medical emergencies for students and staff at the school

9. Providing staff education (e.g. training staff regarding student’s health issues and educating staff on Emergency Procedure requirements)

10. Coordinating and collaborating with parents, community health providers, and others, to ensure students are safe, healthy, and ready for learning

Please do not send your child to school if they are not well. Students that become ill during the school day will be assessed by the school nurse and receive appropriate care and supervision in the nurse’s office. A parent or responsible adult listed on the Emergency Information form will been contacted if the student needs to go home.  Your child may return to school once symptoms have resolved without the use of medications for 24 hours.

In accordance with Maine Department of Health and Human Services guidelines from the Center for Disease Control, a child should not attend school or will be dismissed if the student has one or more of the following symptoms:

• Fever: a fever is defined as having an body temperature of 100.0 degrees or higher.

• Diarrhea: frequent passage of watery, loose bowel movements within 24 hours prior to the start of school.

• Vomiting: within 24 hours prior to the start of school.

• Nasal Discharge: green or yellow mucous accompanied by a fever.

• Severe coughing: persistent coughing causing child to not be able to concentrate on work.

• Sore Throat: if accompanied by a fever or if child is unable to eat or swallow.

• Ear ache: if accompanied by a fever or if child is in moderate to severe pain.

• Possible conjunctivitis: red eye with mucous drainage. If conjunctivitis is confirmed students are recommended to be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.

• Rash: unexplained rash with fever or if rash is open and draining. Child can return to school once a physician has determined the illness is not contagious and fever is gone.

• Strep Throat: need to be fever free and recommended to be on antibiotics for 24 hours.

• Impetigo: recommended to be on antibiotics for 24 hours, if not on antibiotics lesions should be dry and not draining.

Children with the above symptoms or illnesses cannot comfortably participate in school work and expose peers and staff to their illness. Students should be fever-free without the aid of fever-reducing medication, such as Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen for 24 hours before returning to school.

The school nurse works to support the healthy growth and development of our students. Health screenings for vision and hearing are done at intervals recommended by the State of Maine.

• Vision- both near and distance, is screened in grades K, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. 

Re-screening can be done, at any time, by teacher or family request.

• Hearing- high and low frequency, is screened in grades K, 1, 3 and 5.

Parents will be notified by the school nurse if the screening results are outside the normal range.