"The primary responsibility for the health needs of a child rests with the family."

In order to provide an environment whereby children are not exposed to communicable diseases unnecessarily, each of Jefferson Townships’ eight schools has a full-time certified school nurse.  Each of our nurses is a licensed Registered Nurse with advanced training and certification in School Nursing.  The school nurse maintains student health records and provides emergency assistance when children are ill or injured.  Teachers send children to the nurse when they appear ill or feverish, or complain of stomach aches, headaches, etc.  Children who are injured in the classroom, on the playground, or any time during the school day are immediately referred to the school nurse.  The nurse does not contact parents for every visit, but only for those that are, in her judgment, serious enough to warrant a call home. 

In the fall, the district physician reviews the nurse's standing orders and authorizes the nurse to treat minor illnesses and to dispense medication under the guidelines of state law and district policy.  The nurse may apply ice to a bump, a topical ointment and/or band-aide to a cut, conduct checks for head-lice, and conduct routine hearing and vision screenings, etc. depending on the child’s need and district requirements.

If the nurse or another member of the school staff, when no nurse is available, determines that a child is too ill to stay in school or if a child has been injured and needs additional medical attention, the nurse or another member of the staff will contact a parent to come pick up the child.