School Nurse

Good health plays a vital role in your student’s ability to learn and succeed. School nursing has evolved to meet the growing and diverse needs of today’s students — it involves far more than bandages and ice packs. Our mission is to support students’ physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being so they can thrive throughout their educational journey.

We promote health and learning by carrying out a wide range of responsibilities, including assessing student health needs; providing routine and direct care; delivering emergency care for students and staff; maintaining emergency equipment; overseeing medication administration, healthcare procedures, and individualized healthcare plans; participating in school safety planning and emergency preparedness; providing training for staff and students; maintaining health and immunization records; monitoring and managing communicable illnesses; evaluating the school environment to promote safety and prevent injury; conducting required health screenings; consulting with school professionals such as food service staff, teachers, coaches, and counselors; and serving as a liaison between families, school personnel, and community healthcare providers to help ensure a healthy school environment.

To provide the best possible care and keep your child’s health records current, please notify the school nurse of any new or ongoing medical concerns throughout the school year, including injuries, surgeries, updated immunizations, new diagnoses, or medication changes. Remember, your child’s healthcare provider does not automatically share medical information with the school nurse. You may request that records be faxed to the school or provide a copy of the visit summary following your appointment.

2026-school-requirements.pdf

Medication:

To ensure the safety of all students and to prevent the loss or misuse of medication, students are not permitted to carry or have any medications in their possession, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Whenever possible, medications should  be administered at home.

If a medication must be taken during school hours, it must be brought directly to the nurse’s office upon arrival at school or delivered by a parent or guardian and handed to the nurse. All medications require written parental consent (link to form available below or in nurse’s office) and must be provided in the original, properly labeled container with a current pharmacy label (if prescribed).

Prescription medications will be administered by the school nurse according to the physician’s instructions as indicated on the pharmacy label. Over-the-counter medications will be given according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and at the nurse’s

professional discretion. The school nurse reserves the right to decline the administration of any medication.

MO500-3301 Medication Authorization | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Emergency Action Plans and Allergies

A current, physician-signed Emergency Action Plan (EAP) must be submitted to the school nurse each year for students diagnosed with any of the following conditions: life-threatening allergies, asthma, diabetes, and/or seizure disorders. To obtain a copy of the required form, please contact your child’s building nurse by email or reach out to your physician’s office.

Food Allergies:

If your child has a diagnosed food allergy, the district must receive written documentation of the diagnosis signed by a physician, along with a completed Medical Statement for Students Requiring Meal Modification (the form is available via the provided link or in the nurse’s office). This paperwork must be on file with OPAA and the district before any modifications to school meals can be made. 

Please note that while food intolerances may be reported, school breakfast and lunch menus cannot be altered without formal medical documentation confirming a food allergy diagnosis.

Medical Statement for Student Requiring Meal Modification | Missouri Department of Elementary and

Secondary Education

FAME2022-FARE-english.pdf

Asthma Action Plan for Home and School

DMMP-January2026.pdf

GENERAL Seizure Action Plan 2020-April7_FILLABLE.pdf

Returning to School

Our priority is to have your student at school, learning and engaged each day. However, we also have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of our entire district. For this reason, students may be required to remain at home while recovering from an illness.

We appreciate your partnership in following our “Returning to School” guidelines. Adhering to these policies helps protect our school community and reduces the spread of illness.

•  Fever: Fever free (99 F or below) for 24 hours, WITHOUT the use of fever-reducing medication

•  Diarrhea/Vomiting: 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea

•  Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis): 24 hours after beginning antibiotic treatment and eyes are free of discharge

•  Strep Throat: 24 hours after beginning antibiotic treatment and no fever for 24

• hours

•  Ringworm: May return when it is treated with medication; please keep covered until area(s) heal

•  Rashes, Impetigo, Staph, etc: These must be treated by a physician and a copy of the physician's release provided to the school nurse. The affected area(s) should remain completely covered during the course of treatment.

•  Head Lice: If your child has an active case of head lice, treatment is expected to begin immediately.

•  Communicable Diseases: Influenza, chicken pox, measles, mumps, mono, whooping cough, hand-foot-and-mouth, etc. are highly contagious diseases and are reportable to the County Health Department. The State of Missouri sets the amount of time that must be missed from school, and your child's doctor should be aware of these restrictions. Your child may return to school after he/she has met the State of Missouri requirement.