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School Health Administration
School Health Administration
Director
Colleen Whitmore, MSN, BSN
Managers
Michelle Romani, RN, BSN
Cathy Thren, RN, BSN
Margaret Seebald, RN, BS, MHA
Administrative Staff
Anissa Lyons
Iris Estrada
School Health Services in Frederick County Public Schools are delivered by the Frederick County Health Department, utilizing a cluster model of service delivery. School nurses are Registered Nurses (RN) who serve as the leaders of the school health team in each school. Each school nurse supervises and provides health services for 2 to 3 schools. A dedicated Health Room Technician (HRT) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is assigned to every school health room and carries out day to day operations of the school health room. HRTs and LPNs are responsible for the following:
- Providing first aid to students in need
- Responding to medical emergencies within the school
- Administering required treatments and medications to students
- Communicating with parents as needed
- Reporting to the school nurse
Health Room Technicians (HRTs) are Certified in School Health Services as Nursing Assistants (CNA) and Medication Technicians (CMT) by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
The LPN is an independently functioning nurse who is supervised by the Registered School Nurse. LPNs are assigned to some school health rooms instead of an HRT. In addition to the responsibilities above, the LPN performs nursing tasks and augments nursing services that can’t be delegated to HRTs.
- Leader of the school health nursing team, which includes LPNs and HRTs
- Supervise and evaluate LPNs and HRTs in several assigned school buildings
- Delegate nursing functions HRTs as mandated through the Maryland Board of Nursing
- Assess, plan, implement and evaluate a health service program for the assigned schools
- Serve as liaison/collaborator between the schools, students, parents/guardians and health care providers
- Develop, write and implement health care plans for specific individual students
- Interpret students' health/developmental status to parents/guardians and school personnel
- Help families to find and use available health resources and be available to attend medical appointments with families and to visit families in their homes
- Compile and maintain a file of current health education materials for students and faculty
- Implement and interpret defined policies and procedures, as well as programs for the prevention and control of communicable diseases
- Investigate communicable diseases in the school setting
- Promote effective sharing of information resources among the community, health care professionals and the school(s)
- Analyze school health records and reports in order to develop and/or modify health programs to meet healthcare needs of school communities
- Attend and participate in faculty, staff and community meetings as pertains to school health
- Provide comprehensive and appropriate health education for schools and communities as needed
- Contribute to the RN's comprehensive nursing assessment of students by performing focused assessments that address common, reoccurring health issues/needs
- Participate in the development and modification of a comprehensive plan of care
- Implement nursing care plans per the RN direction
- In conjunction with the RN, conducts health assessments to include observing children's developmental patterns, identifying deviant health findings by reporting them to the RN, and screening and evaluating state mandated health screenings (i.e. vision and hearing)
- Per direction of the RN, assist with the development and implementation of a student health plan which includes interpreting student's health status to parents and school personnel, initiating referrals to parents, school personnel and community health resources for intervention, remediation and follow through, recommending and helping to implement modification of school programs to meet students' health needs, and utilizing existing health resources to provide appropriate care to students
- Administer medications and perform specific treatments as ordered by a health care provider, observe for medication and treatment side effects and take further action as indicated
- Assist in the early surveillance, detection, and reporting of contagious diseases
- Perform other related duties as required
- Interact extensively with students while providing routine care for minor and acute illnesses and chronic disorders
- Provide immediate care for accidents and injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening
- Provide appropriate treatment of ill or injured persons
- Establish and maintain an up-to-date student health record system
- Assist with efforts to ensure an adequate program for the prevention and control of communicable diseases
- Encourage parents/guardians to follow through with recommended health care
- Administer medications and perform specific treatments as ordered by a health care provider and delegated by the RN-School Health, observe for medication and treatment side effects and take further action as indicated
- Perform lice screenings as directed by the RN-School Health
- Communicate health-related information as appropriate (e.g. drug/alcohol situations, suicide threats, medication/treatment orders, pregnancy concerns, accidents, etc.)
- Assist with follow-up of long-term absences
- Assist with vision and hearing screenings and other health screening programs
- Arrange appointments and take messages for the RN-School Health
- Assist with record-keeping, report preparation and inventory of health supplies
- Perform other related duties as required