Health Services
WELCOME TO BRIARCREST HEALTH SERVICES
“The school nurse provides health care to students and staff, performs health screenings and coordinates referrals to the medical home or private healthcare provider. The school nurse serves as a liaison between school personnel, family, community and healthcare providers to advocate for health care and a healthy school environment. " (National Association of School Nurses / American Nurses Association [NASN / ANA], 2005).
Health and learning go hand in hand. The school nurse has a multi-faceted role within the school setting; one that supports the physical, spiritual, emotional, and social health of our students while supporting the academic success of the student population.
The guidelines below have been developed for the exclusion of students who have communicable or contagious diseases. These regulations are in compliance with the requirements of the local and state health authority, state law, and board policy.
School Health:
While we encourage students to attend school every day, an ill child will not perform well and may expose other students and staff in the classroom. If your child’s health status changes, please notify his/her school nurse so that we may accommodate any health needs that your child may have. If your child is having surgery or is diagnosed with any health condition, please contact the nurse’s office at your earliest convenience.
MORNING HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Parents will conduct the COVID-19 self-screening for his/her student(s) each morning. Taking your child’s temperature and asking the questions are required for the assessment. We all need to minimize risks for one another, and this has to become part of our morning routine.
- Have you had a fever in the last 24 hours?
- Have you taken medicine to reduce your fever in the last 24 hours?
- Have you been in close contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
- Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, nasal congestion or a runny nose?
- Have you had a new loss of taste or smell?
- Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
- Are you awaiting test results for COVID-19?
If you answer “YES” to any of the questions, you must stay home.
WHEN TO KEEP A CHILD HOME WITH ILLNESS
Recommendation from the School Health Office regarding Sick Children at School
(Updated from the TN Department of Health and the Briarcrest School Health Office)
Knowing whether a child is well enough to go to school can be tough for any parent. It often comes down to whether a child can still participate at school.
Sometimes the decision is clear. Your kid looks awful and you can’t imagine sitting them up, let alone sending them anywhere. But sometimes kids don’t look so bad and the decision is less clear.
- Children must be checked upon arrival and observed for signs of communicable disease.
- Any child showing or developing symptoms of fever, diarrhea, or other symptoms that are cause for concern must be excluded from the group until the parent can come for him/her.
- It is the responsibility of the parent or emergency contact to transport the student from school to his/her home within 30 minutes of being notified.
- If a student has been home with a fever greater than 100.4, they should not return to school until they have been fever-free for 24 hours after the last fever reducing medication was given before returning to school. For example, if your child leaves school with a fever in the afternoon, they should not return to school the next morning. Your child would need to be out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medication.
- If a student reports to the Health Office during the school day with a fever greater than 100.4, they are not allowed to return to class and must be picked up by a parent or emergency contact within. 30 minutes of being notified.
- Children should be kept home from school until they are diarrhea-free for 24 hours. Diarrhea is defined as 2 or more loose stools in 24 hours without using anti-diarrheal medication.
- Children should be kept home from school until they are vomit-free and free from extreme nausea for 24 hours. Your child needs to be able to eat during the school day, without getting sick. If they cannot eat without having extreme nausea/vomiting, then they do not need to return to school.
- Children should be kept home from school if they have a productive cough or if his/her cough is uncontrollable to the point of not being able to concentrate in the class setting.
- For readmission, some diseases may require a statement from the student’s physician affirming that the student is not contagious. To know whether your child should stay home from school, we at Briarcrest would suggest always speaking with your child’s physician.
All policies and procedures expressed in the BCS Handbook apply to student health. Please contact your division school nurse with any additional questions or concerns.