It's critical to monitor a student's heart rate while they are receiving nebulizer treatments because the medication may result in an abnormally rapid heartbeat. The nurse can establish a baseline for the student by measuring heart rate prior to treatment. Prior to and after nebulizer treatment, it is also appropriate to monitor respiratory rate and breath sounds. To determine the entire efficacy of the nebulizer treatment, the post-nebulizer treatment should be administered 30 minutes after the therapy.
The school nurse will be better able to assess the severity of the asthma attack and take appropriate action if they can identify the symptoms of respiratory distress. The administration of albuterol and other measures in the case of an asthma attack require a thorough respiratory assessment both before and after therapy. To reduce hazardous complications from this disease, the school nurse must be able to diagnose and address respiratory distress quickly.
A Bovie cauterizing device is used in surgical settings to control bleeding; as such, it is outside the purview and obligations of a school nurse. Blood glucose levels are measured with a glucometer, especially in diabetic individuals. Patients with asthma are treated using a nebulizer. When assessing pulmonary function in kids with respiratory disorders, a peak flow meter might be a valuable tool.
If a youngster has a life-threatening injury, a school nurse should only examine their genitalia in the presence of a parent or another adult. The school nurse's scope of practice includes cleaning cuts and scrapes, checking for injuries, and keeping an eye on fever, all of which are appropriate evaluation techniques.
You can better design an intervention by tracking the complaints' trends and gathering data. Time, breakfast consumed, vital signs, and a patient's report of the pain are all included in data trends. The discomfort could be a result of stress, hunger, or an avoidance strategy. When discussing with a parent the best method to manage the concerns, as opposed to having the student miss class, it can be helpful to trend the time of day, how many days a week, and other information. Child Protective Services may be informed if these trends suggest to suspected abuse. The student might need to be referred to a specialist if the trends point to a more serious illness or condition. A student's objections should never be dismissed.
In this general capacity, the school nurse is not allowed to prescribe drugs. Only nurse practitioners are authorized to write prescriptions for drugs. Students should be given preference over doctors when they need new prescriptions for medications. With permission, nurses may provide prescription drugs.
In order for kids to actively participate in prevention, it would be very beneficial to educate them on how head lice are spread. While useful, just giving their parents a leaflet to read places the onus of education on the parents and increases the likelihood that the brochure will not be read. A universal lice comb should not be used since lice can be transferred from one student to another on the comb. Shampooing each student is going too far. If a student is examined and is discovered to have head lice, they must be sent home and treated before coming back to class.\
