FREE School Nurse Certification Questions and Answers
An 11-year-old female pupil complains of lower stomach ache to the school nurse. She doesn't feel ill to her stomach and doesn't have a temperature. What kind of action should the school nurse take?
Girls as young as 8 may begin exhibiting early menstrual symptoms. If this is your child's first period, it's a good idea to phone home and inform the parent about your tummy ache. Children's lower abdomen ache may also be caused by constipation; in this case, water may be administered to the pupil. Nurses must consistently treat the patient's statement of pain until confirming otherwise, despite the fact that students may falsely claim illnesses for a variety of reasons. The school nurse does not have the authority to administer medication that has not been prescribed and approved by the parent, thus giving anti-nausea drugs is not suitable.
What kind of solace can you provide a pupil who has ear pain?
The child with ear discomfort will feel better if you apply a warm compress to the troublesome ear on the outside. Ice or extremely cold temperatures shouldn't be used because they can make ear pain worse. The purpose of ear irrigation is often to remove impacted cerumen or foreign items from the ear canal and is not a suitable remedy for ear pain. If the pain doesn't go away or if the child develops a fever, tell the parents to make an appointment with a doctor.
A student who is experiencing lightheadedness requests the nurse's assistance in the gym. The child is described by the nurse as being pale and diaphoretic. His baseline heart rate is greater than 180. What should the nurse do as soon as possible?
The shift into a risky rhythm, such as supraventricular tachycardia, may occur at a pulse rate of 180, which is extremely high and dangerous (tachycardia). The fact that the pupil is dizzy indicates that the tachycardia is unstable and impairing the child's capacity to perfuse vital organs. In order to swiftly identify whether emergency treatment is required or if the child grew overheated during activity, the school nurse must maintain the child's composure, provide a cool cloth for comfort, and review the pulse rate after a brief break. The child's heart rate can be naturally lowered by applying a cool cloth (or piece of ice) to the head. Regardless of the reasons, parents should be informed and advised to take their children for evaluation. Call 911 and the parents for a cardiac evaluation if the child's symptoms persist after a few minutes of rest since a sustained heart rate of 180 is too high to allow adequate perfusion.
Which medical information must be provided to each state before a student can enroll in school?
State laws include requirements for immunization records, and parents who opt not to immunize their children must sign a release. In the event of an epidemic of an infectious disease, it is critical for the school nurse to be aware of which pupils lack the necessary vaccinations. Birth information, after-school care history, and parental health history are solely sought on a school-by-school basis and are not required by the state.
Examining for visual impairments is the nurse. Which pupil would require a recommendation for an eye doctor?
Any student who has vision in either eye of 20/90 or better should follow up with an ophthalmologist. This child has to be 20 feet away in order to differentiate what a typical child can see and distinguish at a distance of 90 feet. This may hinder the child's capacity to study in a classroom setting and create challenges in the child's day-to-day activities. The sooner this repair may be performed, the better; this child would significantly benefit from spectacles. It is usual for one eye to have vision that is 10 feet worse than the other, with 20/20 vision being regarded as ideal. 20/30 vision does not necessitate a referral to an ophthalmologist, but this youngster should still be closely watched to make sure that their vision is not rapidly deteriorating.
The school nurse repeatedly observes numerous bruises on a male student's face, arms, and neck. When speaking to this child, what would the school nurse need to keep in mind?
If a pupil has unexplained bruises, it's crucial to take the likelihood of physical or sexual abuse into account. Whether or not the student confesses to abuse, the nurse must report any suspicions of abuse and must take appropriate action. The nurse should be aware that the student might make up the story about where the bruises came from, but this should not alter how they go about reporting the problem. In this situation, the nurse shouldn't approach the parents because they might be the ones causing the harm. Instead, the nurse should adhere to protocol when informing the relevant agency of suspected abuse.
A student has a headache, a fever of more than 102°F, and a loose cough. What course of action would the school nurse take in response to these symptoms?
The nurse should make every effort to call a parent before sending a student home with a loose cough, a fever over 102°F, and a headache. The child should be sent home until the fever has subsided for 24 hours because a fever and cough are symptoms of communicable infections. Sending the pupil to the emergency room at this time is not acceptable because this is not an emergency medical condition unless the student is exhibiting signs of respiratory distress or a higher fever. In the event that the student's health deteriorates, the school nurse should discuss with the emergency contact any indications or symptoms that call for immediate medical attention. While a suitable course of treatment, fluid intake and relaxation should be encouraged at home to stop the spread of illness to other students. Additionally, it is the parent's responsibility to take the student to the doctor in order to discuss potential pharmaceutical therapies like antibiotics.