Nurse's Corner

Nurse's Corner

Prince George's County Public Schools has a policy for parents concerning children with illnesses and when to keep them at home.  Remember sick children need to be kept home from school.  Resting at home will help them get over the illness sooner and will prevent them from exposing other children and staff.  Your child should be kept home and you should contact your Primary Care Provider when your child has any of the following:

• A temperature of greater than 99.8.  
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain that is constant.  If vomiting starts after the pain begins (call your health care provider that day)
• A headache that is interfering with activities
• A sore throat that causes difficulty swallowing
• Yellow discharge on eye lashes in the morning that comes back after being wiped off lashes and eyes that are red (call your health care provider for an appointment the day this is observed)
• A skin rash that causes itching and/or is on most of the body
• A constant cough and/or difficulty breathing
• Is complaining of feeling ill, has a lack of energy and/or a decrease in activity

Your child may return to school when your health care provider says he/she can, when symptoms are gone for 24 hours or if your child has started a prescribed antibiotic.

Immunizations 

Federal and state guidelines mandate age appropriate immunizations.  Students without appropriate documentation will have twenty calendar days from the time of the lack of documentations is noted to comply with the guidelines for needed age appropriate immunization.  It is important for parents to have a copy of their child's immunizations for their own records.  There will be many times you need your own copy, for example, after care enrollment, summer camp enrollment, and sport activities.

 The county Health Department has immunization clinics through out the year.  For further information on immunization requirements, immunization clinics, or flu clinics, please refer to the Prince Georges County Health Department website and type immunization in the search window.

 Medications

 Medications at school are needed at times and should be sent only when absolutely necessary.  In order for the nurse to comply with the law and stay within her scope of practice, as mandated by the Maryland Nurses Practice Act, all medications and treatments must have the appropriate medication/treatment form signed by parents and a Health Care Provider.  These forms can be printed off from the Prince Georges Public School website under Health Services. Click under parent information. You can also get the form from the nurse. This gives you the opportunity to tell her about your child's specific condition. Medication should be in it original package and have the pharmacy label affixed. It is also helpful to have small picture of the student to have in case there is a substitute nursing working in the health room. Lastly, please keep the nurses current with phone numbers, in case of emergency.  

The phone number for the nurse is 240-348-6216.