COVID-19 Guidance for PreK-12 Schools

olh_Sharon.Muellers — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 16:05:10 +0000

School nurses should use clinical judgment and discretion to determine if a student is well enough to remain in school, be tested, or be sent home. If a student or staff member is not well enough to learn or participate, regardless of whether they are tested for COVID-19, they should be sent home from school. Recommended public health guidance for schools can be seen at this CDC link.

A student who is being sent home due to illness may be required to wear a mask while awaiting pick-up. The decision to require masking should be made by the school nurse based on clinical decision-making.

A student may return to school if their symptoms have improved, and they meet school criteria for their illness. COVID-19 testing should not be required for students or staff to return to school.

Schools should recommend that students and staff keep up to date on COVID-19 and other vaccinations. School nurses should follow best practices for infection control and encourage frequent and thorough hand washing using soap and water to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. When done correctly, hand washing will help students, school staff, and visitors avoid spreading and receiving germs.

If a student or staff member has tested positive, and you need assistance:

You can contact your Local Health Office (preferred) with your contact information.
Please do not include any child or staff names, dates of birth, or other patient identifying information in your email.
You can contact the Health Department's Infectious Disease Epidemiology team at 802-863-7240 Option 2 (Mon - Fri 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) or by email at  AHS.VDHEPICOVID19Program@vermont.gov.

olh_Sharon.Muellers Fri, 10/30/2020 - 12:05

Resources

Resource	Description
CDC Operational Guidance for Schools and Early Care Programs	Public health guidance specific to schools and early care programs.
Vermont Department of Health COVID-19 page	General community guidance on preventing COVID-19, vaccines, testing and symptoms, and treatment.
School COVID-19 Reporting Tool	Find out information on what tests need to be reported, where to report them, and what is included in the reports.
COVID-19 guidance for child care and out-of-school programs	Vermont Department of Health page on handling COVID-19 in childcare and out of school programs.
AOE Message to Superintendents about Medically Vulnerable Students	Information on accommodations for medically vulnerable students.

Standards of Practice: School Health Services Manual

ADMIN_nancy.erickson — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:42:20 +0000

Standards of Practice: School Health Services Manual

Guidance for school administrators and school nurses in the developing, implementing and evaluating school health services. For more information about the process for updating and maintaining information contained in this manual, or the history of its development, see the Introduction section.

ADMIN_nancy.erickson Tue, 11/22/2016 - 11:42

School Health Resources

vdhadmin — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:20:39 +0000

School Health Resources

vdhadmin Mon, 07/18/2016 - 10:20

Vermont School Health Resources

Resource	Description
Parent Messaging Toolkit on Measles for Schools and Child Care	A communications toolkit for schools and child care facilities to use when informing parents and school staff about measles.
Office of Local Health	Contact your Office of Local Health, School Liaison to learn more about school health services and school nursing efforts in your area.
Essential School Health Services	A system focused on improving student outcomes, school attendance, the mitigation of challenges such as chronic health conditions, and other barriers related to social determinants of health.
Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice	The framework from the National Association of School Nurses provides the key principles of professional school nursing practice including: Standards of Practice, Public Health, Care Coordination, Leadership and Quality Improvement.
Vermont Agency of Education's Educator Licensure	Information on how to apply to become a licensed School Nurse or Associate School Nurse in Vermont. School Nurses qualify as Specialized Instructional Support Personnel according to the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015).
Vermont School Nurse Orientation	The Health Department maintains and revises the School Nurse Orientation. Completion of the Vermont School Nurse Orientation and ICS 100 training is required for licensure by the Agency of Education.
Vermont State Board of Education’s Education Quality Standards (2014)	Education standards, including health services and recommended delivery model for health services.
Vermont State School Nurse Consultant	Provides support for Office of Local Health School Liaisons and school nurses regarding school health services and school nursing practice. Contact information: Kaitlyn.Kodzis@vermont.gov

School Nurse Leadership

In partnership with the Northeastern University School Health Academy , 6 webinars about school nurse leadership fundamentals are available online to all Vermont school nurses.

Webinar	Description	Handouts
Introduction to School Nursing Leadership for Vermont School Nurses	After viewing the presentation, the participant will be able to: Recognize how Nursing Theory impacts school nursing practice Identify Nursing theorists that are crucial to how school nursing practice operates Recognize the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice Describe the Leadership Standards from School Nursing Scope and Standards	Five Ways a School Nurse Benefits the School Introduction to School Nursing Leadership Instructions to Obtain Certificate of Contact Hours for Module 1
NASN's 21st Century Framework for School Nursing Practice	After viewing the presentation, the participant will be able to Recognize the NASN 21st Century Framework for School Nursing Practice Identify the 5 standards of the Framework Examine the individual standards as they relate to school nursing practice Apply the principles to everyday school nursing practice	21st Century Framework for School Nursing Practice Instructions to Obtain Certificate of Contact Hours for Module 2
Introduction to Data and Data Utilization Part 1	After viewing the presentation, the school nurse will be able to: Identify sources of school health data Recognize the vital importance and use of school health data Demonstrate each school nurse's responsibility to collect/disseminate data	Introduction to Data and Data Utilization Instructions to Obtain Certificate of Contact Hours for Module 3
Process and Protocols for Delegation and Medication Administration Part 1 and Part 2	After viewing the presentation, the learner will be able to: Recognize the Vermont Nurse Practice Act (NPA) Apply the principles of the NPA to school nursing practice Describe the protocols for medication administration Identify the process for delegation	Process and Protocols for Delegation and Medication Administration Instructions to Obtain Certificate of Contact Hours for Module 4
Evaluation of School Nursing Practice	After viewing the presentation, the participant will be able to: Identify the need for a school nurse job description Examine the need for Goal development Recognize the importance of self-assessment	Evaluation of School Nursing Practice Instructions to Obtain Certificate of Contact Hours for Module 5
Every Student Counts for Vermont School Nurses	A review of data and NASN's Every Student Counts data set with Kimberly Stanislo, the Research, Education, and Practice Director at NASN.	Every Student Counts Instructions to Obtain Certificate of Contact Hours for Module 6

School Nurse Committees, Organizations, and Partners

Group	Description
School Nurse Advisory Committee	Members: Five practicing school nurses Education professional from the Agency of Education Vermont State School Nurse Consultant (Chair). Ex officio members: Health Department’s Maternal and Child Health Director Public health nurse. Objectives: Maintain the Standards of Practice: School Health Services Manual Maintain an up-to-date online orientation for new school nurses Promote school nurse workforce development
Vermont State School Nurses Association (VSSNA)	Professional nursing organization to help stay current with evidence-based practice and set the standards of school nursing practice. For more information, contact the president of the VSSNA (president@vssna.org), or visit the VSSNA website.
National Association of School Nurses (NASN)	NASN provides tools, resources, and continuing education opportunities.
National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN)	NBCSN promotes voluntary certification by examination for all school nurses. Certification represents a national standard of preparation, knowledge, and practice.
Agency of Education	Responsible for regulations and administration in areas such as education quality standards, school nurse licensing, and school health services.
Vermont Board of Nursing	To renew your nursing license and learn about your scope of practice.

Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child

Many Vermont supervisory unions and school districts have created wellness teams to work on health-related policies, procedures, programs, and activities. These teams are often modeled after the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model.

Resource	Description
Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child	Information from CDC on WSCC model.
School Health Index	An online self-evaluation and planning tool for schools.
Linking Health and Learning	Information from AOE on initiatives to promote health in schools, including WSCC.