The Office of Health Services
National School
Nurse Day, May 7, 2008
 The
Office of Health Services contributes to the mission and
goals of the Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) by providing
a comprehensive health services program that supports student
learning. Additionally, the office provides health
promotion and screening programs for employees.
The role of the office is to support the development and
implementation of a quality health services program by providing
guidance to school nurses, principals, parents, and school
system personnel on issues related to school health.
Each Baltimore County school is staffed by a full-time registered
nurse. Some schools have a part-time certified nursing
assistant in addition to the school nurse. If the school
nurse is absent, a registered nurse substitute is assigned
to the school. Every school has one staff member,
in addition to the school nurse, with current certification
in first aid and one staff member with current certification
in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
The health services program in each school addresses the
following areas:
Health
Assessment and Planning
Health Screenings
Services
to Students with Special Health Needs
Medication
Administration
Communicable
Disease Control
First Aid
and Emergency Care
Health Resources
for Staff, Parents, and Students
Maintenance
of Student Health Records
Environmental
Health and Safety
In many cases, the school nurse collaborates with other
offices and programs to assure a comprehensive, coordinated
approach to issues.
The Office of Health Services is part of the Department
of Student Support Services and works within the department
to support Pupil Services Teams and other interdisciplinary
initiatives.
Helpful Information for Parents/Guardians
 What
if my child needs medication during the school day?
Prescription Medication
If your child needs medication during the school day, you
must (1) provide the school nurse with a written order
from your health care provider, see the Parent’s
Request to Administer Medication in School and
(2) deliver the medication to the school in a pharmacy
labeled container. All medications are kept locked
in the health suite. If there is a medical concern
that requires your child to carry emergency medications
such as inhalers for asthma or an Epi-pen for severe allergies,
please consult your school nurse. New written medication
orders are needed each year.
Administration of Certain Nonprescription Medications
BCPS school nurses can administer certain nonprescription
medications with your permission only at no charge,
for all students. Approved discretionary medications
are intended for occasional use only and are given under
physician directed nursing protocols for a limited number
of conditions.
This service is designed to alleviate your child’ minor
discomforts and to avoid early dismissals from school. If
you would like to have this service available to your child,
complete the Consent for Administration of Approved
Discretionary Medications and return it to the school
nurse.
If your child requires nonprescription medications on a regular basis,
you must obtain a written order
from your health care provider and supply the medication.
For children with Diabetes, who have special
needs regarding medications, food planning and treatment
for emergencies during the school day, please refer to
the Maryland State Department School Health Services website
for the Maryland
Statewide Diabetes Order form. If your
doctor prefers, he/she may provide medical orders for your
child on another form of their choice. In addition to providing
the school nurse with the doctor’s orders, it
is often best to meet with the school nurse to comprehensively plan for your
child’s time at school.
What
immunizations/shots does my child need for school entry?
Maryland
law requires schools to obtain proof of immunizations in
order for children to attend school.
Please refer to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene for a complete list of immunizations required for
school entry by grade. At this site, you can also obtain
a copy of the Maryland DHMH Immunization Record (896 form)
Link: www.edcp.org/html/schoolrequire.html
Parents are encouraged to call their child’s physician
to make an appointment for school-required vaccines. The
Baltimore County Department of Health offers vaccines to
children without insurance or with other barriers to receiving
school-required vaccines.
Back-to-School Immunization
Information
Does
my child need a physical exam to enter school?
Maryland State
law requires that students entering public schools for
the first time must have a physical exam. The
physical exam must be done by a physician or nurse practitioner,
9 months before entry or 6 months after entering a Maryland
Public school. For more information and to get the
Maryland State Health Inventory (Maryland Schools Record
of Physical Examination)please refer to the
Record
of Physical Exam.
Other
Programs of School Health Services include
 School-Based
Wellness Centers-Some schools have school-based wellness
centers. These centers provide primary
care services to enrolled students. The centers
are staffed by the school nurse and a part-time physician/nurse
practitioner. Students must have parental consent
to be seen in the wellness center. For further
information and a list of our school-based wellness centers
click links below.
- Wellness Centers
- Wellness Center Brochures
- Elementary
- Middle/High
Vision
and Hearing Screening Programs are conducted by the Baltimore
County Department of Health in pre-kindergarten (ages
3 and 4), kindergarten, and grades 3, 5 and 8. Parental
consent is not required for students to participate in
these programs. However, parents/guardians have
the option of refusing these screening programs by
notifying the school nurse in writing.
Automatic
External Defibrillator (AED) program-Each
Baltimore County school and office has one or more defibrillators
for use as part of CPR in cardiac emergencies.
Important
Health Information for our students and families
Skin Infections
For
more information see CDC about Community Acquired MRSA
Flu
Prevention
Handwashing
tips
Starting
school for the first time!
What
if my child is ill on a school day?
Sun
Safety
Backpacks
Spring
Allergies
Additional helpful Health Information is available on
the Baltimore County Department
of Health website, www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/health
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