I need a response to this discussion: The Health Services Department in Hillsborough County, Florida consists of advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNP), registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), health assistants, and a medical doctor (MD). All these providers play an important role in the schools in which they provide care and education. There are 307 schools and over 220,000 children enrolled in Hillsborough County Schools. Usually, the RN has several schools they oversee, and each individual school has an LPN or health assistant that reports to the RN. The Health Services Department role is to adhere to mandates concerning health promotion, maintenance, and screenings, according to the Hillsborough County School District website. The MD and ARNP evaluate and assess school-wide and district-wide health problems. Coordination efforts are made with the Hillsborough County Health Department and the CDC for recommendations and monitoring of outbreaks. There are several policies regarding medication administration. Any life-saving medication, such as epinephrine or an inhaler, can be kept on the student and used in an emergency as long as there is written consent from the parent or legal guardian and the MD that prescribed the medication. The need will be assessed annually. One thing I did not find in my research was if a younger student (pre-kindergarten or kindergarten) has one of these medications and cannot administer, would the school nurse or anyone be trained to give the medication to the patient? The schools provide health screenings (vision, hearing, BMI, dental) for the students in the department. They are mandated; however, a parent can opt their child from receiving these screenings if they choose. The department is also responsible for promoting prevention and education regarding their health and wellness. For younger children, this could be as simple as how and when to wash your hands and for the older students, learning about reproductive health and sex education. The health team in school districts are important because students health needs can be complex, and teachers do not have the proper training to assist with those students needs. School nurses are trained to care for this specific population and the ailments or illnesses they may encounter throughout the day. References Hillsborough County Public Schools. (.) Health services.
