Nurse's Office

Resources

Back to School Tips

For All Parents/Caregivers:

Make sure required and recommended immunizations are up-to-date.
Be sure the EMERGENCY CONTACTS you have provided for your children are available in case your student needs to go home.
Review hygiene tips to prevent the spread of infections.
Establish a bedtime and wake-up time to ensure adequate and consistent sleep.
Develop a routine for homework and after-school activities.
Ensure your child eats breakfast each day at home or at school.
Help make appropriate clothing choices, e.g., wear comfortable and safe shoes.
Keep an open line of communication with your child to ensure that he/she remains safe at school. If a concern arises, e.g., bullying, contact the appropriate school officials immediately.
Get involved! Sign up for the parent organization (PTO), and mark events such as back-to-school night and parent/teacher meetings on your calendar.
Know the specialized instructional support personnel available to your child including the school nurse and school counselor.
Know your school’s policy regarding when to keep a sick child home (see General Information link).

If Your Student Has a Health Concern:

Make your child’s health concern known to the school and school nurse.
Bring current, signed healthcare provider orders for treatments and all medications to be given at school.
Bring the medication in the original pharmacy container.
Together with the school nurse and other appropriate school officials, develop an individualized healthcare plan or other educational plan as needed, e.g., 504 and IEP.
Give permission for the school nurse to communicate with your family’s healthcare provider.
Provide parent/caregiver contact information and update the school with any changes.
Ask if non-nurses will be providing care and how these authorized individuals will be supervised, e.g., verify who will administer medication.
Confirm the school’s disaster and/or emergency plan. Make sure your child’s medication and/or medical devices, e.g., epinephrine auto-injectors, asthma inhalers, and insulin, will be readily available in an emergency.
Let the school know how important it is to have a full-time registered school nurse in the building all day, every day.
Introduce yourself and your child to the school nurse.

Community Resources/ Physical Information

Take your child for a physical every year

It is recommended that every student receive a physical exam by his/her private doctor annually.

Physical forms can be found through this link: Annual Physical Form

The Community Visiting Nurse Association of Somerville is offering a free health clinic for all non-insured children residing in North Plainfield from 0-18 years old. The clinic is open the last Wednesday of each month at the Vermeule Mansion. To make an appointment, dial 908-725-9355 and speak with Joanne.

The Somerset County Department of Health is the health department for the Borough of North Plainfield. For more information on the health department and services provided, such as childhood immunization clinics and flu vaccination clinic schedules, please contact the Somerset County Department of Health at (908) 231-7155, between the hours of 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday or visit their website at www.co.somerset.nj.us/health

Communicable Conditions

When a case of STREP THROAT, CONJUNCTIVITIS, MRSA or active HEAD LICE is identified in the school a HONEYWELL BLAST will be sent to all parents/guardians in that school.

This does not mean there has been an outbreak, or that there are multiple cases of the communicable condition.

This policy has been implemented to provide parents/guardians with information on symptoms and treatments to keep our students safe and health.

The BLAST will simply state that "A case of _____has been confirmed. Please visit the school nurse website for information on symptoms and treatment." Information on all these conditions may be found on this website.

Please take a moment to review the links contained on this website to familiarize yourself with the common communicable conditions found in schools.

As always, good HANDWASHING is the BEST WAY to stay healthy.

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

Head Lice

As you may know, an estimated 6 to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States, most commonly among children ages 3 to 11.1 Here is some information to help you learn how to identify lice and provide information on what you can do if lice hit your home.

What are head lice? Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that live close to the human scalp. They feed on blood. The eggs, also called nits, are tiny, tear-drop shaped eggs that attach to the hair shaft. Nits often appear yellowish or white and can look like dandruff but cannot be removed or brushed off. The nymph, or baby louse, is smaller and grow to adult size in one to two weeks. The adult louse is the size of a sesame seed appears tan to grayish-white. An itchy and inflamed scalp is a common symptom of lice. Although not common, persistent scratching may lead to skin irritation and even infection.

Who is affected by head lice? Head lice are not related to cleanliness.2,3 In fact, head lice often infest people with good hygiene and grooming habits.3 Infestations can occur at home, school or in the community. Head lice are mostly spread by direct head-to-head contact—for example, during play at home or school, slumber parties, sports activities or camp. Less often, lice are spread via objects that have been in recent contact with a person with head lice, such as hats, scarves, hair ribbons, combs, brushes, stuffed animals or bedding.

What to do if an infestation occurs? If you think your child has head lice, it’s important to talk to a healthcare provider to discuss the best treatment approach for your family. Resistance to some over-the-counter head lice treatments has been reported, but the prevalence of resistance is not known. There are new prescription treatment options available that are safe and do not require nit combing.

As your school nurse, I want to provide you with the information you need to safeguard your children’s health and pave the way for a healthy school year. I hope you find this information useful.

As always, feel free to call with any questions or concerns!

MRSA

The following information is from the New Jersey Department of Health regarding MRSA.

What can everyone do to help prevent the spread of staph infections?

Cover skin infections and all open wounds with clean bandages. Make sure your child wears clothing that covers the area.
If your child does have a skin infection or open wound, please notify the school nurse.
Encourage your children to wash their hands often with soap and water throughout the day.
Discourage children from sharing personal items.
Launder athletic uniforms and other athletic clothing in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer.
Sanitize athletic equipment after use.

What are we doing at school to help prevent the spread of staph infections?

If any staff member observes a child with an open wound, he or she will be referred to the nurse.
Encourage hand hygiene with soap and water before eating or after using the bathroom.
Clean and disinfect environmental surfaces.

Strep Throat

Strep Throat is a communicable illness, please be on the lookout for symptoms in your student. Diligent handwashing is always the best defense.

Here is some information on what to look for and what to do if you suspect a strep infection in your student:

About Sore Throats and Strep Throat: Most sore throats are caused by viruses as seen in colds or seasonal allergens. However, for children between the ages of two and eighteen, there is also a tendency to develop “strep. throat.” This is caused by the streptococcus bacteria, which can lead to complications such as scarlet fever, rheumatic fever and kidney disease.

Symptoms usually begin 2-4 days after contact, and the degree of illness varies from child to child. Although you can’t always tell by looking, there is a somewhat characteristic appearance to strep throat.

You can suspect strep most strongly if:

the tonsils are beefy red
the uvula (the fleshy part at the back of the throat that hangs down like a raindrop) is red and swollen
there are big lymph nodes in the neck and under the chin

Interestingly, symptoms that tend not to be associated with strep throat are: stuffy nose, cough, and laryngitis. (These suggest another cause such as a cold or allergy). The only certain way to diagnose strep throat is with a throat culture. Your student needs to be seen by a healthcare professional.

When to Stay Home

Students should stay home from school (and may be sent home from school) for the following reasons:

Temperature of 99.6 or above
Persistent cough
Excessive eye discharge
Vomiting
Rash
Diarrhea
Swollen Glands
Sore throat
Severe pain

Children with active impetigo, ringworm, or scabies will be excluded from school, except when the infection is limited to an area that can be covered and when the child is under treatment with a doctor's note.

Students with a fever must be kept home one day (24 hours) after the temperature returns to normal.

Students with vomiting/diarrhea must remain at home until they have not had an episode of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours.

Items of Note

If a student feels ill, he/she must secure a pass from the classroom teacher to report to the health office. Should a student become ill between classes, he/she is required to report to the next regularly scheduled class and obtain a pass from the teacher. Parents will be contacted each time your child is treated by the nurse. If the student is being sent home, the parent must bring an ID to sign a student out of school.
The elevator/chair lift may be used by students with an injury or disability. A note from a physician indicating the need must be presented to the school nurse. Students must also have a note from their physician to use crutches in school.
No medication, prescription or non-prescription, is given in the school unless the student's physician completes the school’s medication policy form which allows the school nurse to dispense medicine. Cough drops are not dispensed.
It is recommended that every student receive a physical exam by his/her private doctor annually. A physical exam is required when a student enters the school district.
All Athletes are required to have a comprehensive physical examination. The director of athletics provides the forms for these physicals; these forms are also available on this website. The physician must complete the required NJSIAA physical form or the student is not eligible to participate in the sport. The physical must be within 364 days of the first day of practice.

HPV Vaccine

Hipatia Hernandez Caza, BSN, RN, CPN
hipatia_hernandezcaza@nplainfield.org
(908) 769-6065 ext. 3117

A certified school nurse is on-site during the school day.

If the Middle School Nurse is out of the office/building, students with emergencies or a need for medication may report to the high school nurse.

In This Section