Nurses

Common Childhood Illnesses

Dental Safari

Dental Safari Company, a mobile dental corporation, travels to schools to provide dental wellness checkups and urgent care treatment for children of all ages (pre-K through 12th grade). This is a convenient way to fulfill the Illinois dental examination requirement for current kindergarten, second, sixth, and ninth grade students.

Any child, at any grade, who registers online at www.dentalsafariforms.com or returns a signed consent form, will receive a visual exam (no x-rays) by a licensed dentist. In addition, they will receive a professional dental prophylaxis (teeth cleaning), fluoride treatment, and sealants as needed.

• Children with a Medicaid/All Kids Identification number receive these services at no cost.
• Children who are on the District’s free or reduced lunch program receive these services at no cost.
• Children with private insurance – Most private insurance companies cover 100% of these services. If you have questions about your coverage, you are encouraged to call Dental Safari at (618) 993-8333.
• Families experiencing financial hardship – Parents/guardians of children not covered by private insurance or Medicaid/All Kids insurance may request a reduction of fees and pay only $75.00 by checking the reduced fee box and completing the Cash Payment Declaration/Reduced Fee Waiver section on the enclosed consent form. Payment is due at the time of services. Cash or checks are accepted.
• Children not covered by private insurance or Medicaid/All Kids insurance are eligible to receive the services for $128.00. Payment is due at the time of services. Cash or checks are accepted.

Following your child’s exam, a letter will be sent home indicating the treatment your child received during the visit as well as follow-up treatment he/she may need. In addition, Dental Safari will make arrangements to return to the school and provide follow-up treatment for dental problems, if necessary. Parents are not required to accompany their child at the time of the initial exam but must accompany the child for any follow-up treatments.

• Dental Consent Form
• Formulario de Consentimiento Dental

Health Requirements

Dental Exam

Dental exams are required for kindergarten, 2nd grade, 6th grade, and 9th grade students. The exams are due no later than May 15 of the current school year.  The dental exam must be completed no earlier than 18 months prior to the May 15 deadline of the current school year.

Click here for an Illinois Dental Form.

Immunizations

The State of Illinois sets forth requirements for its students attending Illinois Schools regarding physicals and immunizations.  These requirements are detailed in the Illinois School Code.  If you have any questions, please call the nurse at your child’s school.

Physical Exam

Students entering kindergarten (or 1st grade if the child did not attend kindergarten), 6th, and 9th grades are required by state law to have a physical no later than October 1 of the current school year. The physical must be completed within one year prior to entering kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grades. The health examination must be completed on the State of Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination form.

For transfer students from out of the state or out of the country, a health form that is comparable to the Illinois requirements may be accepted only at the time of first entry into an Illinois school. This health form must have the same components listed on the Certificate of Child Health Examination form, and the exam must have been completed within the last 12 months. (A statement by a physician or other health care provider indicating that an examination was conducted is not acceptable). The health examination must be on file with the nurse within 30 school days after the child begins attending school.

The health examination must be performed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, an advanced practice nurse who has a written collaboration with a physician, or a physician assistant who has been delegated the performance of health examinations by their supervising physician.

All physicals must be completed on the current Illinois physical exam form, must be signed by the physician and dated, and must have the parent portion on the back of the form completed and signed to be considered complete. Students who have not supplied the required physical and immunization documentation by the above deadlines will be excluded from school and will not be allowed to return until the necessary information is provided.

Click here for an Illinois School Physical Form.

Health Examination Requirements by Grade Level

Sports Physical

Sports physicals are due before a student can participate in interscholastic and intramural sports, including practices.  A sports physical must be obtained annually and is valid for 395 days for middle school athletes (IESA) and high school athletes (IHSA).

There is a sports physical form that can be completed specifically for sports; however, kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grade physicals must be completed on the State of Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination form. School physicals, provided as required by 6^th and 9^th grade, can also satisfy the requirement for a sports physical for that specific year.

Sports physicals for Liberty and Lincoln Middle Schools are kept on file in the clinic.

Sports physicals for Edwardsville High School are kept on file in the Athletic Department office.

Click here for an Illinois Sports Physical Form.

Vision Exam

Vision exams are required for all students who are entering school for the first time (kindergarten or first grade).  A vision exam is also required for students who are transferring from an out-of-state school or a home-school setting, regardless of grade level.  The exam must be performed by a licensed optometrist or a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches that provides eye examinations.  The exam must be documented on the Illinois form, conducted within the last year, and is due by October 15th of the current school year.

Click here for an Illinois Vision Exam Form.

Medication Policy & Procedures

Sometimes it is necessary for a student to take medication at school.  The Edwardsville School District has policies and procedures in place to allow for this to happen.  If your child needs to take medication at school, please contact the school nurse.  There are medication order forms that must be filled out completely.  Parents are responsible for obtaining the physician’s order and returning it and the medication to school.  These physician orders are required for all medicine administered at school, including over-the-counter medicines such as Tylenol and cough drops.  The only exception is a physician’s signature is not required for students carrying and administering their own asthma inhalers.

• The medicine must be brought to school in the original bottle/container with a pharmacy label (for prescription medications).  Students may not transport their own medication.
  
• Medication scheduled to be administered at lunch time will not be administered on 1/2-day student attendance.
• Parents are responsible for administering morning medications. Once-daily meds are not routinely given at school.
• Medications must be picked up by the parent at the end of the school year, or the medication will be disposed of according to school policy.
• New medication forms must be filled out each year.
• Students are not allowed to carry any medication on them at any time.  The only exceptions to this are inhalers, epi-pens, and diabetes supplies/medications.  There are special forms for students to carry these medications.

• For all students with a diagnosis of asthma, a new Asthma Action Plan should be completed by the physician and turned in to the school nurse yearly.
• Schools are required to follow Illinois licensing laws as well as Illinois School Code when administering medicine for the safety of your child and others.

Click here to view the District #7 medication policy in its entirety located in the District #7 Handbook.

Medication Forms

For Medications Administered by School Personnel

A Request for Medication to Be Administered at School – All Meds form must be completed for all medications administered at school, including over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or cough drops.

1. The physician must complete and sign the form.
2. Parent must complete and sign the parent/guardian section of the form.  

Note: The only exception is that a physician’s signature is not required for students who are carrying and administering their own inhalers (see below).

For Insulin, Epi-Pen’s, & Inhalers Administered by the Student

Both the Request for Medication to Be Administered at School – All Meds and the Request for Medication to Be Administered at School – Self – Administration forms are required for students who are carrying and self-administering insulin, epi-pens, or inhalers.

For Insulin and Epi-pens:

1. Parent must complete and sign the Request for Medication to Be Administered at School – All Meds form.
2. The physician must check that the student has been instructed on the self-administration of the medication, is capable of using the medication independently, and sign that section of the Request for Medication to Be Administered at School – Self – Administration form.
3. Parent & student must complete and sign the “agreement to comply”  section of the Request for Medication to Be Administered at School – Self -Administration form.

For Inhalers:

1. Parent must complete and sign the Request for Medication to Be Administered at School – All Meds form.
2. The parent must check that he/she gives permission for his/her child to carry and self administer the prescribed inhaler, has been instructed by the child’s physician, and is capable of using the inhaler independently on the Request for Medication to Be Administered at School – Self – Administration form.
3. The parent must also provide a pharmacy label for the medication containing the name of medication, the prescribed dosage, and directions for use.
4. Parent & student must complete and sign the “agreement to comply”  section of the Request for Medication to Administered at School – Self – Administration form.
5. For all students with a diagnosis of asthma, an Asthma Action Plan should be completed by the physician and turned in to the school nurse yearly.

PE/Recess Exemptions

Physical education and recess are an important part of your child’s school day. If your child is unable to participate in P.E. or recess, please contact your child’s school nurse to review your school’s policy. A note from your child’s doctor may be required for excusal from P.E. and/or recess.

What is a School Nurse?

District 7 Certified School Nurses have a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. They have also completed a certification program specializing in School Nursing and hold a Type 73 Certificate in the State of Illinois. Our nurses are certified as vision and hearing screening technicians, Safe Crisis Management Interventionists, and Red Cross CPR instructors. Certified School Nurses must complete 20 hours of continuing education to maintain state nursing licenses and the school nurse certification.

Last school year, District 7 nurses evaluated and treated over 40,000 students and administered over 22,000 doses of medication.

School nurses develop and administer a coordinated school health program and promote and advance the quality of health education and services in the school community. District 7 School Nurses provide a wide variety of services, including:

• Perform assessment and treatment for student injury, illness, and medication administration
• Perform skilled nursing services for students with specialized medical needs (i.e., diabetes care, tracheostomy care, gastrostomy tube care, catheterization)
• Provide emergency services for students, employees, and visitors
• Complete hearing and vision screenings at specified grade levels
• Develop emergency care plans for students with extensive medical needs (i.e., diabetes, severe life threatening allergies, seizure disorders, etc)
• Compile information and complete data reports for the State of Illinois.
• Track outbreaks of communicable diseases and report incidences to the Madison County Health Department
• Maintain health records, including physicals, immunizations, and dental and vision exams for all District 7 students
• Act as student/family liaison to provide access to outside community agencies
• Contribute as the health team professional in collaborative, IEP, and 504 meetings
• Participate on student committees
• Serve as mentors to local university nursing students and EHS medical occupation students
• Support the District 7 health curriculum by providing health-related classroom instruction and educational events, such as:
  • • Handwashing
    • Hygiene
    • Dental health
    • Growth and development
    • Backpack safety
    • Nutrition
    • Health fairs
    • Safety and privacy
    • Empathy and acceptance
    • Physical activity
    • Drug Prevention Education
• Coordinate student and community outreach activities and fundraising, such as:
  • • Jump Rope for Heart
    • Clothing, food, toy and book drives
    • Hats for Kids with Cancer
    • Relay for Life
    • Hoops for Heart
    • Dental Safari program
    • Kids Against Hunger
    • Community blood drives

• Provide staff trainings and in-services on a variety of health topics and coordinate employee health, such as:

• Bloodborne pathogen training
• CPR certification
• Critical health issues and corresponding plan of action in emergencies
• Coordinate employee wellness activities
• Review and monitor employee vaccination records
• Monitor staff illness and chronic health conditions
• Emergency preparedness

Useful Links & Resources

These are some great sites for children and adults on various topics related to “kids” health. Children should always navigate the internet with a parent or responsible adult, as these sites can change daily. District 7 is not responsible for the content on third-party websites.

Links for Children: The Asthma Wizard from the National Jewish Medical Center A kid-favorite. Fun, fully interactive with games, puzzles, & activities to teach you everything you need to know about asthma. A must see. Kids Health & Fitness Interactive, kid-friendly site for kids to learn about health issues. Kids Health Problems Written for children to navigate but good information for parents too. Discusses common childhood diseases and problems. Smoking Dangers Includes many links that explain the negative results of smoking and how tobacco endangers your health.

Links for Parents: American Lung Association Anything you want to know about asthma. Healthy Children Dedicated to the health of all children. Great resource for a myriad of topics related to children and family health. Center for Disease  Control & Prevention A-Z index for any disease and health topic. Your online source of credible health information Mayo Clinic Comprehensive site detailing information A-Z on disease and health. National Institutes of Health A general webpage with links to lots of useful medical information for adults.

Links for Financial Help: All Kids Health Coverage This website will give you more information about the state of Illinois health coverage program for children.  All Kids is an Illinois program for children who need comprehensive, affordable health insurance, regardless of family income, immigration status or health condition. Ameren Energy Assistance Several programs that provide bill-paying assistance and address the special needs of eligible low-income customers, senior citizens, disabled and customers with unique hardships. Glen Ed Pantry Provide food, clothing, rent and utility assistance, school supplies, and referrals for vision and dental care. Must meet income need. Madison County Community Development Short term financial assistance is available to help families through crisis situations. These services include help with rent, medicine, food and transportation. Includes links to many other agencies. Riverbend Head Start Community Resource Directory This is a directory of healthcare and human services in the area, many of whom accept All Kids health insurance.  There are also many community resources listed in this guide. Edwardsville Township Community Resource Directory This directory includes services that are available to be utilized by residents within District 7.

Disclaimer:
This web site and its agents make no promises, guarantees, representations, or warranties, expressed or implied. The web site creators and its agents assume no duty or liability with regard to the information contained herein or associated in any way therewith. No legal or other professional services are being rendered through this web site. It is not the intention of the web site creator or its agents to provide legal or other professional services or advice of any kind. The inclusion of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or approval of those sites or their contents. This web site bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external sites or for that of subsequent links. Those who visit or use this web site, links, or any other information assume all risks associated therewith.