Health Services

HSE nurses are skilled to take care of all student needs, especially those who have specific health concerns. Below, you will find information on some of the more common health concerns seen in schools. If your student has a health concern not seen below, please reach out to your building nurse to discuss your student's needs.  Here are a few things to know:

• Forms for health concerns need to be updated each year. In most cases, your student sees their doctor yearly, so please have the physician complete the form at that time.

• We do accept forms in the Spring for the following school year. 
• Forms can be sent in with your student or scanned and emailed to your building nurse.

Severe Allergy

If you student has a severe allergy requiring the use of an Epi Pen, please complete the Severe Allergy Form. Please note one side is for your physician to complete and the second side is for the parent.

• Grades 7-12, students are allowed to carry their Epi Pen while at school, but a physician's permission is needed for this. Your doctor can check the box on the form.
• Grades K-6, students will need to have the Epi Pen at school and kept in the clinic.
  • Your student may transport the Epi Pen to school, but please notify the nurse prior.
• Check the Epi Pen is not expired. An expired Epi Pen will not be accepted, and the nurse will ask you to provide another Epi Pen. 

Food Intolerance

If your student has a food intolerance, we will make every effort to notify food services in your building in a timely manner.  However, if you have any questions or concerns, you may reach out to the Cafe Manager to discuss your student's intolerance.

Asthma

Please have your doctor complete the Asthma Form for your student. Please note the doctor can check the box that allows your student, Grades 7-12, to carry the inhaler at school, otherwise, the inhaler will need to be kept with the nurse in the clinic.
Due to Covid, nebulizer treatments are not given at school at this time. If your student would need a nebulizer treatment, a parent would have to take the student home to administer it. 

Diabetes

If your student has diabetes, please download and complete the Diabetes School Form each school year. Orders from your student's doctor are also required for the school year. Below is a list of supplies your student should have while at school and can be kept in the clinic.  However, if your student has orders to self-manage, they may carry their supplies with them.

Seizures

Ask your doctor to work with you to complete the Seizure Action Plan for your student. This provides important information about your student's seizures and how to respond if your student were to have a seizure during the school day. If your student has emergency medication (Diastat or intranasal diazepam), please contact your building nurse.

Other Health Concerns

If your student has other concerns not listed above, please contact your nurse to discuss them.

The State of Indiana requires every child enrolled in an accredited school shall be immunized as determined by the state department of health (I.C. 20-34-4-2).  It is the responsibility of HSE Schools to maintain current and accurate records of immunizations for each student. The Indiana State Department of Health has created a calendar or schedule for vaccines required for students by age. 

Immunization Requirements

If your student cannot get vaccinated per State requirements, an exemption form must be completed and submitted to the nurse of the school your student attends. If your child has a medical reason to not get vaccinated, we require your doctor to complete the Vaccine Medical Exemption form.  If you don't want your child to get the required vaccinations based on religious grounds, please complete a Religious Exemption From Immunization form. 

HPV Information

HPV Information

If your student requires medications to be kept at school and/or administered during the school day, there are guidelines we ask to be followed:

General Information

• Please complete the Request to Administer Medication form based on your student's age.

• Medications should be in the original bottle or container with the prescribed information on the label. 
• Medications are administered based on the label on the bottle. Please be sure the information is current and correct.
• Non-FDA medications including herbal supplements and vitamins cannot be administered at school unless we have a physician's note for the medication. CBD or essential oils are not allowed.
• All medications must be kept in the clinic. A student cannot carry medications at school unless it is an emergency med, as described below.

Transportation of Medications

• Grades K-6, medications should be delivered to your school by a parent or guardian. The nurse will verify the number of pills with the parent.
• Grades 7-12, it is preferable a parent or guardian to deliver the medication to your school. If a parent chooses to send the medication with the student, the parent will need to contact the nurse via email or phone call PRIOR to the student delivering. The student should bring the medication to the clinic immediately upon arrival to school. If there is any discrepancy in the number of pills, the nurse will contact the parent.
• Medications delivered should be in a sealed envelope with the name of the student, name of the medication, dosage, and pill count.
• End of School Year
  • Grades 9-12: if you've completed the Medication Form, you can check that box that allows the student to transport the medication home at the end of the school year.
  • Grades K-8: your nurse will contact you near the end of the school year to confirm how you want any medications left to be transported home.  Your student can transport home, but written permission is required.

Emergency Medications

• Epi Pens- if your student has an Epi Pen prescribed, students in grades 7-12 may carry it while in school, only with permission from the prescribing doctor. The doctor can make note of this on the Severe Allergy Form. Otherwise, Epi Pens are kept in the clinic for grades K-6 or for those parents who prefer it be kept in the clinic for grades 7-12.
• Inhalers- if your student has an inhaler prescribed, students in grades 7-12 may carry it while in school, only with permission from the prescribing doctor. The doctor can make note of this on the Asthma Form. Otherwise, inhalers are kept in the clinic for grades K-6 or for those parents who prefer it be kept in the clinic for grades 7-12.
• Seizure Medications- can only be kept in the clinic.
• Glucagon- Students with diabetes may carry their glucagon in high school, however, it is recommended a dose be kept in the clinic.
• If your student, Grades 7-12, plans to carry their inhaler or Epi Pen while at school, please have your doctor sign the Medication Self Carry Consent. This form should only be completed if your doctor was unable to check the box for this on the Severe Allergy or Asthma forms. 

What is head lice?

Head Lice are small parasitic insects that feed on human blood several times a day and live close to the human scalp. Head lice and nits are found on the scalp, around and behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the head. Here are other facts to be aware of:

• Head lice cannot fly or jump; they can only crawl
• Head lice are spread by direct head‐to‐head contact
• Head lice are rarely spread by contact with clothing or personal items (such as combs, brushes, hats or coats)
• Head lice are not a sign of uncleanliness
• Head lice are not known to spread disease.

What are signs and symptoms of head lice infestation?

• Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair
• Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites of the head louse
• Irritability and difficulty sleeping; head lice are most active in the dark
• Sores on the head caused by scratching

If your student is brought to the clinic with suspected head lice, the nurse will assess the student to verify the presence of an infestation, notify, the student’s parent/guardian, and assist staff and parents with guidelines and education materials for handling the situation.

My child has lice. What do I do?

A shampoo treatment with an insecticide shampoo will kill most head lice. A second treatment is necessary ten (10) days later with some brands of insecticide shampoo. Manual nit removal and environmental cleanup of the home by the parent is the key to successful head lice treatment. It is important to remember to follow the directions for treatment as research has shown over- or incorrectly treating head lice may contribute to lice resistance.

We encourage parents to communicate that his/her child has head lice to any close contacts that may have been exposed after being in your home (i.e.-sleepover or slumber party).

What does the school do if my child has lice?

While head lice are a nuisance, they do not spread disease and are not a health issue. If you report your child has lice, the nurse will maintain confidentiality of the student’s identity and will not disclose the name of the student, name of the teacher, nor the grade level to families. Students are not excluded from school for having head lice, as the management of this condition should not disrupt the child’s education process. This is supported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).

For more information on head lice and treatment go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website

The Consent to Treat and Health Card are the most important forms. These forms are the basis for providing a healthy and safe environment for your child while at school. 

• The Consent to Treat allows the nurse to provide basic care to your child if/when a need arises. This can include checking temperature, physical/emotional assessment to determine the best way to help, and providing approval to administer stock medication, if appropriate. Without parent/guardian signature, the nurse can provide emergency care and basic first aid only (ice pack/bandage), but a signed form allows more care to be given, including a full assessment (including temperature check) and medications.  The Consent to Treat does NOT allow the nurse to provide invasive treatments or procedures unless ordered by a physician and requested by the parent and a plan is in place.  The Consent to Treat must be signed for your student to receive any stock medications. 
• The Health Card allows the parent/guardian to provide the most current information on their child’s health.  From the information provided, the nurse can determine if there is a significant health concern and start discussions with the parent/guardian and coordinate planned medical interventions during school hours.  The Health Card gives the nurse parent/guardian permission to give stock medications to the child, if appropriate, during the school day. 
• The District also utilizes more specific health forms to provide the school nurse with more in-depth history and doctor’s orders, if appropriate.  These specific forms include: Severe Allergy with Emergency Medication (EpiPen or Benadryl), Asthma, Seizures, and Diabetes. Each of these specific forms provide more information for the nurse to understand how to best care for your child’s individual needs if there were an emergency or to prevent an emergency. These forms are often signed by your child’s doctor to ensure school nurses are providing the appropriate care.  Nurses cannot provide specific emergency medications or treatments unless we have a doctor’s order to do so. 

We ask these forms to be completed each year as it provides the most up to date information on your child.  Over the summer, there could be changes to your child’s health or treatment/care. Summer is the best time to have your child see their doctor to discuss and provide this updated information.  Also, by completing the forms before school starts, it provides the most current contact information for parents/guardians and emergency contacts.  When addresses or phone numbers change, it doesn’t always get updated in Skyward, so the health forms also provide the most current contact information. 

We ask that you complete the Health Card and Consent to Treat; then, depending on your child’s specific health concerns, you may be asked to complete additional forms. 

You may find the Health Card and Consent to Treat by logging into your Skyward account and clicking on ‘Back to School Forms’.  Please complete all forms in this tab and click on the ‘Complete’ button at the end.  By completing all forms and clicking complete, the forms will be submitted.  If you only complete the forms and do not click ‘Complete’, forms will not be submitted.    

Additional health forms can also be found on the HSE website. Click on the ‘Services’ tab on the top right, then ‘Health Services’.  Once on the Health Services page, scroll down and click on ‘Health Concerns’.  There you will find information on specific health concerns, and the applicable forms.  You may also contact your building nurse to get these forms before the end of the school year. 

Your child will still receive basic first aid care, which includes wound cleaning and a bandage, but will not be provided any care or treatment beyond that.  Your child would not be able to receive stock medications or a full assessment of their needs which might allow them to remain in school.  Many students want to stay in school and simply want something to help them finish the day.   

For health-specific concerns, it is very important to not only have the paperwork, but the medications/supplies your child may need in case of an emergency.  For example, our clinics have Epi Pens and inhalers available for emergencies, but without the appropriate medications provided by a parent/guardian, we would not be able to provide any treatment beyond the Epi Pen and inhaler.  Clinic stock emergency medications are limited, so it is essential for your child to have their own medications available at school.