SCHOOL NURSE MESSAGE:

General Information about the Nurse's Office

The information contained here is general information pertaining to the daily operation of the nurse's office. Should you need additional, more specific information, please visit www.houstonisd.org and locate "Health and Medical Services" under Department Search.

Nurse Information

I am Joanna Phillips, The School Nurse at Helms Elementary. I feel privileged to be part of your child's education and wellness. Ensuring that every child is protected from injury and disease promotes an overall well being in our school family. Please call me with any questions and concerns you may have.

Office Hours & Location

The nurse's office is open from 7:45 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. during regularly scheduled school days. The office is located inside the main office and is also accessible from the main hallway.

Illness at Home

Students are advised to stay home if suffering from active illness in order to protect other students and staff from possible virus/disease transmission. Students should remain at home until their illness has resolved. If a student is absent for three consecutive days, it is mandatory that he/she presents a physician's note indicating that the child has been seen and is safe to return to school. This will allow the absences to be marked as excused and reassure the school community that every effort to minimize the transmission of treatable contagious diseases is being made. Parents must document all absences by writing a note and sending it with their child. Parents are requested to report all confirmed or suspected contagious diseases to the school nurse.

Illness / Injury at School

When a student becomes ill or injured during class, a pass to the Nurse's Office must be obtained from the current teacher if the student is not escorted The nurse will call the parent and discuss the best response to the situation.

Students should report any injuries sustained during a school-related event as soon as possible to the Nurse's Office. It should be noted that the student's family health insurance plan is the primary coverage for school-related illness and injury. Please note we have 2 AED (Automated Emergency Devices) in our building. One is in the Main Office and the second is in the Kindergarten Wing.

Vision and Hearing Tests

Vision and hearing tests are tipically conducted throughout the school year, according to district policy. Additional testing may be requested at any time by the student's parent or teacher. Parents will be notified if test results indicate that additional follow-up care is necessary by a primary care physician.

Doctor Appointments

It is recommended that doctor appointments be scheduled outside of school hours, parents should notify the Attendance Office in advance with exact appointment times, anticipated period of absence, and time of return to school. Parents are required to sign their child out of school and sign their child back in upon return.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Students having medical conditions that require monitoring (e.g. diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, seizure disorder, etc.) must have that information clearly defined on their Health Inventory Sheet, along with instructions and contact numbers in case of an emergency. Information regarding health concerns can also be shared confidentially with Mr. Gonzalez, our Principal.

Medications

All medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) medication, prescribed drugs, and/or inhalers must be kept in the Nurse's Office at all times. In addition, only a parent can deliver medication to and from school. Students are not allowed to carry or store medications of any kind.

Students requiring any daily or long-term medication that needs to be taken during school hours must have the appropriate medication authorization, which requests and grants permission for medication to be administered by the nurse. Medications must be sent to the school in the original container with dosage instructions and will be stored in a locked cabinet in the health office. All medications must be kept with the nurse, through special exceptions are made on an individual basis. For instance, students diagnosed with asthma and requiring inhaler treatment may be allowed to carry their inhaler. Special permission for this is granted when the parent and physician complete the appropriate supplemental form, which will be maintained on file in the Nurse's Office. Permission forms for this purpose may be requested from the Nurse's Office.

Let's Have A Healthy and Safe School Year,
Joanna Phillips