Nurse's Corner

Prince George's Public Schools Medication Policy:

To ensure safe handling of medications, parents are responsible for:

• -delivering all medication to the school
• -ensuring students comply with the PGCPS Code of Student Conduct by not carrying medication on their person without prior approval
• -Maintaining communication with the school nurse regarding student medication needs or changes
• -Retrieving any unused medication at discontinuance and/or at the end of the school year

Illnesses

Prince George’s County Public Schools has a policy for parents concerning children with illnesses and when to keep them at home.  Remember, sick children need to be kept home from school. Resting at home will help them get over the illness sooner and will prevent them from exposing other children and staff.   Your child should be kept home and you should contact your Primary Care Provider when your child has any of the following: 

• A temperature greater than 100.4 taken with an oral thermometer  
• Nausea or vomiting  
• Diarrhea  
• Stomach pain that is constant.  If vomiting starts after the pain begins (call your health care provider that day) 
• A headache that is interfering with activities 
• A sore throat that causes difficulty swallowing 
• Yellow discharge on eye lashes in the morning that comes back after being wiped off of lashes and eyes that are red (call your health care provider for a appointment the day this is observed) 
• A skin rash that causes itching and/or is on most of the body 
• A constant cough and/or difficulty breathing 
• Is complaining of feeling ill, has a lack of energy and/or a decrease in activity 

Your child may return to school when your health care provider says he/she can, when symptoms are gone for 24 hours or if your child has taken a prescribed antibiotic for a full 24 hours.  

Immunizations

Federal and state guidelines mandate age appropriate immunizations.  Students without appropriate documentation will have twenty calendar days from the time the lack of documentation is noted to comply with the guidelines for needed age appropriate immunization.  It is important for parents to have a copy of their child’s immunizations for their own records.  There will be many times you will need your own copy, for example, after care enrollment, summer camp enrollment, and sport activities.  The county Health Department has immunization clinics through out the year.  

Learn more about Immunizations requirements and clinics

Medications

Medications at school are needed at times and should be sent only when absolutely necessary.  In order for the nurse to comply with the law and stay within her scope of practice, as mandated by the Maryland Nurses Practice Act, all medications and treatments must have the appropriate medication/treatment form signed by parents and a Health Care Provider.  These forms can be printed off from Prince George’s Public School website under Health Services.  Your school nurse also has blank medication/treatment forms in her office.