Policy Details Page

Regulation 3418R

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Staff are encouraged to become trained and/or maintain skills in recognized first aid procedures, especially through Red Cross certified providers. Staff have the affirmative duty to aid an injured student and act in a reasonable and prudent manner in obtaining immediate care. The staff member who exercises his/her judgment and skills in aiding an injured person during the school day or during a school event is protected by the district's liability insurance except when the individual is operating outside the scope of his/her employment or designated duties.

Any child who appears to be very ill or who has received a serious injury should be either sent home or to a physician or hospital as quickly as possible. The principal shall be responsible for making the appropriate decision. In the event the principal or nurse is not available, the staff member designated by the principal to take charge in emergency situations shall be responsible for the decision. For a life-threatening emergency (severe bleeding, shock, breathing difficulty, heart attack, head or neck injuries), call for an aid car. The principal, nurse, responsible designated person, or involved staff member should contact the parent as quickly as possible to determine whether the child should:

• be sent to a hospital, or
• be sent to a doctor, or
• be sent home, or
• remain at school.

If the parent cannot be contacted, call the emergency number listed on the child's enrollment card to determine the next course of action.

If a seriously ill or injured child is sent home or to the hospital by private automobile, someone trained in first aid should accompany the child. This is in addition to the driver of the vehicle. Do not let a child walk home if he/she has a high fever (102+), has a head injury, or is likely to go into shock from injury. Even if the parent says to send the child, do not send the child home unaccompanied if the way home is not likely to be a safe route.

If illness or injury is not life-threatening, the parent should arrange transportation. If ambulance service is required, ask the parent to call the ambulance or secure permission from the parent to call one. The child should be sent to the hospital of the parent's choice. Be sure to notify the hospital that the child is on the way.

If the injury is deemed to be minor, the trained staff member should:

• Administer first aid to the child as necessary (following flip chart in nurse's office or standard Red Cross procedure).
• Notify the nurse, principal or responsible designated person. The nurse may be consulted by phone if not in the building.
• Remain with the child until released by the principal, nurse, responsible person, or the parent.
• The nurse, principal or other responsible person so designated should make the decision whether an ill or injured child who has received first aid should return to class. If there is significant doubt the parent should be consulted.

If a serious injury occurs during a physical education class or during an athletic team practice or game, emergency procedures shall be conducted in the following manner:

• Stop play immediately at first indication of possible injury or illness.
• Look for obvious deformity or other deviation from the athlete's normal structure or motion.
• Listen to the athlete's description of his complaint and how the injury occurred.
• Act, but move the athlete only after serious injury is ruled out.

The teacher or coach should avoid being hurried into moving an athlete who has been hurt. The teacher or coach should attempt to restore life-sustaining functions, (e.g., stop/repair uncontrolled bleeding, suffocation, cardiac arrest) before moving the student to an emergency facility. An athlete with a suspected head, neck or spinal injury should not be moved. If no physician is available, call 911 and proceed with caution according to first aid procedures. If the teacher or coach must accompany the student to a doctor, the activity or event should cease.

An accident report must be completed by the principal, teacher, or activity director, as soon as possible, from information provided by the person at the scene of the accident. The written report should include a description of the circumstances of the illness or injury and procedures followed in handling it at school. A copy should be sent to the Risk Management office and included in the student’s folder.

School staff shall not accept and shall not agree to comply with a physician’s directive that would withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment from students.

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Approved: 11/28/00