Policy Details Page

Regulation 3423R

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For students with a medically diagnosed life-threatening allergy, the district will take appropriate steps for the student’s safety. Such steps include, but are not limited to, discouraging sharing food, utensils, and food containers, avoiding the use of latex products, and implementing a nursing care plan for students with a life-threatening allergy.

Parent/Guardian Responsibility

Prior to enrolling a student, the parent/guardian will inform the school, in writing, of the medically diagnosed allergy(ies) and risk of anaphylaxis. Upon receiving the information, an ESA Certificated School Nurse will contact the parent/guardian to develop a nursing care plan.

Nursing Care Plan

A nursing care plan will be developed for each student with a medically diagnosed life-threatening allergy. The written plan will identify the student’s allergies, symptoms of exposure, practical strategies to minimize the risks, and how to respond in an emergency.

The ESA Certificated School Nurse will meet with the parent/guardian prior to the first day of attendance to discuss and develop the nursing care plan. The plan will be developed by the parent and school nurse. If the treatment plan includes self-administration of medications, the parents, students, and staff will comply with the district’s policy and regulation on Medication at School (Policy and Regulation 3416).

Annually, and prior to the first day of attendance, the student health file will contain: 1) a completed nursing care plan; 2) a written description of the medication/treatment order, signed by a licensed health care provider; and 3) an adequate and current supply of epinephrine auto-injectors (or other medications). The parents/guardians are responsible for notifying the school if the student’s condition changes and for providing the medication/treatment order, and medications.

Students who have a medically diagnosed life-threatening allergy and no medication/treatment order presented to the school, shall be excluded from school to the extent that the district can do so consistent with federal requirements for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and pursuant to the following due
process requirements:

• Written notice to the parents, guardians or persons in loco parentis is delivered in person or by certified mail.
• Notice of the applicable laws, including a copy of the laws and rules.
• The order that the student shall be excluded from school immediately and until medications and/or a medication/treatment order is presented.

Communications Plan and Responsibility of School Staff

After the nursing care plan is developed, the ESA Certificated School Nurse will inform appropriate staff regarding the affected student. The school nurse (R.N.) will train appropriate staff regarding the affected student and the nursing care plan. The plan will be distributed to appropriate staff and placed in appropriate locations in the district. With the permission of the parent/guardian and the student (if appropriate), other students and parents may be given information about the student’s condition.

In-Service Training

Annually, each school principal will arrange for an in-service training, presented by the ESA Certificated School Nurse, on how to minimize exposure and how to respond to an anaphylaxis emergency. The training will include a review of avoidance strategies, recognition of symptoms, the emergency protocols to deal with an anaphylaxis episode, and the use of an epinephrine auto-injector. Student-specific training and additional information will be provided by the School Nurse (R.N.) to appropriate staff who will have known contact with the identified student, including on their responsibilities regarding preparations for field trips and other activities away from school.

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Adoption Date: December 1, 2009