Welcome to the NVD Health Office

School nursing is a specialized nursing practice that promotes and protects student health, wellness, and disease prevention. 

The School Nurse combines health care and education and ultimately advances academic success. School Nurses work closely with students, families, and staff to ensure all students are safe and ready to learn. 

Services include but are not limited to preventive health by providing health maintenance education, health screening, necessary therapeutic intervention, and care of sick and injured students and staff. 

The School Nurse assists students and parents in managing health needs while in school and coordinating care in the home, school, and community.
                                                 

To maintain the health and well-being of your child and other students, students need to be kept home if they are ill or after being diagnosed with a communicable disease. For other medical concerns regarding a student’s absence, please call the health office.  

The School Nurse will review all immunizations before students are given a schedule. If a student requires additional immunizations, new students will be given a 30-day grace period to obtain those immunizations. If those immunizations are not updated, the student will be excluded from school.

Please update the health office of any chronic medical condition of which the Nurse should be aware of or any allergies (food or medicine) affecting your child. It is important for the Nurse to maintain accurate medical records.

All physicals must be within 365 days. Two forms may be completed by your child's medical home(pediatrician or clinic). Please include all immunizations that your child has received.

• Both Universal Health Record and NJ Sports physicals are accepted and valid for one year. The Universal Health Record is NOT accepted for Athletics.

• Students interested in playing a sport must have the Pre-Participation Evaluation Form (NJ Sports Physical Packet) completed by their doctor before being allowed to try out or play. All sections of the form must be completed and signed by the doctor, parent, and student.

• Incomplete, scanned, copied, or emailed physicals will not be accepted, as we only accept original documents. To avoid delays in start dates, please ensure physical forms are turned in by the deadlines for each sport.

• For any athlete with an allergy, asthma, seizure disorder, or diabetes, please ensure the Emergency. Treatment Plan Forms are completed and turned in.

Your child’s safety is our top priority.

Students are NOT allowed to carry any medication on them (not in pockets, backpacks, or lockers) except for

• Emergency EpiPens, Inhalers, and Diabetic Medications with a doctor’s note.

ONLY the School Nurse may administer medications in school with a physician’s order and parental permission.

This includes over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and Advil/Motrin (Ibuprofen). Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen are available in the nurse’s office, but again, they may only be given with the authorization on a medication order form by your child's doctor and parent's consent.

• Medication orders are only valid for the current school year and a new order will be needed each year.

• Medications must be received by the school nurse and delivered in the original packaging and/ or prescription.

• Prescription medication: we must comply with state laws and will need to contain, as a minimum, the student’s name, prescriber, medication name/dose/directions, and date of the prescription.

• Over-the-counter medication: must be received in the original container and sealed with a label having the student's name affixed.

If your child has an allergy, asthma, seizure disorder, or diabetes, an emergency treatment plan from their doctor is required to play sports or attend school trips. All plans must be completed by your child’s doctor, signed by a parent, and returned to the health office with associated emergency medications.

• Plans are ONLY valid for the school year and new forms are required to be submitted every year.

  
  Students are encouraged to carry their emergency medications, especially for field trips and after-school sports/activities. Your child’s physician must check off “self-administer” on the corresponding forms. In addition, you may keep spare medications: EpiPens, inhalers, emergency seizure medications, and diabetic medications/supplies to be stored in the nurse’s office.
  Please notify the Health Office to report any new changes or medical conditions so that we can keep your child's medical records up-to-date.

Screening programs are designed to provide health appraisals for the identification and management of actual or potential health problems. All students participating in Wellness Day at the beginning of every school year are screened. Additionally, screenings are also conducted during P.E. class periods. The screenings include but are not limited to height, weight, blood pressure, vision, hearing, and scoliosis screening services. Referrals are sent home to students who do not pass a screening.

• Parents may request that their child NOT have in-school state-mandated screenings. If you choose NOT to have your child screened, we ask that you send a written letter or email to the School Nurse. 

•  Parent Excuse: Parents can excuse students from PE class up to 3 times per marking period. For anything longer, a doctor’s note is required. To excuse your child from PE class, please send your child to school with a note to email the health office directly.

• Doctor’s Excuse: Please send all doctor’s notes to the health office. Make sure notes are detailed with start/end dates or if any accommodations or if your child requires the use of a medical device such as crutches, brace, boot, etc., please make sure that is explained in the doctor’s note.

The school nurse is not permitted to excuse a student from physical education due to an illness or injury without a physician’s note or parent’s consent

Before enrolling your tot in school:

• A valid physical and up-to-date immunization records are to be sent to the health office along with any emergency medical plans if applicable (i.e. Asthma, Allergy, Seizure, Diabetes).

• All Pre-K students are required to have an annual Flu vaccine by December 31st. Without documentation of your child’s flu vaccine, they will not be permitted back to school after the holiday break.

You may call the health office to discuss any medical concerns.