Welcome to GASD's Health Services Department
School nurses support learning by:
- Assessing & treating illness and injury
- Providing health screenings (mandated by the PA Department of Health) and as requested by parent/guardian
- Hearing screening - K,1,2,3,7,11
- Height, weight, & vision screening - every grade every year
- Scoliosis screening - 6,7
- Providing support for children with chronic health problems
- Monitoring immunizations
- Providing health education programs for students & staff
- Being members of student support teams
- Administering medications & providing nursing procedures
- Working as a resource for families on available community health care programs
Department Head: Jeanette Slimmer, MSN RN CSN
Email: jslimmer@gasd-pa.org
Building: GAMS
Phone: 717-334-6254 Option 3, Ext. 5141
- Staff
- Health Service Forms
- Immunizations
- Medication Policy
- AED/CPR Information
- Substitute Nurse Information
Staff
Health Service Forms
Immunizations
In accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the immunization guidelines for students are listed below. Enrollment requirements include documentation of completed age/grade appropriate immunizations. New Students will not be permitted to register without completed immunizations. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania- Enrollment of Students 24 P.S. §13-1301 – §13-1306 Issued July 1, 2007
Acceptable documentation includes either:
- The child's immunization record from the Primary Care Provider.
- A written statement from the former school district or from a medical office that the required immunizations have been administered, or that a required series is in progress.
Immunization Requirements below are reflective of 47 Pa.B. 1300, Amending 28 PA. Code Ch. 23, March 4, 2017:
| 4 doses | Tetanus, Diptheria, and acellular Pertussis (1 dose on or after the 4th birthday) |
| 4 doses | Polio (1 dose on or after 4th birthday, and 6 months after previous dose given) |
| 2 doses | Measles |
| 2 doses | Mumps |
| 2 doses | Rubella |
| 3 doses | Hepatitis B |
| 2 doses | Varicella - **or a written statement from physician/designee indicating month and year of disease or serologic proof of immunity |
| Grades 7-12 * | In addition to those listed above |
| 1 dose | Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap) |
| 2 doses |
Meningitis vaccine (MCV) |
* 7th grade students will not be permitted to start their 7th grade school year without completion of the Tdap and the 1st dose of MCV; *12th grade students will not be permitted to start their 12th grade school year without completion of the 2nd dose of the MCV (new requirement as of the 2017-2018 school year).
Exemptions to Immunization Regulations
Medical exemption - when the physical condition of the child is such that immunization would endanger life or health. (Requires Physician's signature.)
Religious exemption –when the parent/guardian adheres to a religious belief whose teachings are opposed to such immunizations. (Requires parent/guardian signature.)
Medication Policy
While it is preferred that medication is administered outside of school hours, we recognize the need at times for administration to occur during the school day. If your Health Care Provider deems it medically necessary for your child to take medication during the day, the following procedures must be completed:
- Written authorization from the licensed prescriber must accompany all medications. That written authorization may come in the form of:
- A completed Gettysburg Area School District Medication Permission Form (link above), or
- Written note on the licensed prescriber’s letterhead or prescription notepad.
- A parent/guardian must complete the top portion of the GASD Medication Permission Form for medication to be taken in school.
- The initial dose of medication must be provided prior to request of administration at school.
- All medication is to be in its original labeled container.
- When someone other than the parent/guardian delivers medication to school:
- Container is to be placed in a sealed envelope.
- Medication is to be delivered to the health office upon student’s arrival at school.
- The parent assumes all responsibility for medications sent to school.
- Acceptable amounts of medication to be stored at school:
- One-week supply for acute (short-term) illness
- Thirty-day supply for chronic (long-term) conditions
- Changes in medication must be accompanied by a licensed prescriber’s written statement. A faxed written statement with licensed prescriber’s signature will be accepted.
- In addition, for students who carry and self administer emergency medications, an order is required from a licensed prescriber indicating that it is necessary for the student to carry the medication and that the student is competent of self administration. For student in grades 6 through 12, in lieu of a licensed prescriber statement, the nurse may make a determination that the student is competent of self administration.
AED/CPR Information
AED/CPR Information
The purpose of this information is to keep the GASD community informed and updated on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and using an AED. While it is our greatest hope that we will never have to use these procedures and equipment, we must also live by the credo "always prepared." For if you can save a person's life, then the time and resources spent on this project are worth it.
AED Building Locations
Every building in the district has at least one AED, including the Eisenhower Center. Signage is located throughout each building to identify specific locations. Be sure to make notice of these signs and locations so that you are "Prepared!"
Substitute Nurse Information
Are you a Registered Nurse who is looking for something different? Do you to work on your schedule and not every day? The Gettysburg Area School District is looking for RNs interested in becoming a Nurse Substitute.
Requirements:
- Current Pennsylvania Registered Nurse License
- Current CPR certification
Job Description includes but is not limited to:
- Illness and Injury Care
- Administration of Medications
- Some clerical duties
For more information, please call the Gettysburg Area School District Human Resources Offices at 717-334-6254 ext. 1223 or 1216.
Health Topics
Head Lice
Lice outbreaks are not uncommon among school children and the cleanest child can easily become infected. Do not panic if you find that your child has been infested with lice. Head lice do not spread disease. While time consuming in treatment, this is not a chronic health problem
What to look for:
1. When there is intense itching and scratching of the scalp and the back of the neck, look closely at the scalp for small, whitish eggs firmly attached to the hair shaft, especially at the nape of the neck and above the ears. Although these eggs may look like dandruff, dandruff can easily be removed from the hair while the eggs cannot.
What to do:
1. If members of your family become infested, you may treat them with an over the counter pediculosis product from your drugstore, or you may contact your Health Care Provider for their recommendation. Remember to read directions thoroughly on any product used. Some products recommend another treatment in two weeks.
2. After treatment, the nits or eggs should be removed from the hair. There is a comb included in most treatment packages, but often, the easiest method of removal is using your nails and pulling the egg off of the hair shaft. You should make sure you have plenty of light, positioning yourself by a window for ease of identification of the nit. The nits, as shown in the picture above, look like a small tear drops and are "cemented" on the hair shaft with the tip of the tear toward the scalp.
3. If a child is suspected of having pediculosis, the School Nurse may examine the suspected child and siblings. If head lice are found, the School Nurse will contact the parent of the child and provide educational materials concerning treatment and environmental control.
4. Wash all personal clothing (including jackets and backpacks) and bedding (sheets, blankets, pillowcases) in hot water (at least 130 degrees F.) or by dry cleaning. Vacuum the mattress. We also recommend changing the pillowcase nightly for the following two weeks.
5. Thoroughly wash combs and brushes in hot water to disinfect.
6. Thoroughly vacuum furniture, rugs, and car interiors.
7. Place all stuffed toys in a plastic bag for two weeks.
The District’s goals are for head lice to have minimal disruption to students’ educational experiences and minimize the stigmatizing impact on students and families.
Concussion Management
GASD Concussion Management Teams
A concussion is a mild form of traumatic brain injury (mTBI), caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, which can induce an altered state, including physical and cognitive abilities. Although it may include loss of consciousness, in most concussions there is no loss of consciousness.
Current research states that approximately 80%-90% of students will recover in the first 3-4 weeks. Because it is so important to protect and monitor the student during this recovery phase, the statewide PA BrainSTEPS Brain Injury School Re-Entry Consulting Program has been designed to assist an ever increasing number of students with concussion during their return to school. Returning to the full demands of school too soon following a concussion can significantly increase and potentially prolong symptoms. Therefore, the academic workload must be managed to allow for healing and recovery.
The BrainSTEPS Program, in conjunction with the PA Department of Education, established a Return to School Concussion Protocol in 2013, utilizing school based academic Concussion Management Teams (CMTs). Gettysburg Area School District has partnered with The BrainSTEPS program and now has CMTs in all school buildings.
Concussions may occur in or out of school. Once a school suspects that a student may have a concussion, or is notified by a parent or physician, the student is referred to the CMT. The team consists of the school nurse, to oversee the medical aspect, and a teacher/counselor to oversee the academic plan.
When a student is placed on the concussion protocol, the parent is contacted and the student is provided with academic and physical accommodations as needed. If the student is also involved in school athletics, the athletic trainer is also consulted and works in cooperation with the CMT. The student is monitored at least once a week for an improvement of signs and symptoms. If the symptoms have not improved after 4 weeks, we have agreed to refer to the local BrainSTEPs team, based in the local educational Intermediate Unit. The BrainSTEPS infrastructure is available to schools as a second layer of more intensive student concussion support, consultation, and training. The ultimate goal of the concussion protocol is to return the student to a normal physical and academic state by giving the brain adequate time to rest and heal.
If you have any questions about the school concussion management teams or the concussion protocol, please call your child’s school nurse.
Too Sick for School?
If your child has any of the following symptoms, you should keep them home. We strongly recommend contacting your child's healthcare provider to discuss his/her symptoms.
Any of the following:
| Fever of 100 degrees or higher | Sore Throat |
| Cough | Headache |
| Shortness of Breath | Diarrhea |
| Vomiting | Nausea |
| Changes in sense of smell | Chills/Rigors |
| Changes in sense of taste | Congestion/Runny Nose |
| Difficulty Breathing | Fatigue |
If, after consulting with your child's healthcare provider, it is determined that your child's symptom(s) are not related to an acute illness, your child may return to school after being fever-free for one day (24 hours) with no meds (if fever is present).
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your school nurse.