School Nurses: Roles and Responsibilities in the School Setting

Transcript: Challenge

Peter Logan, a Life Flight nurse for a major metropolitan hospital, has decided to take a new position as the school nurse at Carrington Middle School. The week before school starts, Mr. Logan meets with Megan Giachelli and her mother. Megan is a seventh grader who has cerebral palsy and receives special education services. Ms. Giachelli tells Mr. Logan that Megan was hospitalized and diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes during the summer. As a result, she explains, Megan will need to receive insulin injections at school, and, because of her limited fine motor skills, Megan will require help administering these injections. Discussing Megan’s specific healthcare needs in more detail with Ms. Giachelli, Mr. Logan realizes how fortunate it is that they met with him before school begins. He thanks Ms. Giachelli, and she responds that they are looking forward to seeing him again at their upcoming IEP meeting. Mr. Logan doesn’t recognize this term and wonders what an IEP meeting is. After meeting with Megan and her mom, Mr. Logan is beginning to realize just how much he still has to learn about working in a school setting.

Here is your Challenge:

What are Mr. Logan’s roles and responsibilities, and what types of services should he provide in a school setting?

As a school nurse, what additional information would be important for Mr. Logan to know?