Health and Wellness
Nurse Information
The goal of our school nurses is to provide high-quality care, advocacy, and clinical expertise to students, staff, and families. Safety is their main priority. Whether it's ensuring all medically-related processes meet best practice, providing care for a student's illness or injury, or facilitating an educational opportunity, they are here to support Lake Orion Community Schools and surrounding communities.
Contact information
LOCS Nurses
Located in the Community Education Resource Center east of Scripps Middle School
Hours: School times, Monday – Friday
Phone: Call school secretaries
Email: nurse@lok12.org
Nurse blog
Updates
Common symptoms of viruses
What does a School Nurse do?
- Provide first aid care and health assessment
- Coordinate the care of students with chronic or acute health conditions.
- Educate and train staff on conditions like asthma, life threatening food allergies, diabetes, CPR and medication administration.
- Administer medications and/or monitor staff designated to administer medications.
- Communicate with teachers, staff, and parents to ensure the safety and well being of students.
- Promote proper health related habits such as hand washing, germ fighting.
- Ensure compliance with national and local health policies including health screenings and immunization records.
- Create care plans for students with chronic health conditions.
- And most importantly……..
- Keep your student healthy, safe and in school!
Information
- Mental Health Resources
- When should I keep my student home from school?
- Food Allergy
- Medical Action Plan
- State and National Agencies
- COVID-19 OCHD Guidance; OCHD Quarantine/Isolation
- Head Lice Information
- Head injury instructions (English)
- Instrucciones Para Lesiones En La Cabeza (Espanol)
- Medical Issues Fact Sheets
- Guidelines for administering medication to students
Mental Health Resources
- Parent Mental Health Resources: ParentGuidance.org
- Mental health teen animated series: My Life is Worth Living
- Elementary student mental health skills: The 3 crucial Habits of Mind
- The 3 Habits promote mental health skills for grades K-3 and in grades 4-6:
- Managing Impulsivity
- Thinking About Your Thinking
- Listening with Understanding and Empathy
- The 3 Habits promote mental health skills for grades K-3 and in grades 4-6:
When should I keep my student home from school?
When should my student stay home from school?
- When the student appears to be severely ill, is not responsive, irritable, persistently crying, having difficulty breathing, or having a quickly spreading rash.
- Fever (temperature 100.4°F [38°C] or above by any method)
- Children excluded from school due to a fever may not return to school until they are fever free, without fever-reducing medication, for 24 hours. If a child is sent home due to a fever, he/she is not permitted to return to school the following day, at a minimum. A fever is defined as a temperature reading above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more, when taken orally.
- Diarrhea Exclusion is required for all diapered children whose stool is not contained in the diaper and toilet-trained children if the diarrhea is causing "accidents," and for children whose stool frequency exceeds 2 stools above normal per 24 hours for that child while the child is in the program or whose stool contains more than a drop of blood or mucus.
- Diarrhea is defined by stool which is occurring more frequently and/or is less formed in consistency than usual in the child, and not associated with changes of diet.
- Vomiting 2 or more times in the previous 24 hours
- Unless the vomiting is determined to be caused by a non-communicable/non-infectious condition (Food poisoning, allergic reaction, etc.) and the child is not in danger of dehydration.
- Abdominal pain that continues for more than 2 hours or intermittent abdominal pain associated with fever or other signs or symptoms.
- Mouth sores with drooling that the child cannot control unless the child's primary health care provider or local health department authority states that the child is noninfectious.
- Rash with fever or behavioral changes, until a primary care provider has determined that the illness is not a communicable disease.
- Skin sores that are weeping fluid and are on an exposed body surface that cannot be covered with a waterproof dressing.
- COVID-19 positive test result, requiring the individual to remain home for five days.
Keep you student home if they have been diagnosed with:
- Streptococcal pharyngitis (i.e., strep throat or other streptococcal infection), until the child has had two doses of a course of an appropriate antibiotic 12 hours apart.
- Head lice, scabies, ringworm until after the first treatment (Exclusion is not necessary before the end of the program day.) Treatment may occur between the end of the program day and beginning of the next day—not requiring any exclusion.
- Chickenpox (varicella) until all lesions have dried or crusted (usually 6 days after onset of rash) and no new lesions have shown for at least 24 hours.
- Rubella, until 7 days after the rash appears
- Pertussis, until 5 days of appropriate antibiotic treatment (21 days if untreated)
- Mumps, until 5 days after onset of parotid gland swelling
- Measles, until 4 days after onset of rash
- Hepatitis A virus infection, until 1 week after onset of illness or jaundice or as directed by the health department
Food Allergy
Medical Action Plan
Lake Orion Community Schools is committed to holding the health and safety of every student in the highest regard. Medical Action Plans are required for students that have any medical conditions and/or will need to receive medications while at school. Medical conditions such as Diabetes, Asthma, Seizures, and Anaphylaxis can be very serious and may require emergency treatment. We need to have up to date information from your physician prescribing the medical care of your child while they are at school. Medical Action Plans are required at the start of every school year and expire on the last day of school. The plan is required for us to provide medications to your student as well as treat emergency conditions. It requires a signature from your physician as well as the parent/guardian. Without a plan in place, there are only 5 things that can be provided to a student: Soap, Water, Bandages, Ice and Comfort.
For medications to be administered at school, either a Medical Action Plan or a Medication Consent Form must be completed. This includes over the counter medications such as Tylenol and Motrin. All medication must be brought to school in the current original container as dispensed by the physician or pharmacist. The bottle must be labeled with the student’s name, medication name, dosage and frequency to dispense instructions. No expired medication will be administered.
You can choose the applicable condition and you will find the appropriate form to print below.
Conditions
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy/Seizure
- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis
- General Medical Action Plan
- Medication Consent Form
Asthma
Please submit this form to your school if your child has asthma. Treatment can involve inhalers, spacers and nebulizers. We would prefer your child to have a metered dosed inhaler (MDI). The inhaler can be ordered for office use, or your student can self-carry if your health care provider indicates so. If your health care provider prefers your child to use a nebulizer for treatments, please notify the school office.
You do not need to complete a Medication Consent Form as the medications required are contained within this plan.
Diabetes
Many endocrinologists have a Diabetes Medical Management Plan template that they use for the schools. If your office does not have a tool that they use, please print this form and have the physician complete it. This form is detailed and needs to be tailored to each child’s specific needs.
You do not need to complete a Medication Consent Form as the medications required are contained within this plan.
Epilepsy/Seizure
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis
General Medical Action Plan
Please complete and submit this form if your child has a condition that is not listed on one of the other forms, such as migraines, arthritis, or hypertension.
You will need to complete a Medication Consent Form for medication that is required to manage the needs of your child while they are at school.
Medication Consent Form
The Medication/Treatment Consent Form must be completed for medications not listed in a Medical Action Plan. This includes both daily and as needed medications. The form is required for prescription as well as over the counter (OTC) medications. The form must be completed and signed by both the parent/guardian and the licensed prescriber. Lake Orion Community Schools will no longer accept parental permission alone for OTC medications.
Medications will not be administered to a student that is displaying signs of a communicable disease (i.e., fever, cough, gastrointestinal illness, etc.).
State and National Agencies
COVID-19 OCHD Guidance; OCHD Quarantine/Isolation
In an effort to mitigate COVID-19, Lake Orion Community Schools will follow these procedures for in-person learning during the 2022-23 school year. LOCS is following the Oakland County Health Division processes and direction, outlined on the sheets below and on the OCHD COVID-19 page.
Head Lice Information
Head injury instructions (English)
Although your child may exhibit no problems now, anyone with a head injury must be watched closely for 24-72 hours.
CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR OR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY IF YOU NOTICE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
SYMPTOMS:
- Severe headache which continues, and seems to be in the same place
- Anxiety, confusion, drowsiness, or other unusual behavior
- Nausea or vomiting, especially forceful vomiting
- Dizziness, difficulty walking, loss of coordination
- Blurred, double, or loss of vision, or pupils are of unequal size
- Seizures, or any part of body twitching or jerking
- Bleeding, or other discharge from ears, nose, or mouth
Outside of your child’s normal sleep times, it is recommended to awaken him/her periodically to check for normal behaviors. Please keep this information for reference.
On rare occasions, a child will suffer complications up to two weeks after an injury.
Instrucciones Para Lesiones En La Cabeza (Espanol)
Si bien es posible que su hijo no exhiba problemas ahora, cualquier persona con una lesión en la cabeza tiene que ser vigilada de cerca por 24 a 72 horas.
SI NOTA ALGUNO DE LOS SIGUIENTES SÍNTOMAS, COMUNÍQUESE CON SU MÉDICO O EL DEPARTAMENTO DE EMERGENCIA DE INMEDIATO:
-
Dolor de cabeza intenso y continuo que parece originarse en el mismo lugar
-
Ansiedad, confusión, somnolencia u otro comportamiento inusual
-
Náuseas o vómitos, sobre todo vómitos con fuerza
-
Mareos, dificultad para caminar, pérdida de coordinación
-
Visión borrosa o doble, pérdida de visión o pupilas de tamaño desigual
-
Convulsiones, contorsiones o sacudones en cualquier parte del cuerpo
-
Sangrado u otro tipo de descarga de los oídos, nariz o boca
Si su hijo se duerme en un horario que no es el habitual, se recomienda que lo despierte periódicamente para verificar que su comportamiento sea normal.
Conserve esta información como referencia. En raras ocasiones, un niño puede sufrir complicaciones hasta dos semanas después de una lesión.
Medical Issues Fact Sheets
The Oakland County Health Division provides information on an array of medical issues. They are listed and linked below and can also be accessed from the OCHD website.
Guidelines for administering medication to students
These guidelines for administering student medications have been developed to promote a safe educational environment while providing for the medical needs of our students.
- A Medication Consent Form must be completed and on file at school before any medication can be administered, with the exception of emergency medications, by school personnel or when self administered by the student is permitted. Both a physician and parent/guardian signature is required for prescription AND over-the-counter medications.
- Emergency medications such as metered-dose inhalers and emergency injectable/nasal medications require an Emergency Action Plan (EAP), NOT a Medication Authorization Form.
- All medications administered by school personnel must be delivered to school by the parent/guardian/adult, in the current, original container. It is the parent’s responsibility to keep track and replace expired medication.
- Any change in medication, dosage, or directions will require the completion of a new Medication Authorization Form.
Self-Administration of Medication by Students
Self-Administration Consent Form
- Elementary Students
- The only medications that can be carried and self-administered by elementary students are metered dose inhalers and emergency injectable medications, if authorized in writing by both the student’s health care provider and parent/guardian.
- Middle School Students
- Prescription medication may not be self-administered by middle school students with the exception of metered-dose inhalers, and emergency injectable medication, if authorized in writing by both the student’s health care provider and parent/guardian.
- Over-the-counter medication must be administered by authorized designated school staff and/or the school nurse.
- High School Students
- Prescription medication may not be self-administered by middle school students with the exception of metered-dose inhalers, and emergency injectable medication, if authorized in writing by both the student’s health care provider and parent/guardian.
- Over-the-counter medication must be administered by authorized designated school staff and/or the school nurse.
Any questions or concerns regarding the administration of medication should be directed to the school nurse at Nurse@lok12.org, who will determine appropriate action