Welcome to the Yorkshire Elementary School Nurse's Corner
From the School Nurse
Hello! My name is Nikki Wilson and I am the nurse for Yorkshire Elementary school. I have been a registered nurse for over 20 years and I have been a school nurse since August 2013. Please feel free to contact me with any of your student's health concerns.
Announcements
Health Promotion
As we are entering the cold and flu season, this is a reminder of the best health practices to decrease the spread and transmission of viruses in PWCS schools.
Please remember to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw used tissues in the trash. If you don't have a tissue, cough, or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands. Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, dry hands with a paper towel, and use the paper towel to turn off the faucet. If soap and water are not available, hand sanitizers may also be used to preform hand hygiene. Remember to stay home when you’re sick until at least 24 hours without a fever or the use of fever reducing medicine. Together we can help stop the spread of germs that may make you and others ill.
Students in Kindergarten and grades 3, 7 and 10 will be screened for vision and hearing deficits.
For more information please see PWCS regulation 756-1.
Extra Clothing at School
Accidents can happen from spilled milk to ripped pants to falls in the mud. Please consider keeping a change of clothing in your student's backpack for such occasions. The clinic has some clothing available to loan but is dependent on donations. I cannot guarantee I will have sizes of pants/underwear/shirts that will fit your child or are weather appropriate.
Covid-19
VA Department of Health
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/
Center for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/
National Institute of Health (NIH)
https://www.nih.gov/health-information/coronavirus
World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Stop the Spread of Germs
According to the Center for Disease Control you can help stop the spread of disease by doing the following:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub .
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
- See Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) for more information about actions, apart from getting vaccinated and taking medicine, that people and communities can take to help slow the spread of illnesses like influenza (flu).
When to keep your child home.
Reasons for which a child may be sent home from school or for a parent to keep the child home from school.
- Fever of 100ºF and over - exclude until student has been fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever reducing medications.
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye), strep infections, ringworm, and impetigo are all infections and must be treated with medication for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to school. Please do not allow affected students back before this time so that other students are not infected unnecessarily.
- Rash of unknown origin (especially if accompanied by a fever).
- Head injury.
- Severe coughing or difficulty breathing.
- Colds - a child with thick or constant nasal discharge should remain home.
- Diarrhea or vomiting - exclude until student has been symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
- Stiff neck associated with a fever and/or a recent injury.
- Inadequate immunizations with known disease outbreak in school.
Medications
For prescription medications to be given at school, the PWCS Medication Authorization form must be completed by a physician and signed by parents, and the medication must be provided to school in the original container. Over the counter medications may be administered at school if a Medication Authorization form is completed and signed by the parent and the medication in brought to the school in a new unopened container.
At the right of this page are links to the different PWCS health-related regulations which include the forms mentioned below.
A quick reminder Students ARE NOT allowed to carry medication to school. A parent or adult needs to bring it in to the clinic. Thank you for your cooperation.
Health Treatment Plans
If your child has a special medical need requiring consideration or treatment at school, please make us aware of it. We have Health Treatment Plans for various medical conditions including diabetes, food allergies, seizures and asthma, which must be completed by physician and signed by parents.