Making chicken pox prevention a priority.

Abstract

School nurses are the IDEAL professionals to catch those kids without a history of chicken pox (varicella illness) who have not been immunized, thereby falling into the susceptible range. We handle charts daily. We have both illness history (if it was provided) and immunization dates. We can call parents. We can talk to kids. Wouldn't it be easy if we could do that and then call (or email) the primary care provider? But there is no longer an "easy" way to communicate health information. Doing things the easy way could be perceived by some as "tattling" and by others as "reporting without permission." Instead, the school nurse must take the time-consuming (and better long range) path of education ... of the student, and the parent. And the priority can slip down below other school nurse requirements such as getting kids their required immunizations, first aid and illness care, individualized health care plans for students with medical problems, parent and teacher phone calls, and endless conversations. It takes a village to raise a child though, and the school nurse is a village resident. The following information is vital to the knowledge base of today's school nurse. Please read it, store it and consider it when planning and intervening with your students in the day-to-day interaction that promotes optimal health and wellness.