School nurses frequently send out guidelines for parents as to when to keep their ill child home. This might be done through a direct email, or possibly a monthly newsletter. This semester, I worked with the licensed school nurse to help revise our districts guidelines. One of the most noticeable changes that needed to be made was the fever recommendations. Previously the guidelines for parents said after a fever, students should stay home until the are feeling better. Most of the district guidelines are based off of Nationwide Children’s Hospitals recommendations and Helping Hands forms that the hospital provides for education. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children should stay home until they have been fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Once I provided the district with this reference, we were able to change the guidelines. While it is not always possible to enforce the guidelines, by making this change, hopefully it will help encourage some parents to keep their children home for the recommended amount of time. Below is the updated guidelines for parents.
Reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, July 31). Guidance for School Administrators to Help Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Influenza in K-12 Schools. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/guidance.htm
Guidelines for Parents with an Ill Child – Should Your Child Stay Home