School Health & Nursing Services

  • Staying Healthy During Flu Season & All Year Long

    The Charlotte County Health Department advises you follow these simple practices.

    1. Don't spread your germs:

      • Cover your nose & mouth with a tissue when sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose (or cover sneeze with your elbow).
      • Throw out used tissues in the trash as soon as you can.
      • Always wash your hands after sneezing, blowing your nose, coughing, or after touching used tissues.
      • Wash hands with warm water & soap - or with alcohol based hand sanitizer.
      • Wash hands often if you are sick.
      • Stay home if you are sick, especially if you have a cough & fever.
      • See your doctor as soon as you can if you have a cough & fever, and follow their instructions. Take medications as prescribed and get lots of rest.

    2. Don't pick up germs from others:

      • Wash your hands before eating or touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
      • Wash your hands after touching anyone else who is sneezing, coughing, blowing their nose or whose nose is running.
      • Don't share things like towels, lipstick, toys, cigarettes, or anything else that might be contaminated with respiratory germs.
      • Don't share food, utensils, or beverage containers with others.

     

  • Vision

    Provide Services to Assure Optimal Student Success

    Mission

    Although parents hold the main responsibility for the health of their children, the primary mission of the Charlotte County Public School Nurse is to promote and enhance the educational process for children and youth by assisting them to improve or adapt to their health status. The nurse is located within the school to promote wellness and disease prevention by early identification of health problems that might interfere in the educational process. As provided in the school setting, health services include identification of health problems, preventative health, which includes education, health maintenance, health screening, necessary therapeutic intervention, and first aid.

    Through nursing assessments and screening programs, school nurses will prevent or identify student health problems and intervene to promote the well being and academic success of all students. School nurses will assist parents and students in the management of health needs and the coordination of care in the home, school, and community.

Authorization Forms

Screenings

  • Florida state statute 381.0057 mandates school districts to provide health appraisals for the identification and management of actual or potential health problems which include but are not limited to nursing assessments, vision, hearing, scoliosis, and growth and development screenings. The purpose of the screenings are not to diagnose, but to separate those screened into two groups, those with no apparent problem and those who need further evaluation to determine if treatment is necessary. Screenings will be conducted within the first semester of the school year. Students enrolled in 1st, 3rd and 6th grades will be screened for growth and development (body mass index). Students in Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 6th grades will be screened for vision deficiencies; students in Kindergarten, 1st and 6th grades will be screened for hearing deficiencies; and 6th graders will also be screened for scoliosis.

    The possible identification of deficiencies during the screenings will result in a referral letter to parents requesting further investigation by a licensed medical professional. It is the parents' responsibility to follow through on the referral process.

    If the well being of the child is at stake, and if repeated contacts with the parent fail to produce a response, the case may be referred to a Charlotte County Public School Social Worker for review.