School Health Services: Available Services

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Home > Services > School Health Services > Available Services

Contracted Health Education Services

Contracted Nursing Services including Direct One-to-One Nursing

Coordinated School Health Consultation

Vision Screening Team

Hearing Screening Team

Immunization Program

Immunization Tracking Program

School Nursing

School Health Assistants

School Nurse Consultant

Special Needs Nursing (SNN)

Nurse-School Health Services Consultation

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Contracted Health Education Services: MESD SHS provides instruction and support to component districts and independent schools in meeting state and national mandates for required health and safety training, in responding to occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens, and in immunization management for schools. Health education training includes:

• Medication Administration
• Severe Allergic Reaction (with epinephrine administration)
• Glucagon Administration
• First Aid / CPR AED training
• Adrenal Insufficiency/Crisis training
• Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) required Bloodborne Pathogen Training, including management of post-exposure evaluation and follow-up.

Contracted Nursing Services including Direct One-to-One Nursing: School districts may contract with MESD for additional nursing services for schools and unique programs, as well as direct one-to-one services for students with complex health conditions or those identified as medically fragile. Contracted nursing is for a minimum of 21 hours per week. Training, orientation, oversight, and supervision is provided by the MESD.

Coordinated School Health Consultation: Provide consultation and tools to help districts improve their school wellness policies and implementation, communicate the connection between school wellness and achievement, write grants, and convene the Multnomah Healthy Schools to collaborate on the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model in order to support student learning and achievement throughout the districts served by MESD.

Vision Screening Team: The MESD screening team, with school nurses, assists component districts in meeting the requirements of OAR 581-022-0705 by screening students’ vision (in grades K, 1, and 3). Students needing additional testing are referred to community health providers. MESD School Health Services may have funding or resources to help reduce costs for students needing pre-scription glasses (OAR 581-022-0705). Training, orientation, oversight and supervision provided by the MESD.

Hearing Screening Team : The Hearing Program provides state-mandated screening to grades K and 1, identifying students with hearing loss. Other school-aged students referred for screening, as well as those in K-1 requiring follow up, are evaluated by the department’s licensed audiologist, who conducts a comprehensive exam and makes referrals as indicated. This supports student engagement and success in the classroom (OAR 581-022-0705). Training, orientation, oversight, and supervision is provided by the MESD.

Immunization Program: Immunizations promote wellness by protecting all students and school staff against vaccine-preventable diseases. Under contract with Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD), School Health Services (SHS) assists school districts with immunization management to meet state requirements for school attendance. Services include records review, data entry, family notification, state reporting, preparation of exclusion letters, and data analysis and reporting (ORS 433.267). Training, orientation, oversight and supervision is provided by SHS. Monitoring records minimizes the number of students excluded due to non-compliance, and maximizes student attendance and learning time. Nurses, together with the immunization team, assist families to navigate the health system to access resources for required vaccines.

Immunization Tracking Program: The Immunization Tracking Program provides assistance to monitor recommended and state-mandated immunization requirements. Immunizations promote wellness by protecting students, pre-kindergarten through grade 12, and school staff against vaccine-preventable diseases.

School Nursing: School nursing services provide mandated health services, promote wellness, and assist students to achieve optimal educational experiences. Nursing services include direct health services to ill and injured students, management of acute and chronic illnesses, surveillance and follow up of communicable disease, and consultation to districts based on current evidence based research and best practice. Nurses are a liaison between home, school, and community health care providers; they promote safety, assess growth and development, and contribute to mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Training, orientation, oversight, and supervision is provided by the MESD. By July 1, 2018, HB 2693 recommends one registered nurse for every 1,500 students.

School Health Assistants (SHA): MESD School Health Assistants (SHAs) are non-licensed personnel who provide illness and injury management for students, with oversight from an RN. SHAs perform delegated nursing tasks and may be the primary point of contact for health services in the absence of the MESD registered nurse. Training, orientation, oversight, and supervision is provided by the MESD.

School Nurse Consultant: The Nurse Consultant functions as a liaison between School Health Services staff, district personnel, local community resources, and County and State Health Departments. The Nurse Consultant provides parent contact, health counseling, and referral in situations of inadequate health access, as well as investigation, reporting, and collaboration with county health departments in issues and events related to reportable and communicable diseases. The Nurse Consultant provides management of staff body fluid and blood borne pathogen exposures, including consultation and follow up. Training, orientation, oversight, and supervision is provided by the MESD.

Special Needs Nursing (SNN): Special Needs Nurses (SNN) are registered nurses with expertise in the management of students with complex, chronic health needs in the school setting. SNNs augment MESD school nurse services by providing training, consultation and support for medically fragile, medically complex, and nursing-dependent students, as defined in HB 2693.

The special needs nurse may provide initial training and develop an individualized health plan until the health condition is stabilized, and then transition management to the school nurse. SNNs participate in multi-disciplinary planning and placement meetings, IEP development, and feeding team assessments. Training, orientation, oversight, and supervision is provided by the MESD.

Nurse-School Health Services Consultation: For both resolution and non-resolution schools or programs, MESD SHS may provide limited professional nursing consultation on a case by case or limited duration contract. Services may include assessment of complex health conditions and recommendations for required nursing services, assessment and evaluation of existing health services, delegations, training, and care coordination with families, schools and health care providers, and orientation to the delivery of health services in a school setting. Professional consultation and recommenda-tions are based on current evidence based research and best practice. Training, orientation, oversight and supervision is provided by the MESD.