School health services strengthen and facilitate the learning process by improving and protecting the health status of children and by identifying and assisting in the removal or modification of health-related barriers to the learning process.  A school nurse works collaboratively with students, parents, teachers, and other school and community professionals to help remove these barriers to learning.  All students have access to the school clinic and its services.   

Health Services include:

• Evaluating student illness. The school nurse will determine which students are able to return to class, which should go home, and which require medical referral.

• Administering emergency care and first aid to students and staff.  All school clinic personnel are skilled in emergency care and first aid techniques and are certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

• Teaching first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to school staff designated by the principal to assume responsibilities for health services in the absence of the nurse.

• Administering physician-prescribed medications and special procedures in school when required by the prescribed schedule.

• Identifying health problems that may interfere with learning. Students are screened for hearing and vision annually per state guidelines.

• Assessing the unique health needs of handicapped students and providing special medical procedures where needed. 

Health Counseling:
Students are counseled regarding potential or identified health problems. Teacher/nurse and parent/nurse conferences are helpful to interpret medical information and to define health needs, educational implications and needed adjustments in the school environment.

Health Education:
The school nurse utilizes each student contact as an opportunity for health education. Students are encouraged to develop responsibility for their personal health. The school nurse also serves as a resource person to classroom teachers in conducting health education sessions.

New Immunization Requirements for 6th & 7th Grade 

All children entering or transferring into 6th grade are required by state law to meet the following requirements and show proof on the Georgia immunization certificate (Form 3231) on the first day of school:

1. Have the required doses of Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertusis (DTP), & Polio vaccines.

2. Have 2 doses of Mumps, Measles, & Rubella (MMR), or 2 doses of Measles vaccine, 2 doses of Mumps vaccine, & 1 dose of Rubella vaccine or laboratory proof of immunity against Measles, Mumps, or Rubella.

3. Have 2 doses of Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine or documentation of disease or laboratory proof of immunity.

All children entering or transferring into 7th grade are required by state law to meet the following requirements and show proof on the Georgia immunization certificate on the first day of school (Form 3231): 

1. Have proof of an adolescent pertussis (whooping cough) immunization booster called (Tdap).

2. Have proof of an adolescent meningococcal (meningitis) immunization. 

Contact your private medical provider or local health department to receive any of the vaccinations and/or obtain Georgia certificate of immunization (Form 3231). For more information visit https://dph.georgia.gov/vaccines-children-program.