School Nurse Services

Throughout the SMMUSD, school nurses work with parents, administrators, teachers, counselors and individual students to assist families and staff with a variety of health concerns.

CHDP Program - By law, all children entering the first grade are required to have either a certificate of a CHDP (Child Health & Disability Prevention) health examination or a waiver on file at the school in which they enroll. The school nurse works to ensure compliance with the mandated requirements, reviews each assessment, collects data, and informs appropriate staff of any information relevant to the child's learning experience, as well as submits a CHDP Annual School Report to the appropriate LA County health facility. Click here for more information regarding School Physicals or CHDP.


Click on a subject below to explore
some important roles


Child Abuse Reporting - It is a school nurse's responsibility, along with all district mandated reporters to report the abuse, set in motion the process of getting help for the child, inspect any visible wounds, and to provide support to the child. Forms of abuse include sexual, physical, and emotional abuse as well as neglect.

Communicable Disease Control - Prevention and control of communicable disease is a responsibility shared by parents, school personnel, and the community, e.g., private physicians and the health department. In California, the law states that whenever there is good reason to believe that a child is suffering from a recognized contagious or infectious disease, s/he should be sent home and not be permitted to return until the school authorities are satisfied that any contagious or infectious disease does not exist . The school nurse works to enforce strict immunization requirements, aids in early detection, helps to provide parental notification and information, and makes any medical referrals necessary.

Emergency Care - The school nurse plays an important role in the assessment, planning, and intervention for emergency care of a student with a chronic or debilitating health impairment. Whenever present, the school nurse is capable of providing CPR, oxygen administration, seizure care, administration of emergency medication, triage and a broad range of medical interventions. Contact your school nurse if your child has a medical condition that requires a specific emergency care plan to be followed.

Employee Wellness - The SMMUSD school nurses invite any district employee to inquire about flu shots, tuberculosis (TB) skin test renewals, blood pressure tests, and any other health/wellness related inquiries. School nurses encourage and welcome any employee who is in need of our resources.

First Aid - Administering treatment for injuries ranging from minor to serious in nature.

Health Record Maintenance - Accurate and up to date health records are essential in helping to monitor the health of students throughout their learning years. Data that is placed in the health record is often reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Changes in health/wellness are noted and follow up requests can be made when necessary.

Hearing Screening - Children who do not see and/or hear well will often experience difficulty in the educational environment. Each pupil shall be given a puretone audiometric screening test in kindergarten or first grade and in 2nd, 5th, 8th, 10th, or eleventh grades and upon first entry into the California public school system. Individual puretone screening tests are also given to all students new to the district, enrolled in special education, referred by classroom teacher or parent, or students who have a known hearing deficiency from previous testing. Parents or guardians of children who fail the hearing test will be given written notification of the test results and a recommendation that medical and audiological evaluations be made. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to report any important medical findings to their child's school nurse, teacher, or other staff members necessary for the student to obtain the most optimal learning environment possible.

Immunizations - Whenever children are gathered together in group settings there is potential for spread of dangerous disease. School nurses play a key role in planning and coordinating school immunization programs in accordance with state immunization law for collection and evaluation of data, notification of need for vaccinations, maintaining immunization records on all children enrolled, and submitting reports to the state. The school nurse works to make the necessary revisions to reflect current state requirements, including a clear, well-defined school exclusion policy for non-compliance with immunization regulations, as directed by state law.
Click here for more information about immunizations.

Kindergarten Oral Assessment - According to Education Code Section 49452.8, a pupil while enrolled in kindergaren in a public school, or while enrolled in first grade in a public school who was not previously in kindergarten in a public school, shall, no later than May 31 of the school year show proof of having received an oral health assessment by a licensed dentist, or other licensed or registered dental professional operating within his or her scope of practice, that was performed no earlier than 12 months prior to the date of the initial enrollment of the pupil. The parent/guardian may sign a waiver for reasons listed on the waiver form.

Medical Referrals - Whenever necessary, a school nurse may recommend that a student with an existing condition ie., injury, rash, swollen glands, fever, asthma, tics, etc., be further assessed by a licensed physician. Referrals can be made specifically for Ear, Nose, and Throat agencies, speech, hearing, vision, emergency etc. It is recommended that parents/guardians take these referrals seriously and return each referral form completed by the appropriate medical resource as soon as possible. This helps to ensure the proper follow up planning and care of the returning student.
Click here for more information on school policies.

Medications - School nurses help to maintain a strict and safe medication administration policy for the safety and wellbeing of all students. If a school nurse is unavailable to administer medication, the site administrator will designate person(s) responsible for administering the medication. The nurse promotes keeping all medications in a safe, locked place for storage, and helps designated personnel to maintain proper administration techniques and recording of medication.
Click here for more information on "Medication at School".

Scoliosis Screening - Scoliosis screening at an early age has the potential to prevent deformity, pain,
and thousands of dollars spent on medical care in later life. Scoliosis screening tests will be conducted on 7th grade girls and 8th grade boys. Any pupil whom the nurse suspects has a marked postural deviation from normal shall also be tested. Parents of children who fail the scoliosis screening test shall be provided with written notification of the test results and a recommendation that a medical evaluation be obtained.

Social Welfare Referrals -The school nurse helps to provide families with low-cost or free medical access whenever necessary. They work to help families gain access to medical insurance agencies for low-income households. Click here for access to more resources.

Special Education -The school nurse acts to review existing health records and obtain and update any medical information from relevant sources that will be resourceful to the special education assessment process. Observation of a student in the classroom, playground, clinic, or other appropriate venue and documenting details of observations helps the nurse to assess age and developmental appropriateness of the student. Nurses also perform a physical assessment which may include some or all of the following: General appearance and manner, height, weight, blood pressure, vision and hearing screenings, and a quick neurodevelopmental assessment.

Staff Inservices - The school nurse takes advantage of any possible way to provide a safe environment for staff and students. The school nurse is often designated to provide proper instruction and training for staff members regarding a student with a preexisting or temporary health condition. This teaching process is a way to help staff, as well as classmates to learn about a health condition and understand their roles in case of an emergency. Preparing teachers with necessary information and techniques helps promote a positive and safe environment.

Student Health Counseling - Occasionally, parents, teachers, or other staff members, observe a student who is presenting signs or symptoms of a physical or emotional problem. School nurses welcome the opportunity to help concerned parents/guardians and teachers of students in any form of individual health counseling. Topics include, but are not limited to; poor eating habits, poor hygiene, nail biting, emotional distress, toileting issues, chronic illness, medication compliance, suspicion of alcohol or drug abuse, etc. The school nurse also helps to make the appropriate referrals either to school-provided or outside counseling services whenever necessary.

Student Study Team - The school nurse is involved with the school's Student Study Team to provide any knowledge of a notable health problem/ issue that may impinge on classroom activities and performance. This input helps the team to make any appropriate observations, goals, and recommendations to help optimize an individual's learning experience.