The School Nurse
Mrs Michelle Walker is a qualified nurse and midwife with years of experience in NHS hospitals. Her hours of work are Monday to Thursday, term time and her expertise and experience are greatly valued. On Fridays, the matron is Jan Billins, she is work-place, first-aid trained.
They are situated in T Block, in a purpose built medical room with an office. This allows them to care for the children in a comfortable environment. Students with medical conditions, personal to them, can be assessed and monitored in a safe way. They administer medicine, as required by the student and consented by parent or carer.
Asthma Inhalers, Epipens and all other Medication
All parents and carers must return the ‘Parental Agreement to Administer Medicine’ form, which is in the admission pack, giving permission for the school to administer the Epipen, inhalers and all other medication. It is the responsibility of parents and carers to make sure that medication provided is not past its use-by-date.
A spare asthma inhaler or an Epipen, clearly marked with the student’s name, should be provided by parents and carers. The nurse will store them for use in an emergency.
Children who are unwell at school
Students who are ill during the school day are treated, in the first instant, by the nurse. She decides if a parent or carer needs to be contacted. It is not acceptable for students to telephone their parents or carers directly, or for parents and carers to remove their son/daughter without the permission of the school nurse. If parent or carer hears from their child that they feel ill, it is imperative they contact the school and inform the nurse. The child will be assessed and a telephone conversation with home will take place before the child is collected.
“Mrs Walker is kind and caring. Her empathetic nature makes her approachable in all situations. We are lucky and grateful to have her.”
Vaccinations
The school nurse facilitates the vaccination programme for the Year 8 girls and boys (HPV vaccination), and for the entire Year 9 cohort (Diptheria, Tetanus and Polio (Td/IPV) and Meningococcal ACWY vaccinations.
School Trips
All school trips have first aid kits provided, which includes an emergency asthma inhaler and emergency Epipen. The medical reports required for every child are provided by the school nurse.
First Aiders
There are a number of staff who are first aid trained, which is an additional support network for the school nurse on site.
Increasingly, she is involved in issues of safeguarding, as this becomes higher in profile across the educational establishments.