Health Services

Greenway Nurses Office Information

My name is Genie Trotter, RN, I am the school nurse at Greenway Middle School. I have been serving students at Greenway since before our current students were born. I earned a bachelor of science in psychology before my degree in nursing from universities in Texas. My office is located in the administration building at the front of the school.

The health office is not a primary care facility like a doctor’s office. First aid and medical care provided by the school nurse are primarily for illnesses or injuries that occur during the school day. My responsibility is to keep students in class whenever possible. Unnecessary, chronic or frequent visitors to the health office will be encouraged to alter their habits and parents will be notified if the practice continues. Parental cooperation is appreciated to reduce needless missed class time and to help develop valuable life skills. Please notify me of any student medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, allergies, vision or hearing problems, a physical or mental disability, etc.

Emergency Cards

Per district policy, parents/guardian must complete and sign the student emergency card to complete registration and enrollment each school year. Please make sure all questions are answered as we do not keep the cards from the previous year and we need to know that the health information is the most current. Notify the office of any home, work or emergency telephone number or address changes immediately to keep the information updated so that you may be reached in case of an emergency. Only people listed on the card may sign a student out.

Health Screenings

Age/grade level appropriate and program specific health screenings of students (e.g. height, weight, vision, hearing and scoliosis) are performed each year. Parents will be notified should a possible problem be detected. If you do not want your student screened, submit a written and signed note as to such to the nurse.

Illness/Emergency

It is the parent’s responsibility to make arrangements to pick up ill or injured students as promptly as possible. In accordance with district procedures, middle school students are not permitted to walk home when ill or injured. If a student has been ill with fever, he/she must be fever free for 24 hours without taking fever reducing medications before returning to school. If antibiotics were prescribed by a physician, a student must have completed an initial 24 hour dosage of the medication before returning to school.

Medications

When it is necessary for a student to take medication during school hours, the following requirements must be met:

• All prescription medications, over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements must be in the original container and current.
• There must be written permission from the parent/guardian to administer medication to the student. Medication forms are available in the nurse’s office. A separate form needs to be completed for each medicine. Medication brought to school which does meet the necessary requirements will not be dispensed by the nurse.
• Medications are expected to be brought to school by the parent/guardian. Most pharmacies will dispense two bottles of prescribed medicine if requested so that the needed amount can go to school and keep what is needed for home.
• A student may carry and self-administer prescribed emergency medication, specifically a rescue inhaler, Epi-Pen, or insulin only if all requirements to do so as set forth in the district’s Protocol and Guidelines for Student Medications, Dietary Supplements and Medical Monitoring Devices have been met. Please refer to district policy or contact the nurse for additional information.
• Administration of over-the-counter medications is at the professional discretion of the school nurse and may only be administered by the school nurse or a qualified substitute nurse. A signed medicine card must be on file.
• The school nurse can not honor independent requests from a parent/guardian to administer prescription or over-the-counter medications other than as specified on the label.
• Any extra medications that have not been picked up by the end of treatment or at the end of the school year will be disposed of.

Thanks and stay healthy!

Genie Trotter, RN