Students AP 315: Illness/Injury at School

Background

Staff are expected to act as would a reasonable parent if a student becomes ill or is injured at school or on a school-sponsored activity.

Procedures

1. Administrators, staff and volunteers shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent accidents from occurring to students under their care and supervision.
2. Potential hazards to students shall be reported to the Principal on a Public School Works Hazard or Near Miss Report as soon as possible.
3. The Principal shall ensure that the school is equipped with first aid supplies and equipment that are accessible to staff at all times.
4. Staff who handle any body fluids shall ensure that they take precautions to protect themselves and others from the spread of infection – refer to Administrative Procedure 161 Appendix A, Prevention of Blood Borne Diseases.
5. The Principal shall ensure that school staff are made aware of basic first aid procedures and the names of persons on staff with first aid training.
6. Accident insurance shall be made available to students and their parents.
7. At the commencement of the school year, principals shall request that parents have made school staff and bus drivers aware of any specific medical problems of their children and any reasonable precautions and remedies that an adult would be expected to administer.
8. When a student is ill or injured, staff shall ensure that the student is comfortable and safe before leaving the student to summon additional help. If possible, the staff member is to stay with the student and have another person summon assistance.
   1. Students are not to be left in medical rooms without supervision.
9. Staff are expected to take any action to provide medical assistance as would be expected of any reasonable adult.
10. If consideration is given to sending an ill or injured student home, the Principal or designate shall:
    1. Contact the parents or emergency contact and ensure that the student is escorted home or to a designated location; or
    2. Keep the student at school if unable to contact the parents or emergency contact.
11. Emergency Procedures
    1. Where, in the judgement of a staff member, it is necessary for a student to obtain the services of a medical practitioner/medical facility, the staff member shall attempt to contact the parent or legal guardian immediately, if time permits, or as soon as possible after medical assistance has been obtained.
    2. If the parent or legal guardian cannot be immediately contacted, the staff member shall:
       1. Arrange for the transportation of the student to a medical facility;
       2. Attend or arrange for another staff member’s attendance with the student at the medical facility;
       3. Remain with the student until:
          1. Relieved by the parent or legal guardian, or
          2. Relieved by another staff member, or
          3. The student is discharged by the practitioner or medical facility, or
          4. Advised by a medical practitioner that there is no further need to remain as the treatment and safety of the child have been undertaken by the medical facility or institution;
       4. Upon arrival at the medical facility, advise those in authority that they are not the legal guardian of the student;
       5. Refrain from providing any consent for medical treatment of the student;
          1. The matter of consent for medical treatment is to be resolved among the medical practitioner, the parent or legal guardian and the child.
       6. Advise the parent as soon as is reasonably possible.
    3. When medical care is arranged for by supervising staff other than the Principal, the Principal is to be informed as soon as possible of the action taken. A Public School Works Student Accident Report and subsequent Case Journal updates are to be completed.
    4. Ambulance
       1. If a student has suffered a serious injury and moving the student might lead to more adverse consequences, an ambulance is to be summoned immediately.
       2. An ambulance will be summoned if a student is suffering from a possibly life threatening condition (i.e. anaphylactic shock or seizure, asthma, brain seizure, serious allergy, serious respiratory problems, etc.)
    5. Blows to the head or abdomen may not result in readily observable injury; however, such blows are always to be treated as potentially serious.
       1. Students who have received such blows are to be kept under continuous careful observation until medical attention is obtained for the student.
       2. The parent or legal guardian is to be advised of the situation and of action taken.
    6. Emergency treatment of specific conditions such as diabetes is to be handled in accordance with directions provided by the parent or physician or in accordance with the emergency provisions as specified in Administrative Procedure 316 - Administering Medicine to Students and contact with the parent is to be made as soon as possible.
    7. The Principal shall require every staff member involved in obtaining medical services for the student to describe in detail the circumstances of any incident requiring the provision of medical services, paying careful attention to time(s) and observation of the student through the Public School Works Student Accident Report Case Journal.
12. Within twenty-four (24) hours after the occurrence of an accident during school hours or at a school sponsored activity, the Principal shall ensure completion of the Public School Works Student Accident Report and subsequent Case Journal updates.