Should school nurses have non-prescription medications available for staff members to use?
When it comes to the use of stock medications for the faculty, special considerations should be taken by nursing personnel. When at work, a licensed nurse is not able to administer a medication without a prescriber’s order. It is our recommendation that the staff member keep their own medication in a safe place out of the reach of students and that school nurses do not engage in health related consulting with the school staff unless it is a part of your contractual responsibilities. Administering medications to staff could become problematic for a school nurse. Please consider the following: • If a teacher were to take something from your office independently, the staff member could take an inappropriate dosage and potentially have a reaction. • If a teacher came into the busy Health Office and complained of a headache, took some Advil or Tylenol from your office and suffered a stroke two hours later, there could be serious implications for the staff member, school nurse and school.
