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Medication Administration - Overnight Field Trip

Options for administration of medications for extended day field trips include the following.

• For medications that fall within the regular school day, refer to Field Trips During the School Day procedure above, page VI-34.
• If medication is required for administration before or after regular school hours, the parent/guardian must provide a separate medication order and enough medication in a properly labeled prescription or original OTC container for the duration of the trip. A medication order form completed by a physician/prescriber is required for all medications, i.e., prescription, OTC, homeopathic and herbal. Administration of OTC, homeopathic, and herbal medicines must be conducted in accordance with the procedure for prescription medication.
• Written consent of the parent/guardian for the administration of medication is required.
• Medication orders on file in the health rooms for emergency medication may address the requirements of the extended day field trip but must be reviewed by the cluster nurse at least one week prior to the trip.
• Parent volunteers cannot administer medication on extended day field trips.
• Only students already self-administering medication as noted on their medication form can self-administer medication on the extended day field trip. Consult with the cluster nurse at least one week prior to the extended day field trip regarding these students.
• School personnel can administer oral medication, assist with inhalers and administer EpiPens (if trained) on extended day field trips.
• Only school personnel already functioning in a delegated relationship with the cluster nurse or a licensed individual can administer injections (other than EpiPen), nebulizer treatments, or other delegated nursing tasks.
• If injections, nebulizer treatments, or other nursing tasks are required on the extended day field trip, an individual already functioning in a delegated nursing role or a medically licensed individual must accompany the student(s). Consult with the cluster nurse at least one week prior to the extended day field trip so students with special health needs can be identified.*
• Health Services personnel must not be assigned to go on extended day field trips, but are to remain in their assigned schools to address the health needs of the majority of students.**
• Schools should consider purchasing a cell phone for school personnel to use on extended day field trips in the event that 911 or a parent/guardian needs to be called.

* In the event that the cluster nurse determines that a medically licensed individual needs to accompany a student or students on a school sponsored activity, the following is suggested. Contact Temporary Employment to arrange for a nurse substitute. If a nurse substitute is not available, contact Care Resources, the private nurse staffing agency that contracts with the Howard County Public School System. Share with them the name of the school, contact person, that this is a field trip, the dates and times that a nurse is needed, and whether you need a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) as determined by the cluster nurse. The phone number for Care Resources is 410-583-1515. The cost for the medically licensed individual may be obtained using funds from school fund raising activities, or using funds from the school’s third party billing allocation.

** Health Services personnel at Cedar Lane School may accompany students on school- sponsored activities as long as the health needs of the students at school are addressed by the remaining Health Services personnel.