Nurse
"Bee" Healthy
Mrs. Gale Shipley
Mrs. Shipley has been the school nurse at RWES since 2000. She completed her education at Cecil Community College, earning an Associates Degree in Nursing and an Associates Degree in Business and Commerce Technology. She is a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of 6 (5 boys and 1 girl). Prior to becoming a school nurse, Mrs. Shipley worked at Aberdeen Proving Ground for 19 years and at Perry Point Veterans' hospital for 6 years. She enjoys gardening, making crafts, and spending time with her family. She comments that she has enjoyed watching the students grow up from Pre-K to fifth grade, and then seeing them move on to middle and high school. "It's such a joy when they come back to visit and some of them are taller than me!"
The main function of the school nurse is to
provide emergency assistance to ill or injured students and staff. She is
also responsible for ensuring student health concerns are communicated to the
appropriate staff members. This includes preparing special diet requests,
emergency care plans, and ensuring that students and staff are educated
regarding health issues that some of our students face. She oversees student
immunization records and ensures compliance with state regulations. She is
responsible for vision and hearing screening for students in Pre-Kindergarten,
Kindergarten, First, and Fourth grades. Additionally she screens students for
special interest programs like the Flu Mist initiative.
When a student is taking a prescribed medication, parents/guardians should make every effort to arrange for the medicine to be taken outside of the school day. However, there are occasions when it is determined by a health care provider that a student must receive prescribed medication during the school day, either on a regular schedule or in the event of an emergency (such as bee stings, asthma, or diabetes.) When this circumstance occurs, the following guidelines apply:
- All medication must be accompanied by a written health care provider order. These instructions must contain: the student’s name, name of the medication, the route of administration, the exact dosage, time and circumstances of administration, length of time the medication is to be continued, reason for administration, health care provider’s name, time and frequency of administration and date of order. Parents/guardians must also provide written authorization to administer medication to their child. For your convenience, a form for this purpose is available from the school nurse. No medication may be administered to a student, without the required health care provider’s order and parent/guardian permission. Faxed medication orders are acceptable. In some circumstances orders written on health care provider’s letterhead or prescription pad is acceptable.
- The parent/guardian should give the first dose of any new prescription or over‐the‐counter medication at home (except for emergency medication, e.g. Epi‐PenŽ).
- Medication must be in its original prescription bottle, properly labeled by the pharmacy. Pharmacies can provide a second labeled bottle to accommodate medications that are given at school. Siblings may not share medication.
- Approved discretionary medications are available for occasional use with a signed parental consent. If your student requires any prescription or nonprescription medication on a regular basis, you must obtain a written order from your health care provider and supply the medications
- Parents/guardians or their designee must bring the medication to the school personally. Students are not permitted to carry medication on the school buses or the school grounds. Under extenuating circumstances there may be exceptions. This is for the safety of all students.
- No medication will be stored over the summer. The parent/guardian must pick up all medication by the end of the school day on the last day of school. Any remaining medication not picked up by a parent/guardian will be destroyed. No medication will be sent home with a student.
- A new health care provider’s order and parent/guardian permission form is required for medications at the beginning of each new school year, and for any changes during the school year.
- Students are permitted to carry cough drops, but must have written parent/guardian permission. No health care provider’s order is required.
To ensure the safety of the student taking medications, as well as other students, the following apply:
- All medications are kept in a locked cabinet in the health suite at all times.
- Medication must be taken in the presence of the school nurse, principal, or designee.
- Records are maintained documenting the medication taken, date, time, and who administered it.