SCHOOL NURSE EMERGENCY BAG UPDATE!
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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: The question isn't "If a health emergency happens, will I be prepared?", the question is "When a school health emergency happens, will I be prepared?". Run through scenarios in your head and make sure you have an emergency bag (or box) ready to go!
Updated School Nurse Emergency Box!
For years I've promised an update, but as a busy school nurse, the promised updated blog post kept getting pushed to the back burner. Finally, I took a few minutes to take a picture of my current emergency bag! Ready?
My school nurse emergency bag is not actually a bag at all- it is a BOX!
I still keep it on a shelf in my office for easy grab-n-go access. I still have the same supplies as before, BUT the supplies are nicely organized by like items in this box. I used pencil storage cases and made labels for each! No need for a fancy label maker; these are printed from my computer onto regular paper then taped to the pencil boxes!
You might be saying to yourself
"Great, but carrying that box would be cumbersome."
This version of my emergency bag is a little cumbersome, but I prefer having all like items neatly organized and labeled! And, It fits perfectly in the wheelchair seat which I typically take with me on emergency calls. The pencil boxes are also large enough that I can keep folded copies of any specific emergency action plans that I need inside too! So far this new emergency box has been working out great.
Hang tight for another update- in eight years or so!
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Finding Out About The Emergency
Responding to the emergency obviously important, but equally important is knowing how you'll find out about the emergency. This process varies between schools. These are the main things you'll need to know:
- How will you find out about the emergency
- Who responds to the emergency and what are their roles
- What happens in your office while you are responding
- What are the protocols if 911 needs to be activated
- Who notifies the parents
- Who adjusts school attendance for the student
School Nurse Emergency Box Contents:
Items Also Taken:
AED inside a Red Backpack similar to this one
Many school nurses (including myself) need standing orders for the emergency items mentioned above. Do you know your state requirements?
I've shared several blog posts about school nurse emergency bags that you can read- HERE.
Original & Most Popular DOASN Blog Posts
This school nurse emergency bag blog post from 2012 is the most read post on the Diary Of A School Nurse blog! You can check it out here- 2012 POST HERE.
There is a follow up school nurse emergency bag blog post from 2020 that you can read HERE- 2020 POST HERE.
Check out these other popular DOASN blog posts & links.
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As far as the EAP's, are they for students or just general EAPs? If student EAP's do you carry their rescue medications or just use what you have with you?
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