School Nurses & Health Emergencies at School

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Hopefully Helpful School Nurse Tip: Health emergencies in the school setting will happen. Run through scenarios in your mind and come up with your potential responses ahead of time.

Preparing for Medical Emergencies in the School Setting

Emergencies in the school setting are stressful, fast-paced, and often unpredictable- but being mentally and physically prepared can make all the difference. As a school nurse, your calm and confidence will help everyone around you stay focused. That’s why it's worth taking a little time now to prepare for what you hope won’t happen.

Here’s how I get ready each year to handle medical emergencies with confidence and clarity:

Check Expiration Dates & Restock Emergency Medications

Start by reviewing the expiration dates on all emergency medications stored at your school, including:

Epinephrine auto-injectors
Albuterol inhalers
Glucagon
Diastat
Any other critical treatments required for individual student needs

If anything is expired or nearing expiration, reorder ASAP. Don’t forget to check with families about refills for student-specific medications. I also set a calendar reminder for mid-year to catch any items that may expire before spring break.

Evaluate Your Emergency Bag

Once your medications are in order, take a closer look at your emergency kit. Whether you use a backpack, rolling cart, or wall-mounted bag—what matters most is that it's functional and fast.

Ask yourself:

Is it easy to carry in an urgent situation?
Can you quickly access critical supplies without digging through clutter?
Is everything clearly labeled and organized?

If your bag isn’t working well for you, now’s the time to upgrade or reorganize. Some nurses love tactical-style backpacks; others use tackle boxes or clear pouches to group supplies by use.

Need ideas? I've shared my emergency bag setups over the years:

Original Post (9/18/2012) – My starting point
Update (2/8/2020) – Mid-career adjustments

Most Recent Update (1/18/2021) – What I’m using now

Check out these blog posts to get an overview of my school nurse emergency bags

Original Post from 9/18/2012

Post from 2/8/2020

Most Recent Update 1/18/2021

Replenish Expired & Missing Items

It’s not just medications you need to check. Review your stock of emergency supplies, and replace anything that's low, missing, or expired:

CPR face shields
Nitrile gloves
Bandages, gauze, and tape
Glucose gel or juice boxes
Stop The Bleed Tourniquets
Ice packs
Emergency contact lists

If anything is running low or missing, restock it now so you aren’t scrambling when an emergency happens. Check out my list on Amazon!

Assess & Improve Your Response Plan

Having the right supplies is only half the equation—your emergency response procedures matter just as much. Take some time to reflect on past medical situations you’ve handled at school. What went well? What could be improved? Don’t be afraid to adjust your approach based on experience.

Do you have an effective communication system in place to alert staff during a medical emergency?
Are key personnel trained on their roles and responsibilities?
Have you practiced emergency drills to ensure smooth execution?
Are your response protocols up to date with current best practices?

Making small but meaningful adjustments can improve response times and outcomes.

Practice Scenarios Ahead of Time

Even a quick mental walkthrough of different emergencies—like anaphylaxis in the cafeteria, a seizure during PE, or a student collapsing at recess—can help you feel more prepared when it really happens.

I often ask myself:

What would I do first? Who do I need to call? What supplies would I need on hand?

You can even keep a printed cheat sheet of roles, room numbers, and emergency steps tucked in your emergency bag or on a clipboard for easy reference- perfect for sub nurses who might be covering your school too!

Check out other DOASN blog posts here to get an

overview of my school nurse emergency bags