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North Andover nurses report heavy caseloads and seek updates to medication policy
Summary
District nursing leaders told the school committee they expect roughly 53,000 nurse office visits this school year, outlined care for medically complex students and presented a first read of a medication-administration policy revised to align with updated state rules (cited as 105 CMR 210).
Cheryl, the district’s nursing leader, told the North Andover School Committee on May 14 that school nurses will log roughly 53,000 office visits by the end of the year and that the team has handled a wide range of medical needs from wound care to tracheostomy and g‑tube supports.
“...we'll finish the year at about 53,000 visits,” Cheryl said during the health-services presentation, noting an approximately 95 percent return‑to‑class rate after nurse assessment. She said the district’s nurses handled more than 8,000 parent communications this year and coordinate with outside specialists — for example, using orders from Boston Children’s Hospital to manage students with diabetes.
Why it matters: The nurses’ update framed a first read of revisions to the district’s medication-administration policy (JLCD) that the presenters said are necessary to comply with recent state regulatory changes they cited as 105 CMR 210. The changes under discussion would better define ‘‘school activities’’ (to include transportation, field trips, before‑ and after‑school clubs and other programs), clarify when students may self‑carry and self‑administer rescue medications (inhalers, epinephrine) and formalize annual registration and delegation requirements for medication program managers.
Cheryl and a colleague described the practical implications: the district supports 15 students with diabetes who require intensive planning, 471 students with asthma, 561 with ADHD/ADD and a range of others with seizure disorders, autism and behavioral-health needs. For some emergency medications now available in nasal forms, nurses said delegation and training protocols will determine whether trained staff beyond nurses can administer them in specified situations.
The committee’s role: School committee members asked clarifying questions about coverage during after‑school events and the district’s rules for delegating medication administration to trained staff. Presenters said they will work with town counsel and other districts to ensure the revised policy language mirrors the new state guidance and that the superintendent plans a second read and vote in a subsequent meeting after counsel reviews the text.
What’s next: The committee did not vote on the policy at the May 14 meeting; the item was presented as a first read, with instructions for committee members to submit follow‑up questions to staff ahead of the next meeting where a second read and vote are planned.
