The Challenge

Jenn Sezonov, RN, joined Wheaton Academy in 2020 as their first full-time nurse. The school previously relied on part-time health staff to administer student medication at lunchtime. With the increase in student health needs around COVID-19, they hired a full-time school nurse to support their community. 

Wheaton Academy’s health office uses Magnus Health to track medication information, stay organized with medical forms, and prepare for emergencies.  

Medication Paperwork

Since the onset of COVID-19, school nurses have noticed a significant increase in the amount of students that take a prescription medication. Jenn has observed an increase with mental health medications, specifically, and more paperwork for students that keep medications on them throughout the day. 

As a high school, the majority of Wheaton Academy’s students self-carry their medication versus storing it in the health office. At the beginning of each school year, the student must complete a self-administration form with their parent’s signature to acknowledge permission to self-carry. The form is then uploaded into Magnus Health and stored in the student’s vital health record along with additional forms like an asthma action plan or emergency action plan, as needed.

“All teachers and chaperones have the Magnus Health app on their phone to see which medicines are safe for each student to take.”
– Jenn Sezonov, RN, School Nurse

Over-the-Counter Medications

The school keeps certain over-the-counter medications on hand for emergencies and field trips. Jenn uses Magnus Health to send parents a list of the school’s over-the-counter medications; parents must sign off on each medication to say if their child can or cannot use it. That information is then stored in Magnus Health and accessible by authorized users in case of field trips or emergencies. 

Although Jenn does not keep inhalers or EpiPens in the health office, she does keep some rescue medications on hand in case a student forgets an approved medication.  

Field Trips and Emergency Medications 

Prior to school field trips, Jenn creates small packs of over-the-counter medications for chaperones to carry in case of emergency. If an injury or illness occurs during the field trip, the chaperone can quickly consult Magnus Health to make sure the student is approved to take medication.  

“All teachers and chaperones have the Magnus Health app on their phone to see which medicines are safe for each student to take,” says Jenn.

Summary

Through COVID-19 and beyond, Magnus Health helps Wheaton Academy manage medication administration and provide consistent student care.  

To learn more about Magnus Health and how we can improve medication administration at your school, request a free demo of our leading SHR solution.