Registered nurses provide various services to county schools enabling them to be in compliance with the Ohio Department of Health regulations. Routine vision, hearing, and scoliosis screenings are done by public health nurses (PHN). Emphasis on teacher observation and referral is critical to the screening process. Vision and hearing screenings are done at pre-school, kindergarten, and grade levels 1,3,5,7,9, and 11. Routine postural screening, to detect possible scoliosis and other spinal deformities, is performed in grades 6,7 and 8.
Students, new to the school system and special education pupils, are routinely screened, as well as those referred by teachers, doctors, parents, and other school personnel. Vision and hearing screenings are done on all students that are being referred to the school psychologist.
For pupils with suspected deviations from normal, rescreening, referral, and follow-up are done by the public health nurse assigned to that school. For the families of children requiring referral, the PHN provides information, provider referral lists, and sources of financial assistance. Follow-up is provided through communcation with students, parents, and/or providers.
The PHN also provides educational services for growth and development classes in the 5th and 6th grade.
For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program