My peers went to a Legal Issues seminar last year and came back saying that you are required to put on all Field Trip permission slips whether or not a nurse would be in attendance on the trip. I can't find any in print evidence/reference that this is true. Is this required for all students/all field trips, or is this a suggestion for medically fragile students, which of course is necessary to notify a parent if a nurse is not going?! We are updating our field trip policies in my district and I want to make sure the wording is there if it is required.
Diana Fenton, Esq., the NH Dept of Ed. attorney stated in the School RN Legal Seminar on Aug. 23, 2017 that NH law states re: field trips -
Must have a staff member with CPR/First Aid certification
If no RN is going on the field trip , parents must be notified in writing on the field trip permission slip that all parents sign.
The FT must be accessible for all students with IEP or 504, or NO TRIP
Nursing assessment determines the level of care a student needs on a field trip.
Diana's email is diana.fenton@doe.nh.gov
I have spoken to both Diana Fenton and Stephen Berwick at the DOE and they both said that there is no law or rule to support this that they are aware of. They both suggested that this would be a school based policy, not a state based policy. While it might be necessary for highly medically involved students, it is not necessary for all students and all field trips.
Well that's pretty interesting that Diana Fenton would state that since HER powerpoint slide on 8/23/2017 states in writing:
"if no nurse is attending, parents must be notified in writing"
I have a hard copy of her Powerpoint presentation slides and I am looking at it now. I don't know what to say then.
New Hampshire School Nurses' Association
www.nhschoolnurses.org email: nhschoolnurses@gmail.com
