School Health Guidance, Resources, & Required Training

Required Annual Training for School Health Staff

Local school divisions should document training of school personnel per their local policy and note date/time of training, title, training content and participant(s). Required training is outlined in the table below with supporting guidance and resources.

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Additional Training Resources

School Nurse Orientation

New School Nurse Orientation modules provide an overview of school nurse practice within the school setting. This training is not intended to replace orientation about school health policies and procedures at the local level and includes the following.

• Module 1: Opening a School Health Room/Clinic
• Module 2: Student Enrollment Requirements
• Module 3: Training of Staff
• Module 4: Vision/Hearing Screening and Individualized Healthcare Plans (IHP)
• Module 5: Nursing Delegation, Laws and Confidentiality

Quick Resources for School Health Staff

• The School Nurse Checklist is a resource to guide school health staff in required activities throughout the year.
• The Hearing and Vision Screening Criteria infographic provides an abbreviated summary of school screening guidelines and processes.
• Communicable Disease Reference Chart for School Personnel (VDH)
• The Guidelines for Health Care Procedures in Schools are intended to provide guidance to school administrators, school health staff, teachers and staff on the care of students with special health care needs during the school day.
• First Aid Flip Chart is a quick reference guide for administering emergency care to an injured or ill individual. It contains practical, step-by-step instructions that describe what to do when caring for an injured or ill person. The first aid provided in the school setting is based on this guidance.
• The School Health Activity Chart outlines the roles, responsibilities, and training of school staff needed to provide care to students with specialized health care needs.
• The Required School Screenings Guidance Document for Special Education is intended to provide guidance to school personnel in their screening and identifying of students with unsuspected conditions, implement early intervention of treatment, and reduce the impact that untreated condition may have on a student's educational progress.

Enrollment - Health Forms

For general information on enrollment requirements, please refer to the Enrollment in Virginia Public Schools section of the VDOE website.

Virginia School Entrance Health Forms

• School Entrance Health Form Instructions (PDF)
• School Entrance Health Form - MCH 213G (PDF)
• Certificate of Religious Exemption (PDF)
• VDH School Health Forms webpage - access the MCH 213G form in multiple languages
• School and Daycare Immunization Requirements
• Virginia Childhood and Adolescent Vaccination Schedule
• Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) link for reporting of required School Health Survey and Vision/Hearing data.

Mandated Parent Notification Required for:

• Hearing and Vision Screening (§ 22.1-273, 8VAC20-81-50(C), 8VAC20-250-10).
  • For all students in KG, 2nd or 3rd, 7th, and 10th grades and out of state transfers unless exception noted.
• Scoliosis screening (8VAC20-690-20. (§ 22.1-273.1)
  • Hands-on Scoliosis Screening or information on Scoliosis shared with parents within the first 60 days of school.
• Eating disorders (§ 22.1-273.2.)
  • Sample of Eating Disorders Parent Information Sheet (Word) for students in grades 5-12

If schools conduct optional screening for eating disorders they may use the sample forms provided below:

• Report of Eating Disorder Screening Form (Word)
• Sample Eating Disorder Screening Opt-Out Form (Word)

Additional Resources and Guidance by Topic

Cardiac and Emergency Management

• Guidelines for Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Student Athletes
• Virginia School Crisis, Emergency Management and Medical Emergency Response Plan
• Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Guidelines for Schools (PDF)

Children with Immune Deficiencies

• Model Guidelines for School Attendance for Children With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (PDF)
• ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation Education Toolkit

COVID-19 Resources

• Current Coronavirus information and resources can be found on the Virginia Department of Health’s VDH Coronavirus K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs webpage. This webpage includes information about COVID-19 testing and vaccination resources available to K-12 schools, child care facilities, and parents.

Dental Health

• VDH Oral Health Resources - Provides valuable information on oral health to parents and schools.
• School-Based Oral Health Program in Virginia Schools

Head Injury

• Guidelines for Policies on Concussions in Students - Virginia Board of Education
• CDC Heads Up - this site helps parents, youth sports coaches, school professionals, and health care providers recognize, respond to, and minimize the risk of concussion or other serious brain injury.

Head Lice Management

• The VDH Head Lice Infestation website provides information on head lice for parents, school staff and community members. 
• National Association of School Nurses Head Lice Position Statement