School Nurse Role in Special Education Evaluations 

MN Statute: 8710.6100 SCHOOL NURSE


The school nurse is an integral part of the special education team and should be involved in the pre-referral process in order to determine if there may be a health need that is impacting learning or is educationally significant.
 
Collects and provides health-related information for the IEP team
► Professionally interprets and synthesizes health-related information in order to determine
          how the health condition impacts learning and the school environment
         ► the student's need for nursing services during the school day

 

The school nurse uses a health interview style tool to gather. the information needed for special education evaluations.  This tool is called the Health and Physical Assessment.  This is a necessary component of evaluations for students who have health conditions (physical or mental) that require school nursing.
 
Such as:
Individual or Emergency Care Plans
Direct services: Medications, treatments, hearing monitoring
Indirect Services: Medication management, care coordination, chronic condition management
Also recommended when
► Little or no information is known of the student's condition
► If the student has a complex health history
► If the student has a physical or mental health condition and additional information is needed in order to understand how the condition impacts learning or participation in school

 
► The Health and Physical Assessment is mandatory for eligibility under the Physically Impaired (PI) category (MN Rule 3525).
 
It is also highly recommended when documentation of a health condition by a health care provider is required when determining eligibility, such as for Other Health Disabilities (OHD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 
 
► In Minnesota, the Health and Physical Assessment tool must be completed by a Licensed School Nurse (LSN) or Public Health Nursing (PHN), and should meet current professional standards.  
 
 
RESOURCES
Health and Physical Assessment
School Nurse Organization of Minnesota (SNOM)
PPT. School Nurse's Role in Special Education & Third Party Billing 
Example of School Nurse Sections in the Evaluation Report