Paraeducator Competencies 12

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Paraeducator Competencies 12 14

• Presented by
• Lynnette Ondeck, RN, BSN
• School Nurse

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Competency 12

• Knowledge of and ability to follow health,
  safety, and emergency procedures of the agency
  where you are employed

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Competency 12 continued

• Objectives
• Understanding of district policies and
  procedures, contract provisions, and state
  requirements.
• Understanding of the legal requirements of
  delegation and supervision
• Understanding the legal requirements and district
  policy and procedures for chain of command

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Competency 12 continued

• Ability to perform first aid
• Ability to use infection control and universal
  precautions
• Ability to use lifting, carrying, and
  transferring techniques.

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Competency 14

• Awareness of personal care and/or health-related
  support.
• Awareness of district policies and procedures and
  the legal requirements for delegation, training
  and supervision, and the issues of
  insubordination.
• Awareness of legal requirements for providing
  health-related care in schools.
• Awareness of personal care and health-related
  tasks.

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What this means to you

• School health services must be performed by a
  qualified school nurse
• School health services may be performed by other
  qualified employees.
• Task must be delegated
• Employee must receive training from licensed
  school health employee.
• Examples would be gastrostomy tube feeding,
  clean intermittent catheterization, medication
  administration

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What this means to you continued.

• Where in your building would you find this
  information?
• Whom would you ask for further information?
• Principal
• Special Education Teacher
• Nurse
• Occupational/Physical Therapist
• Speech Pathologist

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Licensed school health care employees

• Registered nurse
• Responsible for delegation, training, supervising
  of health related duties
• Training needs to occur annually
• Supervision is indirect
• Nurse providing service may serve in more than
  one building.

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Competency 12 14

• Occupational and physical therapist
• Provide training on positioning
• Body alignment, symmetry, and function to assist
  student in maintaining posture they are not able
  to on their own.
• Speech Pathologist may also provide training that
  will assist in communication or oral feedings.

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Competency 12 14 continued

• Teachers, parents, administrators, and other
  paraeducators may not delegate task to others,
  provide training or supervision.
• Training and supervision needs to occur on
  regular basis.

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Competencies 12 14

• Nurses and other licensed health care
  professionals remain responsible and accountable
  for health care tasks that are delegated to
  paraprofessional.
• Health care workers licenses can be put in
  jeopardy if services are not performed accurately
  and safely.

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Competencies 12 14

• Teachers and administrators, paraeducators, or
  other school personnel who perform health care
  tasks without proper delegation and training put
  themselves at risk of criminal charges or may be
  found liable for civil damages.
• Performing a health care procedure without
  appropriate delegation and training is practicing
  medicine without a license!

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While performing health-related activities you
should

• Use universal precautions as taught in bloodborne
  pathogen training
• Avoid direct contact with bodily fluids. Assume
  that all bodily fluids contain potentially
  infectious agents.
• Wash your hands often. This is the single most
  important practice in preventing transmission of
  infectious organisms.

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Infection control

• Encourage students to do their own care as much
  as possible.
• Wear gloves to reduce the risk of contact with
  bodily fluids.
• Ensure that supplies are readily available.

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Competencies 12 14

• If you are not sure about a task that you are
  currently performing, please ask your school
  nurse, occupational therapist, physical
  therapist, or speech pathologist.

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Competencies 12 14

• Any questions?