Connecticut § 10-212 - School nurses and nurse practitioners. Administration of medications by parents or guardians on school grounds. Criminal history records checks. Professional development requirements.

§ 10-212. School nurses and nurse practitioners. Administration of medications by parents or guardians on school grounds. Criminal history records checks. Professional development requirements.

Sec. 10-212. School nurses and nurse practitioners. Administration of medications by parents or guardians on school grounds. Criminal history records checks. Professional development requirements. (a) Each local or regional board of education shall appoint one or more school nurses or nurse practitioners. Such school nurses and nurse practitioners appointed by such boards shall be qualified pursuant to regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 by the State Board of Education in consultation with the Department of Public Health, except any school nurse or nurse practitioner appointed by or under contract with a local or regional board of education shall not be required to have at least the equivalent of one year full-time working experience as a registered nurse during the five years immediately prior to appointment or employment as a school nurse or nurse practitioner. Such school nurses may also act as visiting nurses in the town, may visit the homes of pupils in the public schools and shall assist in executing the orders of the school medical advisor, if there is any in such town, and perform such other duties as are required by such board.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes or any regulation of Connecticut state agencies, nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the administering of medications by parents or guardians to their own children on school grounds.

(c) School nurses and nurse practitioners appointed by or under contract with any local or regional board of education and any nurse provided to a nonpublic school under the provisions of section 10-217a shall submit to a criminal history records check in accordance with the provisions of section 29-17a.

(d) On and after July 1, 2024, each school nurse or nurse practitioner appointed by or under contract with a local or regional board of education shall complete at least fifteen hours of professional development programs or activities approved and provided by such local or regional board of education, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-211f, in each two-year period, provided such professional development programs or activities include training and instruction in the implementation of individualized education programs and plans pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended from time to time.

(1949 Rev., S. 1473; P.A. 78-218, S. 136; P.A. 80-440, S. 2, 10; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4, S. 11, 58; P.A. 03-211, S. 3; P.A. 04-181, S. 2; P.A. 23-167, S. 34.)

History: P.A. 78-218 specified applicability of section to local and regional boards of education; P.A. 80-440 made appointment of school nurses mandatory rather than optional and required them to be “qualified pursuant to regulations adopted in accordance with chapter 54” by state board of education with advice of health services department; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re administration of medications by parents or guardians on school grounds, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-211 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting requirement that the State Board of Education adopt regulations in consultation with the Department of Public Health for requirement that regulations be adopted with technical advice and assistance of the Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 04-181 added Subsec. (c) re criminal history records checks, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 23-167 amended Subsec. (a) by adding exception re school nurse or nurse practitioner does not need to have at least the equivalent of 1 year full time working experience as a registered nurse during 5 years immediately prior to appointment or employment as a school nurse, and added Subsec. (d) re school nurses and nurse practitioners to complete at least 15 hours of professional development programs or activities in a 2-year period and include training and instruction in implementation of individualized education programs and 504 plans, effective July 1, 2023.

Cited. 152 C. 568.