Polk County Public Schools provides health care services through registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and clinic assistants. Our registered nurses oversee health services at multiple school locations.
Who are PCPS nurses and what services do they provide?
Polk County Public Schools nurses are registered nurses licensed by the Florida Board of Nursing. They are experienced in pediatric, public and mental health nursing and have strong health promotion, assessment and referral skills. As specialized nursing professionals, they advocate for children’s health and safety within the educational setting. PCPS nurses are committed to ensuring students are healthy, in school, and ready to learn.
PCPS nurses provide the following:
- Coordinated delivery of health-related services to students
- Support that contributes to students’ educational success and the reduction of health-related barriers to learning
- Health-related education for students and staff either on an individual basis or in group settings
- Consultation with and training of clinic assistants and other school personnel regarding health issues, procedures, and medication administration
- Scoliosis screenings, referrals, and follow up for sixth-grade students
- Reviews of immunization and health records for compliance
- Collaboration with school social workers to help students and their families access community resources
- Home visits as needed to assist families with health-related concerns
- Participation in the development of the school district’s health policies and guidelines
What is the Hearing Screening Team and what does it do?
At Polk County Public Schools, we have a dedicated Hearing Screening Team that performs annual hearing screenings for all students in kindergarten, first, third, and sixth grades, as well as any other elementary students new to the state of Florida. The results of these screenings are kept in the students’ health records at their school.
Pure tone audiometric screenings are done at each school. Students who exhibit difficulty with the screening will be rescreened two to four weeks after the initial screening. At that time, if hearing difficulty is evident, a tympanometric screening will be done.
A district audiologist will then review the screening results of the students who appear to have hearing difficulties. Referrals will be made for medical and/or audiological follow-ups based on the screening results. The parents of the students who need follow-ups will be notified of the results by mail. The school district audiologist can answer questions about the screening results and recommendations made.