Paraeducator Competencies 12 & 14

1. Paraeducator Competencies 12 & 14 Presented by Lynnette Ondeck, RN, BSN School Nurse

2. Competency #12 • Knowledge of and ability to follow health, safety, and emergency procedures of the agency where you are employed

3. 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

4. Competency #12 continued • Ability to perform first aid • Ability to use infection control and universal precautions • Ability to use lifting, carrying, and transferring techniques.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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!

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. Competencies 12 &14 Any questions?