Kingsport City Schools now requiring parent consent before nurses can give Band Aids, ice packs

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Kingsport City Schools’ leaders say they will now require parent consent before school nurses can administer non-emergency care like providing bandages or ice packs due to changes in state law.

A letter sent to parents on Friday cites the “recently passed “ Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act, ” and directs parents to an online consent form.

Though the law does not specifically mention school nurses, Assistant Superintendent Andy True told News Channel 11 that attorneys with the Tennessee School Board Association are recommending districts expand existing consent forms in light of the new law.

“Whereas in the past it was, you know, consent may be for medication, to be able to take an Advil or those types of things, the way we are being guided on the interpretation of the law is that treatment this year would need to be covered by that consent, things like band-aids, ice packs, those sorts of things,” True said.

True said the system is working to track down consent forms for more than 7,000 students in the first few weeks of school.

“That way, we’re not needing to pursue that in the moment, you know, where a child might be in the clinic with a scrape or cut, we already have that consent on file,” True said.

KCS parent Brittany Cradic said the new requirements feel “a little extreme.” Still, she said she recognizes why lawmakers want to keep parents involved in their kids’ healthcare.

“I do think that the waters get really muddy whenever any form of government interferes too deeply in in family life,” Cradic told News Channel 11. “Every parent is different, and you have the right to decide what’s best for you and your family.”

Schools may be opting for a more cautious approach, because the law gives parents grounds to bring a civil suit against a school healthcare provider that violates the law and allows the state to revoke “the offending healthcare providers” licensing authority.

“I think that goes to the level of of efforts we’re trying to take at this point, to communicate with our families, to be able to have structures in place to get that consent,” True said. “Because we certainly want to be able to provide those services that they wanted to, but at the same time, we do want to follow what the law says.”

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