Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 160-4-8-.18 - Diabetes Medical Management Plans
(1)
DEFINITIONS.
(a)
Diabetes medical management
plan - a document developed by the student's physician or other health
care professional that sets out the health services, including the student's
target range for blood glucose levels, needed by the student at school and is
signed by the student's parent or guardian.
(b)
Health care professional - a
doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical
Board pursuant to Article 2, Chapter 34, Title 43 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated or a legally authorized designee acting pursuant to job
description or nurse protocol agreement approved by the Georgia Composite
Medical Board.
(c)
Trained
diabetes personnel - a school employee who volunteers to be trained in
accordance with this rule. Such employee shall not be required to be a health
care professional.
(2)
REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Each local
board of education and state-chartered special school shall ensure that there
are at least two school employees trained in accordance with the Georgia
Department of Education's, Guidelines for the Care Needed for Students
with Diabetes in each school that has a student with diabetes. This
training shall be conducted by a school nurse or other health care professional
with expertise in diabetes and shall take place prior to the commencement of
each school year, or as needed when a student with diabetes enrolls at a
school, or when a student is newly diagnosed with diabetes. Local boards of
education shall ensure that the school nurse or other health care professional
provides follow-up training and supervision as necessary for compliance with
this rule.
(b) Each local school
system and state chartered special school shall provide information in the
recognition of diabetes related emergency situations to all employed or
contracted bus drivers responsible for the transportation of a student with
diabetes.
(c) Each school shall
review and implement the diabetes medical management plan provided by the
parent or guardian of a student with diabetes who seeks diabetes care while at
school.
(d) In accordance with the
request of a parent or guardian of a student with diabetes and the student's
diabetes medical management plan, the school nurse or, in the absence of the
school nurse, trained diabetes personnel shall perform functions including, but
not limited to, responding to blood glucose levels that are outside of the
student's target range; administering glucagon; administering insulin, or
assisting a student in administering insulin through the insulin delivery
system the student uses; providing oral diabetes medications; checking and
recording blood glucose levels and ketone levels, or assisting a student with
such checking and recording; and following instructions regarding meals,
snacks, and physical activity. These activities shall not constitute the
practice of nursing and shall be exempted from all applicable statutory and
regulatory provisions that restrict what activities can be delegated to or
performed by a person who is not a licensed health care professional.
(e) The school nurse or at least one trained
diabetes personnel shall be on site at each school and available during regular
school hours to provide care to each student with a diabetes medical management
plan being implemented by the school. For purposes of field trips, the parent
or guardian, or designee of such parent or guardian, of a student with diabetes
may, at the discretion of the school, accompany such student on a field
trip.
(f) A student's school choice
under O.C.G.A. §
20-2-2130 or other applicable law
shall in no way be restricted because the student has diabetes.
(g) Upon written request of a student's
parent or guardian and if authorized by the student's diabetes medical
management plan, a student with diabetes shall be permitted to perform blood
glucose checks, administer insulin through the insulin delivery system the
student uses, treat hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and otherwise attend to the
monitoring and treatment of his or her diabetes in the classroom, in any area
of the school or school grounds, and at any school related activity, and he or
she shall be permitted to possess on his or her person at all times all
necessary supplies and equipment to perform such monitoring and treatment
functions.
(h) No physician, nurse,
school employee, local school system, or state chartered special school shall
be liable for civil damages or subject to disciplinary action under
professional licensing regulations or school disciplinary policies as a result
of the activities authorized or required by O.C.G.A. §
20-2-779when such acts are
committed as an ordinarily reasonably prudent physician, nurse, school
employee, local school system, or state chartered special school would have
acted under the same or similar circumstances.
Notes
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