School In-Service Presentations

Horizons in Hemophilia, August 2009

By Rueleen Lavergne, RN, Quality Assurance Nurse

HoG offers school in-services because it is important that teachers and school officials feel comfortable knowing what to do for a bleeding problem, instead of calling 911 for a minor problem or, at the other extreme, failing to let parents know about important concerns about their child's health. Even if your child is returning to the same school, he/she might have a new teacher(s) or a new school nurse. They may just need reminders of what to do to prevent bleeding problems and how to respond appropriately when they do have a problem.

If your child is going to a new school or pre-school, or transitioning to middle school or high school, please give the school a copy of your child's Emergency Action Plan and invite the Hemophilia of Georgia outreach nurse to contact the school to schedule an in-service about bleeding disorders. If your child has had surgery or has any other issues of concern that we need to educate school teachers and ancillary staff about, please let us know.  Prevention is always better than responding to an urgent problem.

Some parents have shared that they had school in-services in previous years and did not feel they needed another since they were in the same school system, but later had so many issues they regretted that decision. Think of a school in-service as a preventive service, much like a dental cleaning or annual health examination. We highly encourage you to check with the school and ask for the contact person and telephone number to help us schedule the in-service. As always, you may fill out the HoG form for permission to contact the school for an appointment on behalf of your child. We want children to succeed in school, make good grades, and to be in a safe environment where they can be treated for any bleeding problems.