Student medical law causes concerns for school nurses

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A controversial new Tennessee law has many school nurses on edge.

The Families Rights and Responsibilities Act went into effect this July.

The act says that no medical care can be performed on a minor without explicit permission of their parents, except in emergency cases.

Several Hamilton County School board members say they have heard from nervous school nurses concerned they could be sued or fired over performing their basic duties.

However, Hamilton County Schools say they are prepared to defend nurses against such accusations after sending home permission slips for students.

“If they have not signed the note, the student still can go to the nurse’s office, but the nurse must first try to contact the parent. So they need to try to call the parent and catch the parent. If a reasonable amount of time has gone by where they can’t catch the parent, then we’re saying they may use their discretion to treat, and we will defend that nurse for that decision,” said Shannon Moody, the Chief Strategic Officer for Hamilton County Schools.

HCS urges parents to sign these slips if they haven’t already done so.