[MaineSchoolNurse] Follow Up to Office Hours

Thu Jun 5 08:06:55 EDT 2025

Happy June and Happy Summer!
This was our final office hours of the school year and I could sense the anticipation to have some down time, sunshine, vacation, and family gatherings. We will resume office hours in September.

Transition to School Nurse Information Portal-- At office hours I reviewed the reasons and transition away from this email system "listserv" and the change to the School Nurse Information Portal which will be housed within EnGiNE. (See attachment)
This change, which I realize does not come without difficulty, will allow for you to easily access any previous newsletters or mass emails that come from my team. I am hopeful that you will take a few minutes to accept the invitation you will receive in your email inbox so it will be ready to roll in August. This will be the last email sent through maineschoolnurse at maillist.informe.org.

Flu Clinic Partners. Maine DHHS/MCDC/Public Health Nursing and Maine DOE Coordinated School Health Team are committed to making vaccination accessible for school students.  If you and your School Administrative Unit (SAU) are interested in being part of a partnership to assist in providing a flu and/or COVID-19 clinic, please complete this form<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTqztGtx-9G1PhXwD3irY9gxUMTFHQUJVMERVVzZVNkVBQjI5VjMxSEdURy4u> by June 20, 2025. These clinics will be specific to students ages 18 and under.    If you already have a partner, you don’t need to complete the form. For questions or more information about vaccination clinics, please email lori.powell at maine.gov<mailto:lori.powell at maine.gov>
Resource for review: School-located Vaccine Toolkit<https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/manual/immunization#:~:text=School-Located%20Vaccine%20Clinic%20Toolkit>

Control of Notifiable Diseases and Conditions Maine CDC announced adoption of the updated rule.<https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/rules/maine-cdc-rules.shtml?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#anchor13197274> I am sharing this as FYI. It doesn't change anything for schools, it just updates the diseases and processes. It is a good idea to review it some time.

New MIYHS 2023 Fact Sheets have been released! https://www.maine.gov/miyhs/2023-fact-sheets

Biomedical Waste Management—a couple of FAQs answered by DEP—feel free to pass this information along to any other people that need it. Regional contacts within DEP can be found on this Web page.<https://www.maine.gov/dep/waste/biomedical/index.html> Contact the staff in the nearest regional office to you.
 Answers to common questions

  *
Schools are almost certainly going to generate under 50 lbs./month (the exception might be medical or veterinary schools, I suppose), and there is an exemption in Chapter 900 that simplifies things for smaller generators.  If you generate under 50 lbs./month you do NOT need to have a written biomedical waste management plan as described in 09-096 C.M.R. ch. 900, § 11.B.
  *
 Vomit; feces; urine; and used adhesive bandages, gauze, tissues, or paper towels (thinking bloody nose here) that are not saturated are not considered biomedical waste and do not need to be managed in accordance with Chapter 900.  Obviously it makes sense to still handle these with some care, but they are different from a regulatory perspective.  For purposes of what a saturated dressing is, think of a first-change surgical dressing where the wound-contact layers will likely be completely saturated.  A 4-inch square of gauze that was on a skinned knee may have a pretty good bloody spot on it but will not likely be saturated.  To put it another way: if you can pick it up reasonably easily without getting your fingers bloody and it’s not likely to drip, it’s not saturated.
  *
 If your school keeps a few epi-pens on hand for use in case of emergency and does not otherwise generate biomedical waste; you do not need to register.  Those are generally for emergencies only, and in a perfect world will expire before they are needed.  Even if you did need to use one on occasion, I think it is fair to call that incidental rather than intentional/predictable or routine generation.

Here are the relevant rule excerpts; one is Section 3 on applicability and the other is the excerpt that is relevant to the biomedical waste management plan:
 3.   Applicability
This rule applies to all persons engaged in biomedical waste activity except as provided for in section 4 of this rule.
Biomedical Waste Management Plan
              (1)  Except as provided for in Section 4 of this rule, each medical facility which generates biomedical waste shall prepare a written biomedical waste management plan appropriate for the size and type of facility. Such plan must set forth policies and procedures consistent with these regulations for managing biomedical waste.
 To more fully flesh out this clarification, here is the small quantity generator portion of Section 4.  It does require registration, but allows for simplified management of under 50 lbs. of sharps-only waste by self-transport or mailing:
     Small Quantity Generators
 A medical facility which generates less than a total of 50 pounds of biomedical waste in any one month is exempt from the requirements of this rule for that month with the following exceptions:

  1.   The facility shall register in accordance with Section 11(A).
  2.  Discarded sharps, as defined in Section 7(A)(4), and discarded cultures and stocks of infectious agents, as defined in Section 7(A)(5), shall be packaged in accordance with Section 12(A), labeled in accordance with Section 12(B) and treated in accordance with Section 10.
  3.  Except as provided in (4) and (5) below, transport of biomedical waste shall be by a licensed biomedical waste transporter and accompanied by a four-part manifest unless the biomedical waste is taken by the generator to another medical facility or to a permitted biomedical waste transfer or treatment facility and the amount transported is less than 50 pounds.
  4.  The generator or an employee of the generator may transport sharps packaged in accordance with this rule to a licensed biomedical waste treatment facility or another medical facility that has volunteered to serve as a collection point for sharps if no more than 50 pounds of sharps are transported in one trip.  NOTE: The rule allows employees to generate biomedical waste off site at intermittent, temporary field collection points and transport it back to their facility. Included are blood drives, home health care providers and phlebotomists working at a temporary field location.
  5.  A generator of biomedical waste may send up to 50 pounds of properly packaged discarded sharps via the United States Postal Service to a licensed biomedical waste treatment facility. All generators are responsible for compliance with the packaging standards contained in Section 12 of the rules. NOTE: The enabling legislation for the mailing of discarded sharps via the United States Postal Service (USPS) specified quantities of up to 50 pounds; however, USPS guidelines limit the amount to 35 pounds. NOTE: For a medical facility to qualify for the small quantity exemption, all categories of biomedical waste identified in Section 7 must be considered and the total amount must be less than 50 pounds per month.

 Call for School Nurse Mentors for a Pilot Program 2025-2026
Are you looking to enhance your professional journey and to share your invaluable expertise? We are excited to announce the launch of a new School Nurse Mentorship Pilot Program designed to foster professional growth, collaboration, and support within our school nursing community. This initiative offers a unique opportunity to build meaningful relationships and strengthen our collective impact on student health.
Almost half of the workforce of school nurses in Maine have less than 5 years of experience (48.5%) and to further highlight the uncertainty of the school nursing workforce, 28% of school nurses reported not knowing how long they would remain in their role and 30% of nurses reported that they plan to leave in the next five years (CSHIQ, 2023). This high potential for turnover highlights an urgent need to support new school nurses and reduce departures within their first five years. Our mentorship program is designed to address this challenge directly. To provide mentorship across the state, we will strive to recruit up to 16 mentors, two in each of the eight geographic public health districts.
National standards indicate that nursing supervision is essential for high-qualit
y, safe care and to evaluate competent nursing practice. Maine DOE cannot dictate who supervises school nurses in the field, but it can provide an opportunity to be mentored by another nurse, which will lead to increased confidence in their clinical competencies and safer practices of care. One of the goals of this program is to equip new school nurses with a supportive network of clinical peers which may lead to lower turnover rates for those entering school nursing. When there is a high turnover rate of staff in a school, there is an increased potential that the needs of students will go unrecognized and unmet. Supporting new school nurses will increase their capacity to recognize problems and meet the needs of students.
 Requirements to be a mentor:

  *   Hold a professional 524 endorsement from Maine DOE
  *   Have at least five years of school nurse experience
  *   Be willing to complete a School Nurse Mentor Training Program (a full-day in-person training)
  *   Commit to the one-year pilot program

Benefits of being a mentor in the pilot program*:

  *   Professional learning and experience
  *   Contact hours for trainings
  *   Professional recognition
  *   Stipend for each monthly meeting
  *   Complimentary School Nurse Summer Institute Registration (2026)
  *   Complimentary MASN/NASN membership for one year

*Some of the benefits listed are dependent on funding application that Maine DOE has submitted.
Objectives: To facilitate relationship building for personal and professional growth of school nurses in Maine at all levels.

  *   Over the course of one year, form a collaborative trusting relationship with regular contact (minimum monthly contact) via phone, email, text, or in-person.
  *   Increase the mentee’s problem-solving and decision-making skills through communication and support.
  *   Expand the mentee’s knowledge of various regulations, best practices, and policies related to school nursing.
  *   Address the mentee’s questions on school nursing, resource identification, and locating services for students.
  *
Encourage professional development and long-term career planning.

If you think this might be for you, please complete this form<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTsNW3El-C_5Fk5NV88SOugNUN01YNldXMDE4RE85UVNPQzM0UjVSREMyQS4u> by June 10, 2025.

Department of Education Annual Summit 2025 Measure What Matters: The Expanding View of Educational Excellence in MaineAugust 5 - 6, 2025 - Doors open at 7:30 a.m.  - Earn up to 10 contact hours
We are excited to share costs associated with registrations for identified schools (TSI-Targeted School Improvement, ATSI-Additional Targeted School Improvement, CSI-Comprehensive School Improvement) under Maine’s Model of School Supports (MMSS) in your SAU. Registration fees are waived for identified schools up to $2,500 (or up to 5 staff) per identified school to pay for this two-day event. Visit our website, and don’t forget to scroll to see what we are featuring and to purchase your tickets here:   Home | Annual Summit 2025<https://events.bizzabo.com/687774>

Don't hesitate to reach out to me or any of our team with questions or concerns.

-Emily

________________________________________

Emily Poland, MPH, RN, NCSN (she/her)
School Nurse Consultant
Coordinator – Coordinated School Health
Office of School and Student Supports
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0023
Email: emily.poland at maine.gov<mailto:emily.poland at maine.gov>
Phone: 207-592-0387
Maine DOE<http://www.maine.gov/doe> | Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en> | Maine DOE Newsroom<https://mainedoenews.net/> | School Health Services<https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines>

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