Question

A school nurse is notified that a school-age child has pertussis. Action should nurse take? select all that apply

a. Instruct the parent to keep child at home for 2wks after initial symptoms first present
b. Encourage family members to obtain prophylactic tx
c. Check the immunization status of the child's classmates
d. advocacy

Answer 1

When informed of a pertussis case, the school nurse should keep the child home, encourage prophylactic treatment for close contacts, and check classmates' immunization status, while also advocating for vaccinations.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a school nurse is notified that a school-aged child has pertussis, also known as whooping cough, several actions need to be taken to control the spread of the disease:

• Instruct the parent to keep the child at home during the contagious period, which is typically up to 2 weeks after the initial symptoms first appear.
• Encourage family members and other close contacts of the infected child to obtain prophylactic treatment to prevent the spread of pertussis.
• Check the immunization status of the child's classmates to ensure they are protected against pertussis and recommend vaccination for those who are not up to date.

It is also important to engage in advocacy for vaccination and educate the community on the importance of the DTaP and Tdap vaccines to prevent outbreaks of pertussis.