The goal of the Bishop Kelley School Nurse is to promote health and wellness in conjunction with the mission statement of Bishop Kelley High School. Students that are healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually are academically more successful. The Bishop Kelley School Nurse works in partnership with the students, their families, health care providers and the Bishop Kelley community to fulfill this mission.

If there are any specific medical concerns I may assist your student with, please let me know. I maintain a confidential open line of communication with all students, families, counselors and teachers. Please feel free to contact me, Tierney Dower, BSN, RN, with any questions or concerns you may have at (918) 627-3390, ext. 113 or tdower@bishopkelley.org.

Health Records

The State of Oklahoma requires all students be adequately immunized and in compliance with state statutes before attending school.  Bishop Kelley adheres to this state law and requires that a current immunization record be on file. It is imperative that a CURRENT IMMUNIZATION RECORD from your health care provider be turned in to the admissions office before admission to Bishop Kelley. You may have your health care provider fax the immunization record to BK at (918) 609-7184.

Every student attending Bishop Kelley will be required to have a Health History Form and Authorization for Emergency Care Form on file prior to the first day of school. These forms are to be renewed every year for each student.  These forms are emailed to the parent/guardian each year to be completed. Student athletes are also required to have a pre-participation physical and additional consent forms. Contact Head Athletic Trainer Alicia Berry at aberry@bishopkelley.org for more information on physicals and participation forms. 

Medications at School Policy

Prescription Medications should be taken at home if possible. When this is not an option and the medication must be given at school, a written request signed by the parent/guardian and physician must be submitted for each medication. Prescription medications are not to be carried by the student during the school day or kept in a student vehicle, locker or sports bag. All prescription medications must be brought in the original pharmacy container properly labeled with the student’s name, current date, prescription number, physician’s name, and must be dispensed from the nurse’s office. Parents may request the pharmacist dispense two bottles of medication, one for home and one for school, if needed. A new authorization form must be filled out for each change of medication or dosage and must be renewed each school year. Medication that is not claimed by the end of the school year will be destroyed according to school policy. 

In preparation for each school year, please have the permission form signed and filled out by BOTH the physician and a parent/guardian prior to the first day of school. 

Click here to download the prescription medication permission form.

The School Nurse may administer certain approved non-prescription medications as deemed necessary using her professional nursing judgement to make the student more comfortable and able to remain at school, provided the student’s parent/guardian and personal physician have given written consent. This form needs to be updated for each student every school year. Please note the following:

• Benadryl will not be given without parent/guardian contact unless it is an emergency.
• Ibuprofen/Acetaminophen will not be given if the student’s temperature is 99.0 degrees or higher or if the student has multiple symptoms of illness.
• A physician’s order is required for all medication given during the school day.
• Aspirin Products (ie: Excedrin) will not be given without a specific written physician's order.

Click here to download the over the counter medication permission form.

Prescription inhalers and Epi-Pens may be carried and monitored by the student. 

Pursuant to the School Law of the State of Oklahoma please read the policy regarding self-administration of these medications:

1. The parent/guardian of the student to authorize in writing the student’s self-administration of medication
2. The parent/guardian to provide to the school a signed written statement from the treating physician that the student has asthma/anaphylaxis and is capable of, and has been instructed in the proper method of administration of medication.
3. The parent/guardian must provide to the school and emergency supply of the medication to be kept in the nurse’s office.
   
   

In preparation for the new school year, please have the EpiPen/Inhaler form signed and filled out by BOTH the physician and a parent/guardian prior to the first day of school, and provide an emergency supply of the student’s medication. 

Click here to download the EpiPen/Inhaler permission form.

Please refer to the Parent and Student Handbook for the complete medication policy.

Student Illness

Illness at school:  If a student becomes ill or has a fever (100 degrees or higher) at school, a parent/guardian or designated emergency contact will be notified. The student will be cared for in the Health Room in the main office until a parent/guardian can make arrangements for the student to be picked up.

Sick Day Guidelines: School Policy requires that a student stay home if he or she:

• Has a fever of 100.00 degrees or higher
• Has been vomiting or has diarrhea
• Has symptoms that keep the student from participating in school such as: very tired or poor appetite, cough that he/she cannot control or sneezing often, severe headache, body aches or ear ache, or severe sore throat. 
• Please notify the school nurse if your student tests positive for the flu. 

Remember the 24 Hour Rule:

• Fever: Keep your child home until his or her fever has been gone WITHOUT medication for 24 hours. If your child has been sent home from school with a fever he/she cannot return the next day.
• Vomiting or Diarrhea: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the LAST time he/she vomited or had diarrhea.
• Antibiotics: Keep your child home until 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics for any illness such as strep throat, ear infection or pink eye.

For questions or more information, please contact the School Nurse.

Concussion Management

Bishop Kelley's concussion management plan is linked below. Contact Vice Principal Jeff Pratt at jpratt@bishopkelley.org or Head Athletic Trainer Alicia Berry at aberry@bishopkelley.org with questions regarding the concussion management policies. 

Concussion Management

An Important Message from the School Nurse

Keeping your teen safe and healthy can feel like a full-time job. Parents and guardians, you can check one thing off your “worry list” by talking to your teen’s healthcare provider to see that they are up-to-date on their vaccinations! You might be surprised to hear this, but millions of teens across the country are under-vaccinated, and outbreaks of serious infectious diseases, which can lead to death, are still taking place.

The CDC recommends that teens receive the following vaccines to protect against serious infectious diseases. Talk with your healthcare provider about vaccinating your teen!

Meningococcal vaccine 

• Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious disease that develops rapidly and can claim a life in as little as one day. Of those who survive, approximately one in five are left with serious medical problems like amputation, deafness, and brain damage.5 Teens are at increased risk of meningococcal meningitis. This increased risk may be due to activities like sharing utensils and kissing.
• Please download this file for information about meningitis from the Oklahoma Department of Health.
  
  

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

• HPV can cause various cancers in both boys and girls.
  
  

Tdap vaccine

• Tetanus causes painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over your body;diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat and can also lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death; andpertussis causes coughing spells and can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death, particularly in infants.
  
  

Flu vaccine

• Flu can lead to fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue and more. Serious outcomes include hospitalization and even death.
  
  

Learn more about vaccination at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/by-age/years-13-18.html and contact the nurse's office with any questions at tdower@bishopkelley.org.

Student Safety Laws

Underage Drinking

STUDENTS: Young people are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of alcohol. Drinking alcohol may negatively affect learning and increase the risk of addiction, fatal alcohol poisoning, drunk driving, sexual assault, premarital sex, and suicide. In Oklahoma, having a driver’s license is a privilege that can be suspended or revoked for anyone who is underage and drinking alcohol. In Oklahoma, it is illegal for minors (under 21) to possess alcohol. PARENTS: It is the responsibility of adults to protect children from alcohol. It’s also the law. Supplying minors with alcohol is illegal. Penalties can include hefty fines, jail time, paying damages in a lawsuit, and possible increases in homeowner’s/renter’s insurance. “Social host laws” hold the social host responsible, whether or not he or she actually provided the alcohol. Start early! Research shows that children start to consider drinking alcohol about ages 9-13. It is best if they already know the consequences and that you expect them not to drink. You can do this by setting a good example, including:

• Obeying all laws
• Handling stress in healthy ways.
• Not drinking too much or too often.
• NEVER drinking and driving.
• Not making excuses for alcohol consumption. Drinking is not a rite of passage. Make any alcohol in your home “off limits.” Drinking under a parent’s supervision makes no one safer. It merely condones the use of alcohol and sends a negative message about obeying the law. (See www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov)

Cody’s Law (effective November 1, 2011)

Oklahoma HB1211, also known as “Cody’s Law,” provides stronger penalties for hosts who knowingly allow underage drinking in their homes or on their land. The social host law provides for a misdemeanor and fine of up to $500 for the first violation and a fine of up to $1,000 for a second. Further violations can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of $2,500. If a violation of Cody’s Law results in bodily injury or death, a social host will face a fine of between $2,500 and $5,000 and up to five years of incarceration. House Bill 1211 is named after Cody Greenhaw, a Tulsa teenager who, in September 2004, died from a drug and alcohol overdose at a friend’s house. Both chambers of the Legislature passed HB1211 unanimously. Parent influence is the chief deterrent of teen drug and alcohol use. In partnership with parents, Bishop Kelley High School strives to lead the Tulsa area in providing a learning environment that is drug-free and deters young people from the use of alcohol. The Bishop Kelley Handbook for Parents and Students is clear that “all students, parents, and guardians are held to a high standard of behavior. Parents providing or condoning the use of alcohol or other illegal substances risk the immediate termination of their student enrollment.” If you are aware of drug or alcohol use among Bishop Kelley High School students or at a particular student’s home, please do not assume that the Bishop Kelley administration has the same knowledge. All information regarding the safety of our students should be reported to Dean of Students Jeff Pratt. Information will be handled in a confidential and respectful manner, with the goal of protecting and supporting our students during this important and often challenging time.

Distracted Driving

Effective November 1, 2010, Oklahoma initiated more-restrictive driving laws.

• “The operator of every vehicle, while driving, shall devote their full time and attention to such driving.” (Oklahoma State Senate Bill 1908)
• “No law enforcement officer shall issue a citation under this section unless the law enforcement officer observes that the operator of the vehicle is involved in an accident or observes the operator of the vehicle driving in such a manner that poses an articulable danger to other persons on the roadway that is not otherwise specified in statute.”
  
  

In other words, a driver will not be pulled over and ticketed for cell phone use or text-messaging unless the officer observes that the driver is posing a safety threat to others, violating curfew, or disregarding other traffic rules. In the past, officers could only ticket a driver for inattentive driving after the driver crashed. The new law lets officers write a ticket just for the behavior itself. Teen drivers with learner’s permits or graduated driver’s licenses are breaking the law if they use the phone while the car is in motion. They could get citations or lose their licenses. Legal experts say the law also applies to other handheld devices, such as GPS systems and iPods. “Distracted driving” means inattentive driving of any vehicle being operated in violation of any provisions of this title, or any other law regulating the operation of a vehicle, that is caused by reading, writing, performing personal grooming, interacting with pets or unsecured cargo, using a personal communication device, or engaging in any other activity that causes distractions. The fine for this offense is $100 plus court fees, not to exceed $35. A driver has to be violating a primary offense such as speeding or reckless driving to be ticketed for text-messaging or cell phone use while driving. Bishop Kelley High School students will be assessed a $20 fine for texting or talking on the cell phone while driving on campus.

K2

Oklahoma law bans K2, placing it in the same category as other drugs such as meth, marijuana and cocaine. K2 is a synthetic form of marijuana increasingly popular in Oklahoma. It is a smokeable product that is a cause for concern according to both local law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It is sold in the form of incense or potpourri and is available both online and in local Tulsa stores. Parents should watch for loose brown or golden plant material and the foil packages the product is sold in. Packages are typically marked “not for human consumption.” It is completely unregulated, and there is no consistency in its effects. It is a mixture of herbal and plant products sprayed with a potent psychotropic drug that was originally developed for research. K2 and similar substances mimic a marijuana “high” that is often induced more quickly and more intensely than real marijuana. Symptoms of using K2 include hallucinations, severe agitation, dangerously elevated heart rate (reported up to 150 bpm) and blood pressure (reported up to 200/100), increased respiration rate, panic attacks, dilated pupils, numbness/tingling, very pale skin, vomiting and, in some cases, tremors, seizures, and coma/unconsciousness. Many individuals stop using the drug because after a week or so of using it, they develop bad headaches. K2 currently does not show up on drug tests for marijuana but will show up on specific urine tests designed to screen for its compounds. Every student receives drug education every year at Bishop Kelley.

Drug and Alcohol Testing FAQ's

Bishop Kelley High School is proud to be in its ninth year of school wide drug testing. For more information please contact Jeff Pratt, Dean of Students.

Safe Drug Disposal

Click here for a list of locations participating in the safe disposal of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Parenting to Prevent Childhood Alcohol Use

Accumulating evidence suggests that alcohol use - and in particular binge drinking - may have negative effects on adolescent development and increase the risk for alcohol dependence later in life. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provides helpful guidelines on helping adolescents avoid harmful alcohol use.

Blood Drive

Oklahoma Blood Institute typically hosts blood drives on campus to benefit BK’s National Honor Society. Dates will be provided in advance. 

Anyone 16 and over can give blood, however 16 and 17-year-old students require parental consent. Click here to download the form.

U.S. Department of Education's Safe Firearm Storage Resource

Safe storage of firearms is an important prevention tool that can be used to help keep schools, homes, and communities safe from gun violence. To build further awareness of this important strategy, today the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), is releasing a new resource that schools can use to communicate with parents and families about the importance of safe firearm storage, and encourage more people to take preventive action by safely storing firearms.