What is the Clinic?

Our last post explained all about what Nurse Laura does for our school. Now we'll explain what the Clinic does and how the Clinic differs from the nurse's office.

In the pod, across from the Nurse's office, is our Indian Springs Red Cross Clinic.
Lisa Lambert, one of our Clinic co-chairs, gave us this description of the Clinic and how it fits in to the school (thanks Lisa!):

The school clinic is provided through the American Red Cross School Clinic Program and is separate from the school nurse program. All clinic workers are volunteers who have taken a Red Cross Clinic training course, have completed a background check, and have worked for 10 hours with a trained clinic volunteer. Although a few volunteers have a medical background, most do not. The Clinic must follow all rules and guidelines set forth by the Red Cross. Volunteers may not attempt to diagnose, give medications, or even remove splinters (even if that volunteer is a nurse or other medical professional). Those types of issues are left to the school nurse. But the Clinic volunteers can do many things which frees up our school nurse and teachers to do what they are hired to do. The Clinic volunteers can take temperatures, apply bandages and ice packs, offer crackers and Sprite for upset tummies, and provide comfort and TLC to our students. They even keep some spare items of clothing for students who may have spilled something or gotten sick on theirs. So when the Clinic volunteer calls you about your child complaining of a sore throat, please understand why they will not be able to tell you what your child's throat looks like. They are following the rules that have been established by the Red Cross. You might also like to know that not all schools in Sullivan County have a Clinic. It takes space and willing volunteers to have a Clinic. We are fortunate at Indian Springs to have both!

We appreciate our dedicated Clinic volunteers who provide such a valuable service to Indian Springs!