Diabetes Medical Management Plan

(a) Each local board of education and state-chartered special school shall ensure that there are at least two school employees trained in accordance with the Georgia Department of Education's, Guidelines for the Care Needed for Students with Diabetes in each school that has a student with diabetes. This training shall be conducted by a school nurse or other health care professional with expertise in diabetes and shall take place prior to the commencement ofeach school year, or as needed when a student with diabetes enrolls at a school, or when a student is newly diagnosed with diabetes. Local boards of education shall ensure that the school nurse or other health care professional provides follow-up training and supervision as necessary for compliance with this rule.

(b) Each local school system and state chartered special school shall provide information in the recognition of diabetes related emergency situations to all employed or contracted bus drivers responsible for the transportation of a student with diabetes.

(c) Each school shall review and implement the diabetes medical management plan provided by the parent or guardian of a student with diabetes who seeks diabetes care while at school.

Guidance document on implementation of State Board of Education Rule 160-4-8-.18 Diabetes Medical Management Plans

• (E) Administration of insulin and glucagon, an injectable used to raise blood glucose levels immediately for severe hypoglycemia, and the recording of results;
• (F) Performance of basic insulin pump functions;
• (G) Recognizing complications that require emergency assistance; and
• (H) Recommended schedules and food intake for meals and snacks, the effect of physical activity upon blood glucose levels, and actions to be implemented in the case of schedule disruption.

(c) The parent or guardian of each student with diabetes who seeks diabetes care while at school shall submit to the school a diabetes medical management plan which upon receipt shall be reviewed and implemented by the school.

(d)

• (1) In accordance with the request of a parent or guardian of a student with diabetes and the student's diabetes medical management plan, the school nurse or, in the absence of the school nurse, trained diabetes personnel shall perform functions including, but not limited to, responding to blood glucose levels that are outside of the student's target range; administering glucagon; administering insulin, or assisting a student in administering insulin through the insulin delivery system the student uses; providing oral diabetes medications; checking and recording blood glucose levels and ketone levels, or assisting a student with such checking and recording; and following instructions regarding meals, snacks, and physical activity.
• (2) The school nurse or at least one trained diabetes personnel shall be on site at each school and available during regular school hours to provide care to each student with diabetes as identified pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section.For purposes of field trips, the parent or guardian, or designee of such parent or guardian, of a student with diabetes may accompany such student on a field trip.

(b) (1) No later than August 1, 2012, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Georgia Association of School Nurses, shall develop guidelines for the training of school employees in the care needed for students with diabetes. The training guidelines shall include instruction in:

• (A) Recognition and treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia;
• (B) Understanding the appropriate actions to take when blood glucose levels are outside of the target ranges indicated by a student's diabetes medical management plan;
• (C) Understanding physician instructions concerning diabetes medication dosage, frequency, and the manner of administration;
• (D) Performance of finger-stick blood glucose checking, ketone checking, and recording the results;

The School Nurse Exchange provides a collection of resources that address managing chronic health conditions, including diabetes.