Emergency first aid oxygen response in schools: O2 administration in schools by nurses and lay responders.

With the increasing prevalence of asthma in schools, as well as anaphylactic reactions to foods, insect stings, inhaled agents, and so on, combined with the increasing reliance on the school nurse for primary care, it is important to consider having oxygen as a part of a school’s emergency response. The NASN (2014a) position statement “Emergency Preparedness and Response in the School Setting—The Role of the School Nurse,” under Emergency Equipment states, “The availability of essential emergency supplies is an integral component of being able to render appropriate on-site care and manage the emergency condition” (see also Doyle, 2013). More specifically, NASN’s (2014b) “Emergency Resources, Equipment and Supplies for Schools With a School Nurse” practice tool provides emergency equipment recommendations as a resource to schools and school nurses. The practice tool lists recommended resources, equipment, and supplies for all schools, with additional considerations for schools with a school nurse. Oxygen is an example of emergency medications and supplies that may be part of the school emergency response plan, along with albuterol and epinephrine autoinjector, for schools with a nurse (NASN, 2014b). The Illinois “Guidelines for the Nurse in the School Setting” (Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children, 2010) recommend “give oxygen as tolerated if available,” for two of the initial five major assessments in the ABCDE (breathing and disability):